| Chapter 10 |
1 |
"Most assuredly, I tell you, he who doesn`t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. |
2 |
But he who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. |
3 |
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. |
4 |
Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. |
5 |
They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don`t know the voice of strangers." |
6 |
Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn`t understand what he was telling them. |
7 |
Jesus therefore said to them again, "Most assuredly, I tell you, I am the sheep`s door. |
8 |
All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn`t listen to them. |
9 |
I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. |
10 |
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. |
11 |
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. |
12 |
He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn`t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them. |
13 |
The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn`t care for the sheep. |
14 |
I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I`m known by my own; |
15 |
even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. |
16 |
I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. |
17 |
Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. |
18 |
No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father." |
19 |
Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of these words. |
20 |
Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is mad! Why do you listen to him?" |
21 |
Others said, "These are not the sayings of one possessed with a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" |
22 |
It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. |
23 |
It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon`s porch. |
24 |
The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." |
25 |
Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you don`t believe. The works that I do in my Father`s name, these testify about me. |
26 |
But you don`t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. |
27 |
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. |
28 |
I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. |
29 |
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father`s hand. |
30 |
I and the Father are one." |
31 |
Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. |
32 |
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?" |
33 |
The Jews answered him, "We don`t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God." |
34 |
Jesus answered them, "Isn`t it written in your law, `I said, you are gods?` |
35 |
If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the scripture can`t be broken), |
36 |
Do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, `You blaspheme,` because I said, `I am the Son of God?` |
37 |
If I don`t do the works of my Father, don`t believe me. |
38 |
But if I do them, though you don`t believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." |
39 |
They sought again to seize him, and he went forth out of their hand. |
40 |
He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was at the first baptizing, and there he stayed. |
41 |
Many came to him. They said, "John indeed did no sign, but everything whatever that John said about this man is true." |
42 |
Many believed in him there. |