chevron-left All Reading Plans / M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan / Family: 2 Chronicles 24; Revelation 11. Secret: Zechariah 7; John 10. (New English Translation)
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M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The classic M'Cheyne plan--read the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms or Gospels every day.
Duration: 365 days
New English Translation (NET)
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2 Chronicles 24

Joash’s Reign

24 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother[a] was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 2 Joash did what the Lord approved[b] throughout the lifetime[c] of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.

4 Later, Joash was determined to repair the Lord’s temple.[d] 5 He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!” But the Levites delayed.

6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest,[e] and said to him, “Why have you not made[f] the Levites collect[g] from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?”[h] 7 (Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of the Lord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.) 8 The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple.[i] 9 An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness.[j] 10 All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver.

12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen[k] assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple. 13 They worked hard and made the repairs.[l] They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it.[m] 14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the Lord’s temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the Lord’s temple.

15 Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. 16 He was buried in the City of David[n] with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.

17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him.[o] The king listened to their advice.[p] 18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors[q] and worshiped[r] the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 19 The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him.[s] They warned[t] the people, but they would not pay attention. 20 God’s Spirit energized[u] Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous. Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’” 21 They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 22 King Joash disregarded[v] the loyalty Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s[w] son. As Zechariah[x] was dying, he said, “May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!”[y]

23 At the beginning[z] of the year the Syrian army attacked[aa] Joash[ab] and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. 24 Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army,[ac] for the people of Judah[ad] had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians[ae] gave Joash what he deserved.[af] 25 When they withdrew, they left Joash[ag] badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to[ah] the son[ai] of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus[aj] he died and was buried in the City of David,[ak] but not in the tombs of the kings. 26 The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).

27 The list of Joash’s[al] sons, the many prophetic oracles about him, and the account of his building project on God’s temple are included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings.[am] His son Amaziah replaced him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 24:1 tn Heb “the name of his mother.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 24:2 tn Heb “and Joash did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 24:2 tn Heb “all the days of.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 24:4 tn Heb “and it was, later, there was with the heart of Joash to repair the house of the Lord.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 24:6 tn Heb “Jehoiada the head”; the word “priest” not in the Hebrew text but is implied.
  6. 2 Chronicles 24:6 tn Heb “demanded of.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 24:6 tn Heb “to bring.”
  8. 2 Chronicles 24:6 tn Heb “the tent of testimony.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 24:8 tn Heb “and the king said [it] and they made a chest and placed it in the gate of the house of the Lord outside.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 24:9 tn Heb “and they gave voice in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord the tax of Moses the servant of God upon Israel in the wilderness.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 24:12 tn Heb “doers of the work.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 24:13 tn Heb “and the doers of the work worked, and the repairs went up for the work by their hand.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 24:13 tn Heb “and they caused the house of God to stand according to its measurements and they strengthened it.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 24:16 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  15. 2 Chronicles 24:17 tn Heb “came and bowed down to the king.”
  16. 2 Chronicles 24:17 tn Heb “to them.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 24:18 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 24).
  18. 2 Chronicles 24:18 tn Heb “served.”
  19. 2 Chronicles 24:19 tn Heb “and he sent among them prophets to bring them back to the Lord.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 24:19 tn Heb “testified among.”
  21. 2 Chronicles 24:20 tn Heb “clothed.”
  22. 2 Chronicles 24:22 tn Heb “did not remember.”
  23. 2 Chronicles 24:22 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoiada) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  24. 2 Chronicles 24:22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  25. 2 Chronicles 24:22 tn Heb “and seek [—].” The direct object of “seek” is omitted in the Hebrew text but implied; “vengeance” is supplied for clarification.
  26. 2 Chronicles 24:23 tn Heb “turning.”
  27. 2 Chronicles 24:23 tn Heb “went up against.”
  28. 2 Chronicles 24:23 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  29. 2 Chronicles 24:24 tn Heb “though with a small amount of men the army of Aram came, the Lord gave into their hand an army [that was] very large.”
  30. 2 Chronicles 24:24 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  31. 2 Chronicles 24:24 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Syrians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  32. 2 Chronicles 24:24 tn Heb “executed judgments on Joash.”
  33. 2 Chronicles 24:25 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  34. 2 Chronicles 24:25 tn Heb “because of the shed blood of.”
  35. 2 Chronicles 24:25 tc The MT has the plural בְּנֵי (bene, “sons”), but the final yod is dittographic. Note the yod that immediately follows.
  36. 2 Chronicles 24:25 tn Heb “and he died.”
  37. 2 Chronicles 24:25 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  38. 2 Chronicles 24:27 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  39. 2 Chronicles 24:27 tn Heb “and the founding of the house of God, look, they are written on the writing of the scroll of the kings?”
Revelation 11

