1 | "Most certainly, I tell you, one 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 one 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 certainly, 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 insane! Why do you listen to him?" |
21 | Others said, "These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn't possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?" |
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 out of their hand. |
40 | He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed. |
41 | Many came to him. They said, "John indeed did no sign, but everything that John said about this man is true." |
42 | Many believed in him there. |