The Good Shepherd

10 ‘Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber.^{(A) 2} The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd^(B) of the sheep.^{(C) 3} The gatekeeper 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 know his voice. ⁵ They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.’ ⁶ Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand^(D) what he was telling them.

⁷ Jesus said again, ‘Truly I tell you, I am^(E) the gate for 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 gate. 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 kill and 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 hand, 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 hand and doesn’t care about 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.^(L) I lay down my life^(M) for the sheep. ¹⁶ But I have other sheep^(N) that are not from this sheepfold; 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 lay down my life^(Q) 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 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 the Jews were divided^(S) 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 who is demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? ’^(U)

Jesus at the Festival of Dedication

²² Then the Festival of Dedication took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. ²³ Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(V) 24} The Jews surrounded him and asked, ‘How long are you going to keep us in suspense?^[c] If you are the Messiah,^(W) tell us plainly.’^[d](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 of my sheep.^{[e](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) 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 I and the Father are one.’^(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. For which of these works are you stoning me? ’

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 law,^[f] I said, you are gods?^{(AI)[g] 35} If he called those to whom the word^(AJ) of God came “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^[h] that the Father is in me and I in the Father.’^{(AN) 39} Then they were trying again to seize him,^(AO) but he escaped 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 baptising 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.