The Twelve Apostles

¹² In these days ^(A)he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. ¹³ And when day came, ^(B)he called his disciples ^(C)and ^(D)chose from them twelve, whom he named ^(E)apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, ^(F)whom he named Peter, and ^(G)Andrew his brother, and ^(H)James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and ^(I)Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called ^(J)the Zealot, ¹⁶ and ^(K)Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude

¹⁷ And ^(L)he came down with them and stood on a level place, with ^(M)a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of ^(N)Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. ^(O)And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹ And all the crowd ^(P)sought to touch him, for ^(Q)power came out from him and healed them all.

I Am the Good Shepherd

10 “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)A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ This figure of speech Jesus ^(B)used with them, but they ^(C)did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁷ So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^(D)I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by me, ^(E)he will be saved and will go in and out and ^(F)find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and ^(G)kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ^11 (H)I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd ^(I)lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² He who is ^(J)a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and ^(K)leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and ^(L)scatters them. ¹³ He flees because ^(M)he is a hired hand and ^(N)cares nothing for the sheep. ^14 (O)I am the good shepherd. ^(P)I know my own and ^(Q)my own know me, ^15 (R)just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and ^(S)I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And ^(T)I have other sheep that are not of this fold. ^(U)I must bring them also, and ^(V)they will listen to my voice. So there will be ^(W)one flock, ^(X)one shepherd. ^17 (Y)For this reason the Father loves me, ^(Z)because ^(AA)I lay down my life that I may take it up again. ^18 (AB)No one takes it from me, but ^(AC)I lay it down ^(AD)of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and ^(AE)I have authority to take it up again. ^(AF)This charge I have received from my Father.”

^12 (A)“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ^13 (B)Greater love has no one than this, ^(C)that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are ^(D)my friends ^(E)if you do what I command you. ^15 (F)No longer do I call you servants,^[a] for the servant ^(G)does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for ^(H)all that I have heard from my Father ^(I)I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but ^(J)I chose you and appointed you that you should go and ^(K)bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that ^(L)whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, ^(M)so that you will love one another.

The Hatred of the World

^18 (N)“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ^19 (O)If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because ^(P)you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ When they had ^(A)finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ^(B)“Simon, ^(C)son of John, ^(D)do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed ^(E)my lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, ^(F)“Tend ^(G)my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him ^(H)the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, ^(I)you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed ^(J)my sheep.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² And ^(A)they devoted themselves to the apostles' ^(B)teaching and the ^(C)fellowship, to ^(D)the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe^[a] came upon every soul, and ^(E)many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and ^(F)had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And ^(G)they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, ^(H)attending the temple ^(I)together and ^(J)breaking bread in their homes, they received their food ^(K)with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and ^(L)having favor with all the people. And the Lord ^(M)added to their number ^(N)day by day those who ^(O)were being saved.

They Had Everything in Common

³² Now the full number of those who believed were of ^(A)one heart and ^(B)soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but ^(C)they had everything in common.

¹¹ For ^(A)I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— ¹² that is, that we may be mutually encouraged ^(B)by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

¹⁸ And ^(A)do not get drunk with wine, for that is ^(B)debauchery, but ^(C)be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in ^(D)psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ^20 (E)giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ^(F)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (G)submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²⁸ Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that ^(A)we may present everyone ^(B)mature in Christ. ²⁹ For this ^(C)I toil, ^(D)struggling ^(E)with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.