John 10
EasyEnglish Bible
The story about the shepherd
10 Jesus then said, ‘I tell you this: A shepherd keeps his sheep in a safe place with a wall round it. There is a gate into that safe place. Anyone who gets into that place by another way, not through the gate, is not the shepherd. That person is a robber. He comes to take away the sheep for himself. 2 But the shepherd goes in through the gate. 3 The person who watches the gate opens it for the shepherd. The sheep recognize the shepherd's voice. He calls each of his own sheep by their name and he leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own sheep, he goes in front of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger. They will run away from a stranger because they do not recognize his voice.’
6 Jesus told this story like a picture to teach the people. But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Jesus is like the good shepherd
7 So Jesus spoke again. He said, ‘I tell you this: I am like the gate for the sheep. 8 All other men who came before me were like robbers.[a] But the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am like the gate. Everyone who comes in through me will be safe. They will be free to come in and to go out. And they will find plenty of food. 10 The robber only wants to take away my sheep. He wants to kill them. He comes only to destroy them. But I have come so that they can have true life. And so that they can have everything that they need.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd would die so that he can save his sheep. 12 Another man may take care of sheep so that he gets money. But the sheep do not belong to him. A man like that is not the shepherd. If a wolf comes, a man like that runs away when he sees it. He leaves the sheep in danger. Then the wolf attacks the sheep. It causes them to run away in all directions. 13 That man runs away because the sheep do not belong to him. He does not think that the sheep are important.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep, and they know me. 15 I know them in the same way that my Father knows me. And they know me in the same way that I know the Father. I will die so that I can save my sheep. 16 I also have other sheep, and I must bring them too. They do not belong to this group of sheep. But they also will listen to my voice. So all the sheep will become one group, and they will have one shepherd. 17 The Father loves me because I choose to die for my sheep. But after I give my life like that, I will become alive again. 18 Nobody can take my life away from me. Instead, I myself can choose to die. I have authority to do that. I also have authority to become alive again. My Father has said that I must do that.’
19 Again, the Jews could not agree about these things that Jesus said. 20 Many of them said, ‘He has a demon in him and he is crazy. You should not listen to him!’ 21 But other people said, ‘A man with a demon in him could not teach like this! A demon could not make blind people able to see!’
The Jewish leaders do not believe in Jesus
22 It was the time for the Jewish Festival called Hanukkah.[b] This happened in Jerusalem. It was winter.
23 Jesus was walking in the yard of the temple, under a place with a roof. The place was called Solomon's porch. 24 The Jewish leaders stood around him. They said to him, ‘We want to know who you are. When will you tell us? If you are the Messiah, tell us clearly.’ 25 Jesus answered, ‘I have already told you, but you do not believe. The things that I do by my Father's authority show you who I am. 26 But you refuse to believe, because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep recognize my voice. I know them and they follow me. 28 I give them life for ever with God. They will never die. Nobody can ever take them away from me. 29 My Father has given them to me. He is greater than all things. Nobody can ever take my sheep out of my Father's hand. 30 My Father and I are one.’
31 Then the Jewish leaders picked up stones again to throw at Jesus so that they could kill him. 32 Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good things. The Father sent me to do them, and I have shown them to you. Which of those good things make you want to kill me with stones?’ 33 The Jewish leaders answered, ‘We do not want to kill you because of any good things that you have done. We want to kill you because you are speaking against God. You are only a man, but you are saying that you are God.’
34 Jesus answered them, ‘It is written in your own books of God's Law that God said, “You are gods.”[c] 35 God called the people to whom he spoke “gods”. And you know that the Bible always remains true. 36 So, when I said that I am God's Son, why am I wrong? The Father chose me for himself. And he sent me into the world. So you should not say that I am speaking bad things against God. 37 If I am not doing my Father's work, do not believe me. 38 But if I am doing his work, you should believe that work. Even if you do not believe me, you should believe the things that I do. Then you will know certainly that the Father is in me. And you will know that I am in the Father.’
39 Again, the Jewish leaders tried to take hold of Jesus. But he escaped from them.
40 After that, Jesus returned across the Jordan River. He went to the place where John had earlier baptized people. Jesus stayed there. 41 Many people came to him. They said to each other, ‘John did not do any miracles. But everything that he said about this man was true.’ 42 So, in that place, many people believed in Jesus.
Footnotes
- 10:8 These men were leaders who said that they wanted to take care of God's people. But they did not really help the people. Instead they hurt them, like robbers.
- 10:22 At the Festival called Hanukkah, Israel's people remembered a special time, 165 years before Jesus came to the earth. A foreign ruler had come to Jerusalem. He had put false gods in the temple in Jerusalem. But some of Israel's people attacked that ruler and they sent him away. Then they made the temple clean again so that they could worship the one true God there.
- 10:34 See Psalms 82:6.
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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