John 10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Ideal Shepherd
10 “I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.(A) 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd(B) of the sheep.(C) 3 The doorkeeper 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 recognize his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus gave them this illustration, but they did not understand(D) what He was telling them.
The Good Shepherd
7 So Jesus said again, “I assure you: I am(E) the door of 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 door. 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 to kill and to 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 man, 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 man and doesn’t care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 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 of this fold; 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 am laying down My life(Q) so 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 a division(S) took place among the Jews 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 demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”(U)
Jesus at the Festival of Dedication
22 Then the Festival of Dedication[c] took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 Jesus was walking in the temple complex in Solomon’s Colonnade.[d](V) 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and asked, “How long are You going to keep us in suspense?[e] If You are the Messiah,(W) tell us plainly.”[f](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 My sheep.[g](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)—ever! 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 The Father and I are one.”[h](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. Which of these works are you stoning Me for?”
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 scripture,[i] I said, you are gods?(AI)[j] 35 If He called those whom the word(AJ) of God came to ‘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[k] that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.”(AN) 39 Then they were trying again to seize Him,(AO) yet He eluded 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
- John 10:8 Other mss omit before Me
- John 10:12 Lit leaves the sheep
- John 10:22 Or Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Lights; this festival commemorated the rededication of the temple in 164 b.c.
- John 10:23 Rows of columns supporting a roof
- John 10:24 Lit How long are you taking away our life?
- John 10:24 Or openly, or publicly
- John 10:26 Other mss add just as I told you
- John 10:30 Lit I and the Father—We are one.
- John 10:34 Other mss read in the scripture
- John 10:34 Ps 82:6
- John 10:38 Other mss read know and believe
John 10
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jesus, the Good Shepherd
10 “I can guarantee this truth: The person who doesn’t enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in somewhere else is a thief or a robber. 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them out of the pen. 4 After he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger. Instead, they will run away from a stranger because they don’t recognize his voice.” 6 Jesus used this illustration as he talked to the people, but they didn’t understand what he meant.
7 Jesus emphasized, “I can guarantee this truth: I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before I did were thieves or robbers. However, the sheep didn’t respond to them. 9 I am the gate. Those who enter the sheep pen through me will be saved. They will go in and out of the sheep pen and find food. 10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand isn’t a shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep. When he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and quickly runs away. So the wolf drags the sheep away and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand is concerned about what he’s going to get paid and not about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep as the Father knows me.[a] My sheep know me as I know the Father. 15 So I give my life for my sheep. 16 I also have other sheep that are not from this pen. I must lead them. They, too, will respond to my voice. So they will be one flock with one shepherd. 17 The Father loves me because I give my life in order to take it back again. 18 No one takes my life from me. I give my life of my own free will. I have the authority to give my life, and I have the authority to take my life back again. This is what my Father ordered me to do.”
19 The Jews were divided because of what Jesus said. 20 Many of them said, “He’s possessed by a demon! He’s crazy! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “No one talks like this if he’s possessed by a demon. Can a demon give sight to the blind?”
The Jews Reject Jesus
22 The Festival of the Dedication of the Temple took place in Jerusalem during the winter. 23 Jesus was walking on Solomon’s porch in the temple courtyard.
24 The Jews surrounded him. They asked him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them, “I’ve told you, but you don’t believe me. The things that I do in my Father’s name testify on my behalf. 26 However, you don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. 27 My sheep respond to my voice, and I know who they are. They follow me, 28 and I give them eternal life. They will never be lost, and no one will tear them away from me. 29 My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than everyone else, and no one can tear them away from my Father. 30 The Father and I are one.”
31 The Jews had again brought some rocks to stone Jesus to death. 32 Jesus replied to them, “I’ve shown you many good things that come from the Father. For which of these good things do you want to stone me to death?”
33 The Jews answered Jesus, “We’re going to stone you to death, not for any good things you’ve done, but for dishonoring God. You claim to be God, although you’re only a man.”
34 Jesus said to them, “Don’t your Scriptures say, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 The Scriptures cannot be discredited. So if God calls people gods (and they are the people to whom he gave the Scriptures), 36 why do you say that I’m dishonoring God because I said, ‘I’m the Son of God’? God set me apart for this holy purpose and has sent me into the world. 37 If I’m not doing the things my Father does, don’t believe me. 38 But if I’m doing those things and you refuse to believe me, then at least believe the things that I’m doing. Then you will know and recognize that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father.”
39 The Jews tried to arrest Jesus again, but he got away from them. 40 He went back across the Jordan River and stayed in the place where John first baptized people.
41 Many people went to Jesus. They said, “John didn’t perform any miracles, but everything John said about this man is true.” 42 Many people there believed in Jesus.
Footnotes
- 10:14 The first part of verse 15 (in Greek) has been moved to verse 14 to express the complex Greek sentence structure more clearly in English.
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