The Fate of the Two Witnesses

11 Then[a] a measuring rod[b] like a staff was given to me, and I was told,[c] “Get up and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and the ones who worship there. 2 But[d] do not measure the outer courtyard[e] of the temple; leave it out,[f] because it has been given to the Gentiles,[g] and they will trample on the holy city[h] for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority[i] to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.” 4 (These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.)[j] 5 If[k] anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths[l] and completely consumes[m] their enemies. If[n] anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed this way. 6 These two have the power[o] to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the time[p] they are prophesying. They[q] have power[r] to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want. 7 When[s] they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer[t] them and kill them. 8 Their[u] corpses will lie in the street[v] of the great city that is symbolically[w] called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified. 9 For three and a half days those from every[x] people, tribe,[y] nation, and language will look at their corpses, because they will not permit them to be placed in a tomb.[z] 10 And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11 But[aa] after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and tremendous fear seized[ab] those who were watching them. 12 Then[ac] they[ad] heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them: “Come up here!” So the two prophets[ae] went up to heaven in a cloud while[af] their enemies stared at them. 13 Just then[ag] a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand people[ah] were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe has come and gone;[ai] the third is coming quickly.

The Seventh Trumpet

15 Then[aj] the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying:

“The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord
and of his Christ,[ak]
and he will reign for ever and ever.”

16 Then[al] the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground[am] and worshiped God 17 with these words:[an]

“We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful,[ao]
the one who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.[ap]
18 The[aq] nations[ar] were enraged,
but[as] your wrath has come,
and the time has come for the dead to be judged,
and the time has come to give to your servants,[at]
the prophets, their reward,
as well as to the saints
and to those who revere[au] your name, both small and great,
and the time has come[av] to destroy those who destroy[aw] the earth.”

19 Then[ax] the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring,[ay] crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.[az]

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 11:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  2. Revelation 11:1 tn Grk “a reed” (but these were used for measuring). Cf. Ezek 40:3ff.
  3. Revelation 11:1 tn Grk “saying.”
  4. Revelation 11:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  5. Revelation 11:2 tn On the term αὐλήν (aulēn) BDAG 150 s.v. αὐλή 1 states, “(outer) court of the temple…Rv 11:2.”
  6. Revelation 11:2 tn The precise meaning of the phrase ἔκβαλε ἔξωθεν (ekbale exōthen) is difficult to determine.
  7. Revelation 11:2 tn Or “to the nations” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
  8. Revelation 11:2 sn The holy city appears to be a reference to Jerusalem. See also Luke 21:24.
  9. Revelation 11:3 tn The word “authority” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. “Power” would be another alternative that could be supplied here.
  10. Revelation 11:4 sn This description is parenthetical in nature.
  11. Revelation 11:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  12. Revelation 11:5 tn This is a collective singular in Greek.
  13. Revelation 11:5 tn See L&N 20.45 for the translation of κατεσθίω (katesthiō) as “to destroy utterly, to consume completely.”
  14. Revelation 11:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  15. Revelation 11:6 tn Or “authority.”
  16. Revelation 11:6 tn Grk “the days.”
  17. Revelation 11:6 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  18. Revelation 11:6 tn Or “authority.”
  19. Revelation 11:7 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  20. Revelation 11:7 tn Or “be victorious over”; traditionally, “overcome.”
  21. Revelation 11:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  22. Revelation 11:8 tn The Greek word πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to a major (broad) street (L&N 1.103).
  23. Revelation 11:8 tn Grk “spiritually.”
  24. Revelation 11:9 tn The word “every” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the following list.
  25. Revelation 11:9 tn The Greek term καί (kai) has not been translated before this and the following items in the list, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  26. Revelation 11:9 tn Or “to be buried.”
  27. Revelation 11:11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  28. Revelation 11:11 tn Grk “fell upon.”
  29. Revelation 11:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  30. Revelation 11:12 tn Though the nearest antecedent to the subject of ἤκουσαν (ēkousan) is the people (“those who were watching them”), it could also be (based on what immediately follows) that the two prophets are the ones who heard the voice.
  31. Revelation 11:12 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the two prophets) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  32. Revelation 11:12 tn The conjunction καί (kai) seems to be introducing a temporal clause contemporaneous in time with the preceding clause.
  33. Revelation 11:13 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  34. Revelation 11:13 tn Grk “seven thousand names of men.”
  35. Revelation 11:14 tn Grk “has passed.”
  36. Revelation 11:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  37. Revelation 11:15 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
  38. Revelation 11:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  39. Revelation 11:16 tn Grk “they fell down on their faces.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
  40. Revelation 11:17 tn Grk “saying.”
  41. Revelation 11:17 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
  42. Revelation 11:17 tn The aorist verb ἐβασίλευσας (ebasileusas) has been translated ingressively.
  43. Revelation 11:18 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  44. Revelation 11:18 tn Or “The Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
  45. Revelation 11:18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  46. Revelation 11:18 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
  47. Revelation 11:18 tn Grk “who fear.”
  48. Revelation 11:18 tn The words “the time has come” do not occur except at the beginning of the verse; the phrase has been repeated for emphasis and contrast. The Greek has one finite verb (“has come”) with a compound subject (“your wrath,” “the time”), followed by three infinitive clauses (“to be judged,” “to give,” “to destroy”). The rhetorical power of the repetition of the finite verb in English thus emulates the rhetorical power of its lone instance in Greek.
  49. Revelation 11:18 tn Or “who deprave.” There is a possible wordplay here on two meanings for διαφθείρω (diaphtheirō), with the first meaning “destroy” and the second meaning either “to ruin” or “to make morally corrupt.” See L&N 20.40.
  50. Revelation 11:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  51. Revelation 11:19 tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
  52. Revelation 11:19 tn Although BDAG 1075 s.v. χάλαζα gives the meaning “hail” here, it is not clear whether the adjective μεγάλη (megalē) refers to the intensity of the storm or the size of the individual hailstones, or both.
Zechariah 7

