John 10

Parable of the Good Shepherd

1Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is aa thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is ba shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear chis voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and dleads them out. 4When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know ehis voice. 5A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know fthe voice of strangers.” 6This gfigure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

7So Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am hthe door of the sheep. 8All who came before Me are ithieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 jI am the door; if anyone enters through 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 came that they kmay have life, and
Or have abundance
have it abundantly.

11 mI am the good shepherd; the good shepherd nlays down His life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand, and not a oshepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 pI am the good shepherd, and qI know My own and My own know Me, 15even as rthe Father knows Me and I know the Father; and sI lay down My life for the sheep. 16I have tother sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become uone flock with vone shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves Me, because I wlay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 xNo one has taken it away from Me, but I ylay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. zThis commandment I received from My Father.”

19 aaA division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20Many of them were saying, “He abhas a demon and acis insane. Why do you listen to Him?” 21Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one addemon-possessed. aeA demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”

Jesus Asserts His Deity

22At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of afSolomon. 24 agThe Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long
Lit do You lift up our soul
will You keep us in suspense? If You are
I.e. the Messiah
the Christ, tell us ajplainly.”
25Jesus answered them, akI told you, and you do not believe; althe works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26But you do not believe because amyou are not of My sheep. 27My sheep anhear My voice, and aoI know them, and they follow Me; 28and I give apeternal life to them, and they will never perish; and aqno one will snatch them out of My hand. 29
One early ms reads What My Father has given Me is greater than all
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 asI and the Father are
Or a unity; or one essence
one.”

31The Jews aupicked up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus answered them, I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for avblasphemy; and because You, being a man, awmake Yourself out to be God.” 34Jesus answered them, Has it not been written in axyour ayLaw, ‘ azI 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 basanctified and bbsent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘ bcI am the Son of God’? 37 bdIf 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 bethe works, so that you may
Lit know and continue knowing
know and understand that bgthe Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”
39Therefore bhthey were seeking again to seize Him, and biHe eluded their grasp.

40And He went away bjagain beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41Many came to Him and were saying, “While John performed no bksign, yet bleverything John said about this man was true.” 42 bmMany believed in Him there.
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