The Shepherd and His Sheep

10 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the person who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The one who guards the door opens it for him. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he brings all his sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger. They will run away from him because they don’t know his voice.” ⁶ Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant.

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd

⁷ So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the door for the sheep. ⁸ All the people who came before me were thieves and robbers. The sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door, and the person who enters through me will be saved and will be able to come in and go out and find pasture. ¹⁰ A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life—life in all its fullness.

²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never die, and no one can steal them out of my hand.