The Hypocrisy of False Fasting

7 In King Darius’ fourth year, on the fourth day of Kislev, the ninth month,[a] the Lord’s message came to Zechariah. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech and their companions to seek the Lord’s favor 3 by asking both the priests of the temple[b] of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and the prophets, “Should we weep in the fifth month,[c] fasting as we have done over the years?” 4 The message of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies then came to me, 5 “Speak to all the people and priests of the land as follows: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh[d] months through all these seventy years, did you truly fast for me—for me, indeed? 6 And now when you eat and drink, are you not doing so for yourselves? 7 Should you not have obeyed the words that the Lord cried out through the former prophets when Jerusalem was peacefully inhabited and her surrounding cities, the Negev, and the foothills[e] were also populated?’”

8 Again the Lord’s message came to Zechariah: 9 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies said, ‘Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other. 10 You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the resident foreigner, or the poor, nor should anyone secretly plot evil against his fellow citizen.’[f]

11 “But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear. 12 Indeed, they made their hearts as hard as diamond,[g] so that they could not obey the law of Moses[h] and the other words the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies poured out great wrath.

13 “‘Just as I[i] called out, but they would not obey, so they will call out, but I will not listen,’ the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. 14 ‘Rather, I will sweep them away in a storm into all the nations they are not familiar with.’ Thus the land became desolate because of them, with no one crossing through or returning, for they had made the fruitful[j] land a waste.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 7:1 sn The fourth day of Kislev, the ninth month would be December 7, 518 b.c., 22 months after the previous eight visions.
  2. Zechariah 7:3 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
  3. Zechariah 7:3 sn This lamentation marked the occasion of the destruction of Solomon’s temple on August 14, 586 b.c., almost exactly 70 years earlier (cf. 2 Kgs 25:8).
  4. Zechariah 7:5 tn The seventh month apparently refers to the anniversary of the assassination of Gedaliah, governor of Judah (Jer 40:13-14; 41:1), in approximately 581 b.c.
  5. Zechariah 7:7 sn The foothills (שְׁפֵלָה, shephelah) are the region between the Judean hill country and the Mediterranean coastal plain.
  6. Zechariah 7:10 tn Heb “brother.” The Hebrew term ‘akh (אָח) may refer to a brother, relative, fellow countryman, or companion.sn Cf. Exod 22:21; Lev 19:33-34; Deut 10:18-19; 24:14, 17; 27:19.
  7. Zechariah 7:12 tn The Hebrew term שָׁמִיר (shamir) means literally “hardness” and since it is said in Ezek 3:9 to be harder than flint, many scholars suggest that it refers to diamond. It is unlikely that diamond was known to ancient Israel, however, so probably a hard stone like emery or corundum is in view. The translation nevertheless uses “diamond” because in modern times it has become proverbial for its hardness. A number of English versions use “flint” here (e.g., NASB, NIV).
  8. Zechariah 7:12 tn Heb “Torah”; the five books of Moses that make up the Pentateuch.
  9. Zechariah 7:13 tn Heb “he.” Since the third person pronoun refers to the Lord, it has been translated as a first person pronoun (“I”) to accommodate English style, which typically does not exhibit switches between persons of pronouns in the same immediate context as Hebrew does.
  10. Zechariah 7:14 tn Or “desirable”; traditionally “pleasant” (so many English versions; cf. TEV “This good land”).
John 10

