1 | "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; |
2 | but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. |
3 | To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. |
4 | When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. |
5 | A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." |
6 | This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. |
7 | So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. |
8 | All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. |
9 | I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. |
10 | The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. |
11 | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. |
12 | He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. |
13 | He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. |
14 | I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, |
15 | as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. |
16 | And 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, one shepherd. |
17 | For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. |
18 | No 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 charge I have received from my Father." |
19 | There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. |
20 | Many of them said, "He has a demon, and he is mad; why listen to him?" |
21 | Others said, "These are not the sayings of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" |
22 | It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; |
23 | it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. |
24 | So 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." |
25 | Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me; |
26 | but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. |
27 | My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; |
28 | and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. |
29 | 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 | I and the Father are one." |
31 | The Jews took up stones again to stone him. |
32 | Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?" |
33 | The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God." |
34 | Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, `I said, you are gods'? |
35 | If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and scripture cannot be broken), |
36 | do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, `You are blaspheming,' because I said, `I am the Son of God'? |
37 | If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; |
38 | but 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." |
39 | Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. |
40 | He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. |
41 | And many came to him; and they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." |
42 | And many believed in him there. |