John 10
New King James Version
Jesus the True Shepherd
10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by (A)name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a (B)stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
Jesus the Good Shepherd
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came [a]before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 (C)I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 (D)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a [b]hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and (E)leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and (F)I know My sheep, and (G)am known by My own. 15 (H)As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; (I)and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And (J)other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; (K)and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
17 “Therefore My Father (L)loves Me, (M)because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I (N)have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. (O)This command I have received from My Father.”
19 Therefore (P)there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, (Q)“He has a demon and is [c]mad. Why do you listen to Him?”
21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. (R)Can a demon (S)open the eyes of the blind?”
The Shepherd Knows His Sheep
22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, (T)in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in [d]doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. (U)The works that I do in My Father’s name, they (V)bear witness of Me. 26 But (W)you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, [e]as I said to you. 27 (X)My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 (Y)My Father, (Z)who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 (AA)I and My Father are one.”
Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus
31 Then (AB)the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for (AC)blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, (AD)make Yourself God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, (AE)‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, (AF)to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture (AG)cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him (AH)whom the Father sanctified and (AI)sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ (AJ)because I said, ‘I am (AK)the Son of God’? 37 (AL)If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, (AM)believe the works, that you may know and [f]believe (AN)that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” 39 (AO)Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.
The Believers Beyond Jordan
40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place (AP)where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. 41 Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, (AQ)but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” 42 And many believed in Him there.
Footnotes
- John 10:8 M omits before Me
- John 10:12 hired man
- John 10:20 insane
- John 10:24 Suspense
- John 10:26 NU omits as I said to you
- John 10:38 NU understand
John 10
Young's Literal Translation
10 `Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is not entering through the door to the fold of the sheep, but is going up from another side, that one is a thief and a robber;
2 and he who is entering through the door is shepherd of the sheep;
3 to this one the doorkeeper doth open, and the sheep hear his voice, and his own sheep he doth call by name, and doth lead them forth;
4 and when his own sheep he may put forth, before them he goeth on, and the sheep follow him, because they have known his voice;
5 and a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, because they have not known the voice of strangers.'
6 This similitude spake Jesus to them, and they knew not what the things were that he was speaking to them;
7 Jesus said therefore again to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you -- I am the door of the sheep;
8 all, as many as came before me, are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them;
9 I am the door, through me if any one may come in, he shall be saved, and he shall come in, and go out, and find pasture.
10 `The thief doth not come, except that he may steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly.
11 `I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd his life layeth down for the sheep;
12 and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep;
13 and the hireling doth flee because he is an hireling, and is not caring for the sheep.
14 `I am the good shepherd, and I know my [sheep], and am known by mine,
15 according as the Father doth know me, and I know the Father, and my life I lay down for the sheep,
16 and other sheep I have that are not of this fold, these also it behoveth me to bring, and my voice they will hear, and there shall become one flock -- one shepherd.
17 `Because of this doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that again I may take it;
18 no one doth take it from me, but I lay it down of myself; authority I have to lay it down, and authority I have again to take it; this command I received from my Father.'
19 Therefore, again, there came a division among the Jews, because of these words,
20 and many of them said, `He hath a demon, and is mad, why do ye hear him?'
21 others said, `These sayings are not those of a demoniac; is a demon able blind men's eyes to open?'
22 And the dedication in Jerusalem came, and it was winter,
23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the porch of Solomon,
24 the Jews, therefore, came round about him, and said to him, `Till when our soul dost thou hold in suspense? if thou art the Christ, tell us freely.'
25 Jesus answered them, `I told you, and ye do not believe; the works that I do in the name of my Father, these testify concerning me;
26 but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep,
27 according as I said to you: My sheep my voice do hear, and I know them, and they follow me,
28 and life age-during I give to them, and they shall not perish -- to the age, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand;
29 my Father, who hath given to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck out of the hand of my Father;
30 I and the Father are one.'
31 Therefore, again, did the Jews take up stones that they may stone him;
32 Jesus answered them, `Many good works did I shew you from my Father; because of which work of them do ye stone me?'
33 The Jews answered him, saying, `For a good work we do not stone thee, but for evil speaking, and because thou, being a man, dost make thyself God.'
34 Jesus answered them, `Is it not having been written in your law: I said, ye are gods?
35 if them he did call gods unto whom the word of God came, (and the Writing is not able to be broken,)
36 of him whom the Father did sanctify, and send to the world, do ye say -- Thou speakest evil, because I said, Son of God I am?
37 if I do not the works of my Father, do not believe me;
38 and if I do, even if me ye may not believe, the works believe, that ye may know and may believe that in me [is] the Father, and I in Him.'
39 Therefore were they seeking again to seize him, and he went forth out of their hand,
40 and went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John was at first baptizing, and remained there,
41 and many came unto him, and said -- `John, indeed, did no sign, and all things, as many as John said about this one were true;'
42 and many did believe in him there.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.