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

10 “I tell you the solemn truth,[a] the one who does not enter the sheepfold[b] by the door,[c] but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper[d] opens the door[e] for him,[f] and the sheep hear his voice. He[g] calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.[h] 4 When he has brought all his own sheep[i] out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize[j] his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger,[k] but will run away from him, because they do not recognize[l] the stranger’s voice.”[m] 6 Jesus told them this parable,[n] but they[o] did not understand[p] what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the solemn truth,[q] I am the door for the sheep.[r] 8 All who came before me were[s] thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.[t] 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out,[u] and find pasture.[v] 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill[w] and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.[x]

11 “I am the good[y] shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life[z] for the sheep. 12 The hired hand,[aa] who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons[ab] the sheep and runs away.[ac] So the wolf attacks[ad] the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep,[ae] he runs away.[af]

14 “I am the good shepherd. I[ag] know my own[ah] and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life[ai] for[aj] the sheep. 16 I have[ak] other sheep that do not come from[al] this sheepfold.[am] I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice,[an] so that[ao] there will be one flock and[ap] one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me[aq]—because I lay down my life,[ar] so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down[as] of my own free will.[at] I have the authority[au] to lay it down, and I have the authority[av] to take it back again. This commandment[aw] I received from my Father.”

19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people[ax] because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind![ay] Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words[az] of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see,[ba] can it?”[bb]

Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

22 Then came the feast of the Dedication[bc] in Jerusalem. 23 It was winter,[bd] and Jesus was walking in the temple area[be] in Solomon’s Portico.[bf] 24 The Jewish leaders[bg] surrounded him and asked,[bh] “How long will you keep us in suspense?[bi] If you are the Christ,[bj] tell us plainly.”[bk] 25 Jesus replied,[bl] “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds[bm] I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give[bn] them eternal life, and they will never perish;[bo] no one will snatch[bp] them from my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,[bq] and no one can snatch[br] them from my Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I[bs] are one.”[bt]

31 The Jewish leaders[bu] picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 32 Jesus said to them,[bv] “I have shown you many good deeds[bw] from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jewish leaders[bx] replied,[by] “We are not going to stone you for a good deed[bz] but for blasphemy,[ca] because[cb] you, a man, are claiming to be God.”[cc]

34 Jesus answered,[cd] “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?[ce] 35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken),[cf] 36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart[cg] and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not perform[ch] the deeds[ci] of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds,[cj] so that you may come to know[ck] and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 39 Then[cl] they attempted[cm] again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches.[cn]

40 Jesus[co] went back across the Jordan River[cp] again to the place where John[cq] had been baptizing at an earlier time,[cr] and he stayed there. 41 Many[cs] came to him and began to say, “John[ct] performed[cu] no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man[cv] was true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus[cw] there.

