John 10:1-21
Modern English Version
The Parable of the Shepherd
10 “Truly, truly I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, 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. He calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. 4 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 never follow a stranger, but will run away from him. For they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what He was telling them.
Jesus the Good Shepherd
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 But he who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and runs away. So the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and am known by My own. 15 Even as the Father knows Me, so I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep who are not of this fold. I must also bring them, and they will hear My voice. There will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I received this command from My Father.”
19 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?”
21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
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John 10:1-21
Lexham English Bible
Jesus as the Good Shepherd
10 “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter through the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up at some other place—that one is a thief and a robber. 2 But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 For this one the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 Whenever he sends out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 And they will never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what it was that he was saying to them.
7 Then Jesus said to them[a] again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All those who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep do not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and will go out and will find pasture. 10 The thief comes only[b] so that he can steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and have it[c] abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf approaching and abandons the sheep and runs away—and the wolf seizes them and scatters them[d]— 13 because he is a hired hand and he is not concerned[e] about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep which are not from this fold. I must bring these also, and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock—one shepherd. 17 Because of this the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take possession of it again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down voluntarily.[f] I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take possession of it again. This commandment I received from my Father.”
19 Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 And many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who is possessed by a demon! A demon is not able to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”[g]
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- John 10:7 Some manuscripts omit “to them”
- John 10:10 Literally “does not come except”
- John 10:10 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 10:12 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 10:13 Literally “it is not a concern to him”
- John 10:18 Literally “from myself”
- John 10:21 *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “is it”
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