Joh 10 | HCSB | STEP | “ I assure you : Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way , is a thief and a robber .

John 10

The Ideal Shepherd

1 “ ^{▼▼I assure you: This is a phrase used only by Jesus to testify to the certainty and importance of His words; in Mt, Mk and Lk it is literally Amen, I say to you, and in Jn it is literally Amen, amen, I say to you.}I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. ^b 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd ^c of the sheep. ^d 3 The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.”

6 Jesus gave them this illustration, but they did not understand ^e what He was telling them.

The Good Shepherd

7 So Jesus said again, “I assure you: I am ^f the door of the sheep. ^g 8 All who came before Me ^{▼▼Other mss omit before Me} are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal ⁱ and to kill and to destroy. ^j I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

11 “I am the good shepherd. ^k The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ^l 12 The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them ^{▼▼Lit leaves the sheep} and runs away when he sees a wolf ⁿ coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired man and doesn’t care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. ^o I lay down My life ^p for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep ^q that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. ^r 17 This is why the Father loves Me, ^s because I am laying down My life ^t so I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” ^u

19 Again a division ^v took place among the ^{▼▼Jew(s): In Jn the term Jews usually indicates those in Israel who were opposed to Jesus, particularly the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem who led the nation.}Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon ^x and He’s crazy! Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These aren’t the words of someone demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” ^y

Jesus at the Festival of Dedication

22 Then the Festival of Dedication ^{▼▼Or Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Lights; this festival commemorated the rededication of the temple in 164 b.c.} took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 Jesus was walking in the ^{▼▼temple complex: In the Jerusalem temple, the complex included the sanctuary (the holy place and the holy of holies), at least 4 courtyards (for priests, Jewish men, Jewish women, and Gentiles), numerous gates, and several covered walkways.}temple complex in Solomon’s Colonnade. ^{▼▼Rows of columns supporting a roof
,} ^ac 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and asked, “How long are You going to keep us in suspense? ^{▼▼Lit How long are you taking away our life?} If You are the ^{▼▼Messiah: Or the Christ; the Greek word Christos means "the anointed one".}Messiah, ^af tell us plainly.” ^{▼▼Or openly, or publicly
,} ^ah

25 “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works ^ai that I do in My Father’s name testify about Me. 26 But you don’t believe because you are not My sheep. ^{▼▼Other mss add just as I told you
,} ^ak 27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, ^al and they will never perish ^am – ever! No one will snatch ^an them out of My hand. 29 My Father, ^ao who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.” ^{▼▼Lit I and the Father – We are one.
,} ^aq

Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus

31 Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him. ^ar

32 Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works ^as from the Father. Which of these works are you stoning Me for?”

33 “We aren’t stoning ^at You for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because You – being a man – make Yourself God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your scripture, ^{▼▼Other mss read in the scripture} I said, you are gods? ^{av
,} ^aw 35 If He called those whom the word ^ax of God came to ‘gods’ – and the Scripture ^ay cannot be broken – 36 do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God? ^az 37 If I am not doing My Father’s works, ^ba don’t believe Me. 38 But if I am doing them and you don’t believe Me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand ^{▼▼Other mss read know and believe} that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.” ^bc 39 Then they were trying again to seize Him, ^bd yet He eluded their grasp. ^be

Many beyond the Jordan Believe in Jesus

40 So He departed again across the Jordan ^bf to the place where John ^bg had been baptizing earlier, and He remained there. 41 Many came to Him ^bh and said, “John never did a sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in Him there.