Footnotes

  1. John 10:1 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  2. John 10:1 sn There was more than one type of sheepfold in use in Palestine in Jesus’ day. The one here seems to be a courtyard in front of a house (the Greek word used for the sheepfold here, αὐλή [aulē] frequently refers to a courtyard), surrounded by a stone wall (often topped with briars for protection).
  3. John 10:1 tn Or “entrance.”
  4. John 10:3 tn Or “porter” (British English).sn There have been many attempts to identify who the doorkeeper represents, none of which are convincing. More likely there are some details in this parable that are included for the sake of the story, necessary as parts of the overall picture but without symbolic significance.
  5. John 10:3 tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
  6. John 10:3 tn Grk “For this one.”
  7. John 10:3 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  8. John 10:3 sn He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Some interpreters have suggested that there was more than one flock in the fold, and there would be a process of separation where each shepherd called out his own flock. This may also be suggested by the mention of a doorkeeper in v. 3 since only the larger sheepfolds would have such a guard. But the Gospel of John never mentions a distinction among the sheep in this fold; in fact (10:16) there are other sheep which are to be brought in, but they are to be one flock and one shepherd.
  9. John 10:4 tn The word “sheep” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  10. John 10:4 tn Grk “because they know.”
  11. John 10:5 tn Or “someone whom they do not know.”
  12. John 10:5 tn Grk “know.”
  13. John 10:5 tn Or “the voice of someone they do not know.”
  14. John 10:6 sn A parable is a fairly short narrative that has symbolic meaning. The Greek word παροιμίαν (paroimian) is used again in 16:25, 29. This term does not occur in the synoptic gospels, where παραβολή (parabolē) is used. Nevertheless it is similar, denoting a short narrative with figurative or symbolic meaning.
  15. John 10:6 tn Grk “these.”
  16. John 10:6 tn Or “comprehend.”
  17. John 10:7 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  18. John 10:7 tn Or “I am the sheep’s door.”
  19. John 10:8 tn Grk “are” (present tense).
  20. John 10:8 tn Or “the sheep did not hear them.”
  21. John 10:9 tn Since the Greek phrase εἰσέρχομαι καὶ ἐξέρχομαι (eiserchomai kai exerchomai, “come in and go out”) is in some places an idiom for living or conducting oneself in relationship to some community (“to live with, to live among” [cf. Acts 1:21; see also Num 27:17; 2 Chr 1:10]), it may well be that Jesus’ words here look forward to the new covenant community of believers. Another significant NT text is Luke 9:4, where both these verbs occur in the context of the safety and security provided by a given household for the disciples. See also BDAG 294 s.v. εἰσέρχομαι 1.b.β.
  22. John 10:9 sn That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.
  23. John 10:10 tn That is, “to slaughter” (in reference to animals).
  24. John 10:10 tn That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.
  25. John 10:11 tn Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation of καλός [kalos] here).
  26. John 10:11 tn Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.”sn Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section (John 10:11, 15). Note the contrast: The thief takes the life of the sheep (10:10), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: He has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd’s death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them (Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17, by contrast).
  27. John 10:12 sn Jesus contrasts the behavior of the shepherd with that of the hired hand. This is a worker who is simply paid to do a job; he has no other interest in the sheep and is certainly not about to risk his life for them. When they are threatened, he simply runs away.
  28. John 10:12 tn Grk “leaves.”
  29. John 10:12 tn Or “flees.”
  30. John 10:12 tn Or “seizes.” The more traditional rendering, “snatches,” has the idea of seizing something by force and carrying it off, which is certainly possible here. However, in the sequence in John 10:12, this action precedes the scattering of the flock of sheep, so “attacks” is preferable.
  31. John 10:13 tn Grk “does not have a care for the sheep.”
  32. John 10:13 tc The phrase “he runs away” is lacking in several significant mss (P44vid,45, 66, 75 א A*vid B D L [W] Θ 1 33 1241 al co). Most likely it was added by a later scribe to improve the readability of vv. 12-13, which is one long sentence in Greek. It has been included in the translation for the same stylistic reasons.
  33. John 10:14 tn Grk “And I.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  34. John 10:14 tn The direct object is frequently omitted in Greek and must be supplied from the context. Here it could be “sheep,” but Jesus was ultimately talking about “people.”
  35. John 10:15 tn Or “I die willingly.”
  36. John 10:15 tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”
  37. John 10:16 tn Grk “And I have.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  38. John 10:16 tn Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”
