John 10
Worldwide English (New Testament)
10 Then Jesus went on to say, `I tell you the truth. A person must get to the sheep through the door. Anyone who climbs over the wall to get in is a bad man and steals things. He has come to steal the sheep.
2 But the man who comes in through the door, he is the one who takes care of the sheep.
3 The guard will open the door for him. The sheep will listen to him. He calls his own sheep by their names and leads them out.
4 When all his own sheep are out of the house, he goes ahead of them. The sheep come behind him because they know his voice.
5 They will not go after a stranger. They will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.'
6 Jesus told this story to the Pharisees, but they did not understand what he was trying to tell them.
7 So Jesus told them again. He said, `I tell you the truth. I am the door of the sheep house.
8 All those who came before me are bad people and steal things. They came to steal the sheep. But the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the door. Anyone who comes in through me will be saved. He will go in and out as he wants to, and will have food to eat.
10 The thief comes only to steal the sheep and to kill them and spoil them. I have come so that people may live and that they may enjoy life to the full.
11 `I am the good shepherd. I am the one who really cares for the sheep. The good shepherd is willing to die to save his sheep.
12 Some people work for pay. The one who does that is not the one who really cares. The sheep do not belong to him. When he sees a bad animal coming, he will leave the sheep and run away. He will let the animal take the sheep and make the sheep run away.
13 He does that because he is only working for pay and does not care what happens to the sheep.
14 `I am the good shepherd, the one who really cares for the sheep. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.
15 So my Father knows me and I know him. I am willing to die to save the sheep.
16 `I have some other sheep which are not with these sheep. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice. Then all the sheep will be together and there will be one person who cares for all of them.
17 My Father loves me because I am willing to die. But when I die, I will live again.
18 No one kills me. I die only because I choose to die. I have power to die and I have power to live again. This is what my Father has told me to do.'
19 The Jews did not all say the same thing because of what Jesus said.
20 Many of them said, `A bad spirit is in him. He is crazy. Why do you listen to him?'
21 But others said, `A person who has a bad spirit in him does not say the things this man says. Can a bad spirit make blind people see?'
22 At that time there was a feast in Jerusalem at the temple. It was the cold time of the year.
23 Jesus was walking in that part of the temple called Solomon's resting place.
24 The Jews came around Jesus and said, `How long will you keep us wondering about this matter? If you are really the Christ, then tell us plainly.'
25 Then Jesus said, `I have already told you and you did not believe it. My Father has given me the power to do big works. These works tell you who I am.
26 And yet you do not believe because you are not my sheep. I told you this before.
27 My sheep listen to me. I know them. They come to me.
28 I give them life that lasts for ever. They will never die. No one will take them out of my hand.
29 My Father gave the sheep to me. He is greater than anyone else. No one is able to take them out of my Father's hand.
30 My Father and I are one.'
31 Then the leaders of the Jews picked up stones again to kill him.
32 So Jesus said to them, `I have done many good things that come from my Father. For which one of those are you going to kill me?'
33 Then the Jewish leaders answered him, `We do not kill you for doing any good thing. But you do not respect God. You are only a man, and yet you say you are God.'
34 Jesus answered them, `In your own books it is written that God said, "You are gods."
36 Nothing can change the words in the holy writings. It is written that God spoke to men and that he called them gods. So he called some men gods. Then why do you say I do not respect God when I say that I am the Son of God? I am the one God chose and sent into the world.
37 If I am not doing my Father's work, then do not believe me.
38 But if I am doing my Father's work, believe the work that I do, even though you do not believe me. Then you will know and you will believe that my Father is in me and I am in him.'
39 Because of what he said, they tried to catch Jesus again. But he got away from them.
40 He went away again to the other side of the Jordan River. He went to the place where John [the Baptizer] was when he first baptized people. Jesus stayed there for a while.
41 Many people came to him there. They said, `John himself did not do any big work. But everything that John said about this man is true.'
42 Many people believed on Jesus there.
John 10
1599 Geneva Bible
10 1 Christ proveth that the Pharisees are the evil shepherds, 8 and by many reasons, that himself 11, 14 is the good shepherd: 19 And thereof dissension ariseth. 31 They take up stones, 39 and go about to take him, but he escapeth.
1 Verily, [a]verily I say unto you, He that entereth not in by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, he is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that goeth in by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the [b]porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he hath sent forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And they will not follow a stranger, but they flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This [c]parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily I say unto you, I am that door of the sheep.
