John 10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Ideal Shepherd
10 “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.(A) 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd(B) of the sheep.(C) 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(D) what He was telling them.
The Good Shepherd
7 So Jesus said again, “I assure you: I am(E) the door of the sheep.(F) 8 All who came before Me[a] 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(G) and to kill and to destroy.(H) I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
11 “I am the good shepherd.(I) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(J) 12 The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them[b] and runs away when he sees a wolf(K) 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.(L) I lay down My life(M) for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep(N) 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.(O) 17 This is why the Father loves Me,(P) because I am laying down My life(Q) 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.”(R)
19 Again a division(S) took place among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon(T) 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?”(U)
Jesus at the Festival of Dedication
22 Then the Festival of Dedication[c] took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 Jesus was walking in the temple complex in Solomon’s Colonnade.[d](V) 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and asked, “How long are You going to keep us in suspense?[e] If You are the Messiah,(W) tell us plainly.”[f](X)
25 “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works(Y) that I do in My Father’s name testify about Me. 26 But you don’t believe because you are not My sheep.[g](Z) 27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life,(AA) and they will never perish(AB)—ever! No one will snatch(AC) them out of My hand. 29 My Father,(AD) 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.”[h](AE)
Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus
31 Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him.(AF)
32 Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works(AG) from the Father. Which of these works are you stoning Me for?”
33 “We aren’t stoning(AH) 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,[i] I said, you are gods?(AI)[j] 35 If He called those whom the word(AJ) of God came to ‘gods’—and the Scripture(AK) 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?(AL) 37 If I am not doing My Father’s works,(AM) 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[k] that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.”(AN) 39 Then they were trying again to seize Him,(AO) yet He eluded their grasp.(AP)
Many beyond the Jordan Believe in Jesus
40 So He departed again across the Jordan(AQ) to the place where John(AR) had been baptizing earlier, and He remained there. 41 Many came to Him(AS) and said, “John never did a sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in Him there.
Footnotes
- John 10:8 Other mss omit before Me
- John 10:12 Lit leaves the sheep
- John 10:22 Or Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Lights; this festival commemorated the rededication of the temple in 164 b.c.
- John 10:23 Rows of columns supporting a roof
- John 10:24 Lit How long are you taking away our life?
- John 10:24 Or openly, or publicly
- John 10:26 Other mss add just as I told you
- John 10:30 Lit I and the Father—We are one.
- John 10:34 Other mss read in the scripture
- John 10:34 Ps 82:6
- John 10:38 Other mss read know and believe
John 10
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jesus the Good Shepherd
10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.(A) 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[a] are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go 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.(B)
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(C) 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.(D) 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.(E) 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes[b] 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 up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words.(F) 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?”(G) 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”(H)
Jesus Is Rejected by the Jews
22 At that time the Festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.(I) 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah,[c] tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me,(J) 26 but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep.(K) 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.(L) 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.(M) 29 My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all,[d] and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand.(N) 30 The Father and I are one.”
31 The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human, are making yourself God.”(O) 34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law,[e] ‘I said, you are gods’?(P) 35 If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— 36 can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?(Q) 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me.(R) 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand[f] that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”(S) 39 Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.(T)
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. 41 Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.”(U) 42 And many believed in him there.(V)
Footnotes
- 10.8 Other ancient authorities lack before me
- 10.18 Other ancient authorities read has taken
- 10.24 Or the Christ
- 10.29 Other ancient authorities read What my Father has given me is greater than all else or My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all
- 10.34 Other ancient authorities read in the law
- 10.38 Other ancient authorities lack and understand; others read and believe
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.