  39. John 10:16 sn The statement I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold almost certainly refers to Gentiles. Jesus has sheep in the fold who are Jewish; there are other sheep which, while not of the same fold, belong to him also. This recalls the mission of the Son in 3:16-17, which was to save the world—not just the nation of Israel. Such an emphasis would be particularly appropriate to the author if he were writing to a non-Palestinian and primarily non-Jewish audience.
  40. John 10:16 tn Grk “they will hear my voice.”
  41. John 10:16 tn Grk “voice, and.”
  42. John 10:16 tn The word “and” is not in the Greek text, but must be supplied to conform to English style. In Greek it is an instance of asyndeton (omission of a connective), usually somewhat emphatic.
  43. John 10:17 tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”
  44. John 10:17 tn Or “die willingly.”
  45. John 10:18 tn Or “give it up.”
  46. John 10:18 tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.
  47. John 10:18 tn Or “I have the right.”
  48. John 10:18 tn Or “I have the right.”
  49. John 10:18 tn Or “order.”
  50. John 10:19 tn Or perhaps “the Jewish religious leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase could be taken to refer to the Jewish religious leaders, since the Pharisees were the last to be mentioned specifically by name, in John 9:40. However, in light of the charge about demon possession, which echoes 8:48, it is more likely that Jewish people in general (perhaps in Jerusalem, if that is understood to be the setting of the incident) are in view here.
  51. John 10:20 tn Or “is insane.” To translate simply “he is mad” (so KJV, ASV, RSV; “raving mad” NIV) could give the impression that Jesus was angry, while the actual charge was madness or insanity.
  52. John 10:21 tn Or “the sayings.”
  53. John 10:21 tn Grk “open the eyes of the blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
  54. John 10:21 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “can it?”).
  55. John 10:22 tn That is, Hanukkah or the ‘Festival of Lights.’ The Greek name for the feast, τὰ ἐγκαίνια (ta enkainia), literally means “renewal” and was used to translate Hanukkah which means “dedication.” The Greek noun, with its related verbs, was the standard term used in the LXX for the consecration of the altar of the Tabernacle (Num 7:10-11), the altar of the temple of Solomon (1 Kgs 8:63; 2 Chr 7:5), and the altar of the second temple (Ezra 6:16). The word is thus connected with the consecration of all the houses of God in the history of the nation of Israel.sn The feast of the Dedication (also known as Hanukkah) was a feast celebrating annually the Maccabean victories of 165-164 b.c.—when Judas Maccabeus drove out the Syrians, rebuilt the altar, and rededicated the temple on 25 Kislev (1 Macc 4:41-61). From a historical standpoint, it was the last great deliverance the Jewish people had experienced, and it came at a time when least expected. Josephus ends his account of the institution of the festival with the following statement: “And from that time to the present we observe this festival, which we call the festival of Lights, giving this name to it, I think, from the fact that the right to worship appeared to us at a time when we hardly dared hope for it” (Ant. 12.7.6 [12.325]).
  56. John 10:23 sn It was winter. The feast began on 25 Kislev, in November-December of the modern Gregorian calendar.
  57. John 10:23 tn Grk “in the temple.”
  58. John 10:23 tn Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex.
  59. John 10:24 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. The question they ask Jesus (“Are you the Christ?”) is the same one they sent and asked of John the Baptist in the desert (see John 1:19-34). See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish people” in v. 19.
  60. John 10:24 tn Grk “said to him.” This has been translated as “asked” for stylistic reasons.
  61. John 10:24 tn Grk “How long will you take away our life?” (an idiom which meant to keep one from coming to a conclusion about something). The use of the phrase τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν αἴρεις (tēn psuchēn hēmōn aireis) meaning “to keep in suspense” is not well attested, although it certainly fits the context here. In modern Greek the phrase means “to annoy, bother.”
  62. John 10:24 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
  63. John 10:24 tn Or “publicly.”
  64. John 10:25 tn Grk “answered them.”
  65. John 10:25 tn Or “the works.”
  66. John 10:28 tn Grk “And I give.”
  67. John 10:28 tn Or “will never die” or “will never be lost.”
  68. John 10:28 tn Or “no one will seize.”
  69. John 10:29 tn Or “is superior to all.”
  70. John 10:29 tn Or “no one can seize.”
  71. John 10:30 tn Grk “I and the Father.” The order has been reversed to reflect English style.
  72. John 10:30 tn The phrase ἕν ἐσμεν (hen esmen) is a significant assertion with trinitarian implications. ἕν is neuter, not masculine, so the assertion is not that Jesus and the Father are one person, but one “thing.” Identity of the two persons is not what is asserted, but essential unity (unity of essence).
  73. John 10:31 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrases “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in v. 24.
