A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre

28 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man^(A), say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

⁶ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

¹¹ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹² “Son of man, take up a lament^(S) concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

A Prophecy Against Sidon

²⁰ The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ “Son of man, set your face against^(AK) Sidon;^(AL) prophesy against her ²² and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

²⁴ “‘No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns.^(AQ) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

²⁵ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather^(AR) the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered,^(AS) I will be proved holy^(AT) through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.^{(AU) 26} They will live there in safety^(AV) and will build houses and plant^(AW) vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment^(AX) on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.^(AY)’”

A Prophecy Against Egypt

Judgment on Pharaoh

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(AZ) 2} “Son of man, set your face against^(BA) Pharaoh king of Egypt^(BB) and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.^{(BC) 3} Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

⁶ Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.

“‘You have been a staff of reed^(BK) for the people of Israel. ⁷ When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered^(BL) and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.^[d](BM)

⁸ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast.^{(BN) 9} Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“‘Because you said, “The Nile^(BO) is mine; I made it,^(BP)” ¹⁰ therefore I am against you^(BQ) and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt^(BR) a ruin and a desolate waste^(BS) from Migdol^(BT) to Aswan,^(BU) as far as the border of Cush.^{[e](BV) 11} The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.^{(BW) 12} I will make the land of Egypt desolate^(BX) among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.^(BY)

¹³ “‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. ¹⁴ I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt,^(BZ) the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly^(CA) kingdom.^{(CB) 15} It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations.^(CC) I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. ¹⁶ Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence^(CD) for the people of Israel but will be a reminder^(CE) of their sin in turning to her for help.^(CF) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(CG)’”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Reward

¹⁷ In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(CH) 18} “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar^(CI) king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare^(CJ) and every shoulder made raw.^(CK) Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. ¹⁹ Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king^(CL) of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder^(CM) the land as pay for his army.^{(CN) 20} I have given him Egypt^(CO) as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(CP)

²¹ “On that day I will make a horn^[f](CQ) grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth^(CR) among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(CS)”

A Lament Over Egypt

30 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

⁵ Cush and Libya,^(CZ) Lydia and all Arabia,^(DA) Kub and the people^(DB) of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.^(DC)

⁶ “‘This is what the Lord says:

⁹ “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush^(DH) out of her complacency. Anguish^(DI) will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.^(DJ)

¹⁰ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

I the Lord have spoken.

¹³ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken

²⁰ In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(EE) 21} “Son of man, I have broken the arm^(EF) of Pharaoh^(EG) king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed^(EH) or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. ²² Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.^(EI) I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.^{(EJ) 23} I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.^{(EK) 24} I will strengthen^(EL) the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword^(EM) in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan^(EN) before him like a mortally wounded man. ²⁵ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword^(EO) into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.^{(EP) 26} I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(EQ)”

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.^{(A) 2} The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.^{(B) 3} The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.^(C) He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.^{(D) 4} When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.^{(E) 5} But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech,^(F) but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.^(G)

⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am^(H) the gate^(I) for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me^(J) are thieves and robbers,^(K) but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,^(L) and have it to the full.^(M)

¹¹ “I am^(N) the good shepherd.^(O) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.^{(P) 12} The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.^(Q) Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd;^(R) I know my sheep^(S) and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father^(T)—and I lay down my life for the sheep.^{(U) 16} I have other sheep^(V) that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock^(W) and one shepherd.^{(X) 17} The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life^(Y)—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.^(Z) I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”^(AA)

¹⁹ The Jews who heard these words were again divided.^{(AB) 20} Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed^(AC) and raving mad.^(AD) Why listen to him?”

²¹ But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon.^(AE) Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”^(AF)

Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

²² Then came the Festival of Dedication^[b] at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(AG) 24} The Jews^(AH) who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”^(AI)

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you,^(AJ) but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,^{(AK) 26} but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.^{(AL) 27} My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,^(AM) and they follow me.^{(AN) 28} I give them eternal life,^(AO) and they shall never perish;^(AP) no one will snatch them out of my hand.^{(AQ) 29} My Father, who has given them to me,^(AR) is greater than all^[c];^(AS) no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”^(AT)

³¹ Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,^{(AU) 32} but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

³³ “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”^(AV)

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law,^(AW) ‘I have said you are “gods”’^[d]?^{(AX) 35} If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God^(AY) came—and Scripture cannot be set aside^(AZ)— ³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart^(BA) as his very own^(BB) and sent into the world?^(BC) Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?^{(BD) 37} Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.^{(BE) 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 in the Father.”^{(BF) 39} Again they tried to seize him,^(BG) but he escaped their grasp.^(BH)

⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back across the Jordan^(BI) to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, ⁴¹ and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign,^(BJ) all that John said about this man was true.”^{(BK) 42} And in that place many believed in Jesus.^(BL)