John 10

1"Truly, truly, I say to you, the man who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." 6This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7Then Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12But he who is a hireling and not the shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep, and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17For this reason my Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father."

19There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is mad. Why listen to him?" 21Others said, "These are not the sayings of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

22Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple, walking in Solomon’s Porch. 24So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me; 26but you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one." 31The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" 33The Jews answered him, "For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God." 34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming, ‘because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37If I do not do the works of my father, do not believe me; 38but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father."

39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped from their hands. 40He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed. 41And many came to him and they said, "John performed no sign, but all that John said about this man was true." 42And many believed in him there.