John 10
New Matthew Bible
Christ is the true shepherd, and the door of the sheep. Some say Christ has a devil and is mad. Some say he does not speak the words of a man that has a devil. Because he tells the truth, the Jews take up stones to cast at him, call his preaching blasphemy, and go about to take him.
10 Truly truly I say to you, he who does not enter into the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 He who goes in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep; 3 to him the porter opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he has sent forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him. For they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This similitude Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand the things that he was saying to them.
7 Then Jesus spoke to them again: Truly truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All, even as many as came before me, are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be safe, and will go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes not but to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 But a hired servant, who is not the shepherd, neither are the sheep his own, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep, and flees; and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep. 13 The hired servant flees because he is a hired servant, and does not care for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my own, and am known by my own. 15 As my Father knows me, even so do I know my Father. And I give my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have who are not of this fold. Them also must I bring, so that they may hear my voice, and so that there may be one flock and one shepherd.
17 Therefore does my Father love me: because I put my life from me so that I may take it back again. 18 No man takes it from me, but I put it away of myself. I have power to put it from me, and have power to take it again. This commandment I have received from my Father.
19 And there was dissension again among the Jews because of these sayings, 20 and many of them said, He has a devil, and is mad. Why do you listen to him? 21 Others said, These are not the words of a man that has a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the Dedication, 23 and it was winter. And Jesus walked in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews came round about him and said to him, How long are you going to keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. 27 As I said to you, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, 28 and I give to them eternal life. And they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father who gave them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to take them out of my Father’s hand. 30 And I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews again took up stones, to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shown you from my Father. For which of them would you stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, We do not stone you for your good works, but for your blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law: I say, you are gods? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God was spoken (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you then say to him whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, You blaspheme, because I said I am the Son of God? 37 If I do not do the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, then though you do not believe me, yet believe the works, so that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39 Again they went about to seize him, but he escaped out of their hands. 40 And he went away again beyond the Jordan, into the place where John before had baptized, and stayed there. 41 And many people resorted to him and said, John did no miracle, but all the things that John spoke about this man are true.
42 And many believed on him there.
John 10
Easy-to-Read Version
The Shepherd and His Sheep
10 Jesus said, “It is certainly true that when a man enters the sheep pen, he should use the gate. If he climbs in some other way, he is a robber. He is trying to steal the sheep. 2 But the man who takes care of the sheep enters through the gate. He is the shepherd. 3 The man who guards the gate opens the gate for the shepherd. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep, using their names, and he leads them out. 4 He brings all of his sheep out. Then he goes ahead of them and leads them. The sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 But sheep will never follow someone they don’t know. They will run away from him, because they don’t know his voice.”
6 Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant.
Jesus Is the Good Shepherd
7 So Jesus said again, “I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All those who came before me were thieves and robbers. The sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will be able to come in and go out. They will find everything they need. 10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.
11 “I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 The worker who is paid to keep the sheep is different from the shepherd. The paid worker does not own the sheep. So when he sees a wolf coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep alone. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 The man runs away because he is only a paid worker. He does not really care for the sheep.
14-15 “I am the shepherd who cares for the sheep. I know my sheep just as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me just as I know the Father. I give my life for these sheep. 16 I have other sheep too. They are not in this flock here. I must lead them also. They will listen to my voice. In the future there will be one flock and one shepherd.[a] 17 The Father loves me because I give my life. I give my life so that I can get it back again. 18 No one takes my life away from me. I give my own life freely. I have the right to give my life, and I have the right to get it back again. This is what the Father told me.”
19 Again the Jews were divided over what Jesus was saying. 20 Many of them said, “A demon has come into him and made him crazy. Why listen to him?”
21 But others said, “These aren’t the words of someone controlled by a demon. A demon cannot heal the eyes of a blind man.”
The Jewish Leaders Against Jesus
22 It was winter, and the time came for the Festival of Dedication[b] at Jerusalem. 23 Jesus was in the Temple area at Solomon’s Porch. 24 The Jewish leaders gathered around him. They said, “How long will you make us wonder about you? If you are the Messiah, then tell us clearly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I told you already, but you did not believe. I do miracles in my Father’s name. These miracles show who I am. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give my sheep eternal life. They will never die, and no one can take them out of my hand. 29 My Father is the one who gave them to me, and he is greater than all.[c] No one can steal my sheep out of his hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”
31 Again the Jews there picked up stones to kill Jesus. 32 But he said to them, “The many wonderful things you have seen me do are from the Father. Which of these good things are you killing me for?”
33 They answered, “We are not killing you for any good thing you did. But you say things that insult God. You are only a man, but you say you are the same as God! That is why we are trying to kill you!”
34 Jesus answered, “It is written in your law that God said, ‘I said you are gods.’[d] 35 This Scripture called those people gods—the people who received God’s message. And Scripture is always true. 36 So why do you accuse me of insulting God for saying, ‘I am God’s Son’? I am the one God chose and sent into the world. 37 If I don’t do what my Father does, then don’t believe what I say. 38 But if I do what my Father does, you should believe in what I do. You might not believe in me, but you should believe in the things I do. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
39 They tried to get Jesus again, but he escaped from them.
40 Then he went back across the Jordan River to the place where John began his work of baptizing people. Jesus stayed there, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “John never did any miraculous signs, but everything John said about this man is true.” 42 And many people there believed in Jesus.
Footnotes
- John 10:16 I have other sheep … shepherd Jesus means he has followers who are not Jews. See Jn. 11:52.
- John 10:22 Festival of Dedication Hanukkah, or “Festival of Lights,” a special week in December celebrating the time in 165 B.C. when the Jerusalem Temple was made pure and ready again for Jewish worship. Before then it had been under the control of a foreign (Greek) army and used for pagan worship.
- John 10:29 he … than all Some Greek copies have “they are greater than all.”
- John 10:34
Quote from Ps. 82:6.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International