¹⁵ After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Gentlemen,^[a] brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

¹⁶ Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.

²⁶ “Gentlemen, brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, this message of salvation has been sent to you.^{[a] 27} The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the statements of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. ²⁸ Though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ When they carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the cross^[b] and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God raised him from the dead, ³¹ and for many days he was seen by those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These same individuals are now his witnesses to the people.

³² “We are preaching to you the good news about the promise that was made to our fathers. ³³ God has fulfilled this promise for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:

The Church in Heaven

⁹ After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ They called out with a loud voice and said:

¹¹ All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, ¹² saying:

¹³ One of the elders spoke to me and said, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?”

And I answered him, “Sir, you know.”

¹⁴ And he said to me:

The Good Shepherd

10 “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the door, but climbs in by 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 doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus used this illustration in speaking to the people, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

⁷ So Jesus said again, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: I am the door for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me^[a] were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

¹⁰ “A 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 The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep. He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ Because he works for money, he does not care about the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep 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 also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This is the commission I received from my Father.”

¹⁹ There was a division among the Jews again because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind! Why listen to him?” ²¹ Others said, “These are not the sayings of someone demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

“I and the Father Are One”

²² Then the Festival of Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple area in Solomon’s Colonnade.

²⁴ So the Jews gathered around Jesus, asking, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I am doing in my Father’s name testify about me. ²⁶ But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep, as I said to you.^{[b] 27} My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

³¹ Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him. ³² Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?”

³³ “We are not going to stone you for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because although you are a man, you make yourself out to be God.”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said you are gods’?^{[c] 35} If he called those people ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken, ³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world? Do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? ³⁷ If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. ³⁸ But if I am doing them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works so that you will know and understand^[d] that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

³⁹ So they tried to arrest him again, but he eluded their grasp. ⁴⁰ He went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he stayed there.

⁴¹ Many came to him and were saying, “John never did a miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” ⁴² And many believed in him there.