The Good Shepherd

10 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber.(A) The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd(B) of the sheep.(C) The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand(D) what he was telling them.

Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am(E) the gate for the sheep.(F) All who came before me[a] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 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 sheep pen; 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?[g](AI) 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 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

  1. 10:8 Other mss omit before me
  2. 10:12 Lit leaves the sheep
  3. 10:24 Lit “How long are you taking away our life?
  4. 10:24 Or openly, or publicly
  5. 10:26 Other mss add just as I told you
  6. 10:34 Other mss read in the scripture
  7. 10:34 Ps 82:6
  8. 10:38 Other mss read know and believe

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

10 “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter through the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up at some other place—that one is a thief and a robber. But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. For this one the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Whenever he sends out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And they will never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what it was that he was saying to them.

Then Jesus said to them[a] again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All those who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep do not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and will go out and will find pasture. 10 The thief comes only[b] so that he can steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and have it[c] abundantly.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf approaching and abandons the sheep and runs away—and the wolf seizes them and scatters them[d] 13 because he is a hired hand and he is not concerned[e] about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd, and 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 And I have other sheep which are not from this fold. I must bring these also, and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock—one shepherd. 17 Because of this the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take possession of it again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down voluntarily.[f] I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take possession of it again. This commandment I received from my Father.”

19 Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 And many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who is possessed by a demon! A demon is not able to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”[g]

Jesus at the Feast of the Dedication

22 Then the feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple in the Portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews surrounded him and began to say[h] to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense?[i] If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe! The deeds that I do in the name of my Father, these testify about me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep! 27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish forever,[j] and no one will seize them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them[k] to me, is greater than all, and no one can seize them[l] from the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

31 Then[m] the Jews picked up stones again so that they could stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “We are not going to stone you concerning a good deed, but concerning blasphemy, and because you, although you[n] are a man, make yourself to be God!” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?[o] 35 If he called them ‘gods’ to whom the word of God came—and the scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say about he whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I am doing them,[p] even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 So they were seeking again to seize him, and he departed out of their hand.

40 And he went away again on the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John was baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 41 And many came to him and began to say,[q] “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 42 And many believed in him there.

Footnotes

  1. John 10:7 Some manuscripts omit “to them”
  2. John 10:10 Literally “does not come except”
  3. John 10:10 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  4. John 10:12 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  5. John 10:13 Literally “it is not a concern to him”
  6. John 10:18 Literally “from myself”
  7. John 10:21 *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “is it
  8. John 10:24 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
  9. John 10:24 Literally “until when will you take away our life”
  10. John 10:28 Literally “for the age”
  11. John 10:29 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  12. John 10:29 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  13. John 10:31 Some manuscripts omit “Then”
  14. John 10:33 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as concessive
  15. John 10:34 A quotation from Ps 82:6 (in common usage “law” could refer to the entire Old Testament)
  16. John 10:38 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  17. John 10:41 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)