8 [d]All that [e]ever came before me, are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 [f]I am that door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall [g]go in, and go out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and have it in abundance.
11 (A)I am that good shepherd: that good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.
12 But an hireling, and he which is not the shepherd, neither the sheep are his own, seeth the wolf coming, and he leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 So the hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am that good shepherd, and know mine, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father [h]knoweth me, so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep.
16 [i]Other sheep I have also, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice: and (B)there shall be [j]one sheepfold, and one shepherd.
17 [k]Therefore doth my Father love me, because (C)[l]I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, and have power to take it again: this (D)commandment have I received of my Father.
19 ¶ [m]Then there was a dissension again among the Jews for these sayings.
20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad: why hear ye him?
21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil: can the devil open the eyes of the blind?
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the [n]Dedication, and it was winter.
23 [o]And Jesus walked in the Temple, in Solomon’s porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be that Christ, tell us plainly.
25 [p]Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not: the works that I do in my Father’s Name, they bear witness of me.
26 [q]But ye believe not: [r]for ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,
28 And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of mine hand.
29 My Father which gave them me, is greater than all, and none is able to take them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
31 (E)[s]Then the Jews again took up stones, to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my [t]Father: for which of these works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For the good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and that thou being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your Law, (F)I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God was given, and the Scripture cannot be [u]broken,
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do, then though ye believe not me, yet believe the works, that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39 [v]Again they went about to take him: but he escaped out of their hands,
40 And went again beyond Jordan, into the place where John first baptized, and there abode.
41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man, were true.
42 And many believed in him there.
Footnotes
- John 10:1 Seeing that by Christ only we have access to the Father, there are neither other true shepherds, than those which come to Christ themselves, and bring others thither also, neither is any to be thought the true sheepfold, but that which is gathered to Christ.
- John 10:3 In those days they used to have a servant always sitting at the door, and therefore he speaketh after the manner of those days.
- John 10:6 This word (parable) which the Evangelist useth here, signifieth a dark kind of speech, when words are taken from their natural meaning, to signify another thing to us.
- John 10:8 It maketh no matter, how many, neither how old the false teachers there have been.
- John 10:8 These large terms must be applied to the matter he speaketh of. And therefore when he calleth himself the door, he calleth all them thieves and robbers which take upon them this name of Door, which none of the Prophets can, for they showed the sheep, that Christ was the door.
- John 10:9 Only Christ is the true Pastor, and that only is the true Church, which acknowledgeth him to be properly their only Pastor: To him are opposite thieves which feed not the sheep, but kill them: and hirelings also, which forsake the flock in time of danger, because they feed it only for their own profit and gains.
- John 10:9 That is, shall live safely: so use the Jews to speak, as Deut. 26:6, and yet there is a peculiar alluding to the shepherd’s office.
- John 10:15 Loveth me, alloweth me.
- John 10:16 The calling of the Gentiles.
- John 10:16 The certain mark of the Catholic Church throughout all the world, which hath one head, that is Christ, the only keeper and only shepherd of it.
- John 10:17 Christ is by the decree of the Father, the only true shepherd of the true Church, for he willingly gave his life for his sheep, and by his own power rose again to life.
- John 10:17 He speaketh in the time that now is because Christ’s whole life was as it were a perpetual death.
- John 10:19 The Gospel discovereth hypocrisy, and therefore the world must needs rage when it cometh forth.
- John 10:22 The feast of the Dedication was instituted by Judas Maccabeus and his brethren, after the restoring of God’s true religion, by the casting out of Antiochus his garrison, 1 Macc. 4:59.
- John 10:23 The unbelievers and proud men accuse the Gospel of darkness, which darkness indeed is within themselves.
- John 10:25 The doctrine of the Gospel is proved from heaven by two witnesses: both by the purity of the doctrine, and by miracles.
- John 10:26 It is no marvel that there do but a few believe, seeing that all men are by nature untamed beasts: yet notwithstanding God hath his, which he turneth into sheep, and commiteth them unto his Son, and preserveth them against the cruelty of all wild beasts.
- John 10:26 He giveth a reason why they believed not, to wit, because they are none of his sheep.
- John 10:31 Christ proveth his dignity by divine works.
- John 10:32 Through my Father’s authority and power.
- John 10:35 Void and of none effect.
- John 10:39 Christ fleeth danger, not of mistrust, nor for fear of death, nor that he would be idle, but to gather a Church in another place.
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Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
