John 10
1"Truly, truly, I tell you, one who does not enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 4Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they do not know the voice of strangers." 6Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they did not understand what he was telling them.7Jesus therefore said to them again, "Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the sheep's door. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. 10The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd. ▼
▼Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-12,15,22
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them. 13The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and does not care for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me ▼▼M TR read "I'm known by my own" instead of "my own know me"
; 15even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. ▼▼Isaiah 56:8
I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. 17Therefore the ▼▼M TR: "my"
Father loves me, because I lay down my life, ▼▼Isaiah 53:7-8
that I may take it again. 18No 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."19Therefore a division arose again among the Jewish people because of these words. 20Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?" 21Others said, "These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It is not possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?" ▼
▼Exodus 4:11
22It was the Feast of the Dedication ▼
▼The Feast of the Dedication is known in Hebrew as "Hanukkah," a celebration of the rededication of the Temple.
at Jerusalem. 23It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon's porch. 24The Jewish leaders therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."25Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, these testify about me. 26But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep ▼
▼NU Vg. M TR add "as I told you"
. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ▼▼M reading. NU reads "That which my Father has given to me is greater than all"
. No one is able to snatch them out of the ▼▼M TR: "my"
Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."31Therefore the Jewish leaders took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the ▼
▼M TR: "my"
Father. For which of those works do you stone me?"33The Jewish leaders answered him, "We do not stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God."
34Jesus answered them, "Is not it written in your law, 'I said, you are gods?' ▼
▼Psalm 82:6
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 blaspheme,' 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, though you do not believe me, believe the works; that you may know and understand ▼▼M TR read "believe" instead of "understand"
that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."39They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand. 40He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed. 41Many came to him. They said, "John indeed did no sign, but everything that John said about this man is true." 42And many believed in him there.
Copyright information for
NHJ