  74. John 10:32 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
  75. John 10:32 tn Or “good works.”
  76. John 10:33 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here again the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrase “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in vv. 24, 31.
  77. John 10:33 tn Grk “answered him.”
  78. John 10:33 tn Or “good work.”
  79. John 10:33 sn This is the first time the official charge of blasphemy is voiced openly in the Fourth Gospel (although it was implicit in John 8:59). Blasphemy in the NT has a somewhat broader meaning than mere utterances. It could mean to say something that dishonored God, but it could also involve claims to divine prerogatives (in this case, Jesus’ claim to oneness with the Father, v. 30). Such claims were viewed as usurping God’s majesty or honor. The remark here raised directly the issue of the identity of Jesus himself as God’s representative.
  80. John 10:33 tn Grk “and because.”
  81. John 10:33 tn Grk “you, a man, make yourself to be God.”
  82. John 10:34 tn Grk “answered them.”
  83. John 10:34 sn A quotation from Ps 82:6. Technically the Psalms are not part of the OT “law” (which usually referred to the five books of Moses), but occasionally the term “law” was applied to the entire OT, as here. The problem in this verse concerns the meaning of Jesus’ quotation from Ps 82:6. It is important to look at the OT context: The whole line reads “I say, you are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.” Jesus will pick up on the term “sons of the Most High” in 10:36, where he refers to himself as the Son of God. The psalm was understood in rabbinic circles as an attack on unjust judges who, though they have been given the title “gods” because of their quasi-divine function of exercising judgment, are just as mortal as other men. What is the argument here? It is often thought to be as follows: If it was an OT practice to refer to men like the judges as gods, and not blasphemy, why did the Jewish authorities object when this term was applied to Jesus? This really doesn’t seem to fit the context, however, since if that were the case Jesus would not be making any claim for “divinity” for himself over and above any other human being—and therefore he would not be subject to the charge of blasphemy. Rather, this is evidently a case of arguing from the lesser to the greater, a common form of rabbinic argument. The reason the OT judges could be called gods is because they were vehicles of the word of God (cf. 10:35). But granting that premise, Jesus deserves much more than they to be called God. He is the Word incarnate, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world to save the world (10:36). In light of the prologue to the Gospel of John, it seems this interpretation would have been most natural for the author. If it is permissible to call men “gods” because they were the vehicles of the word of God, how much more permissible is it to use the word “God” of him who is the Word of God?
  84. John 10:35 sn The parenthetical note And the scripture cannot be broken belongs to Jesus’ words rather than the author’s. Not only does Jesus appeal to the OT to defend himself against the charge of blasphemy, but he also adds that the scripture cannot be “broken.” In this context he does not explain precisely what is meant by “broken,” but it is not too hard to determine. Jesus’ argument depended on the exact word used in the context of Ps 82:6. If any other word for “judge” had been used in the psalm, his argument would have been meaningless. Since the scriptures do use this word in Ps 82:6, the argument is binding, because they cannot be “broken” in the sense of being shown to be in error.
  85. John 10:36 tn Or “dedicated.”
  86. John 10:37 tn Or “do.”
  87. John 10:37 tn Or “works.”
  88. John 10:38 tn Or “works.”sn Jesus says that in the final analysis, the deeds he did should indicate whether he was truly from the Father. If the authorities could not believe in him, it would be better to believe in the deeds he did than not to believe at all.
  89. John 10:38 tn Or “so that you may learn.”
  90. John 10:39 tc It is difficult to decide between ἐζήτουν οὖν (ezētoun oun, “then they were seeking”; P66 א A L W Ψ ƒ1,13 33 pm lat), ἐζήτουν δέ (ezētoun de, “now they were seeking”; P45 and a few versional witnesses), καὶ ἐζήτουν (kai ezētoun, “and they were seeking”; D), and ἐζήτουν (P75vid B Γ Θ 700 pm). Externally, the most viable readings are ἐζήτουν οὖν and ἐζήτουν. Transcriptionally, the οὖν could have dropped out via haplography since the verb ends in the same three letters. On the other hand, it is difficult to explain the readings with δέ or καί if ἐζήτουν οὖν is autographic; such readings would more likely have arisen from the simple ἐζήτουν. Intrinsically, John is fond of οὖν, using it some 200 times. Further, this Gospel begins relatively few sentences without some conjunction. The minimal support for the δέ and καί readings suggests that they arose either from the lone verb reading (which would thus be prior to their respective Vorlagen but not necessarily the earliest reading) or through carelessness on the part of the scribes. Indeed, the ancestors of P45 and D may have committed haplography, leaving later scribes in the chain to guess at the conjunction needed. In sum, the best reading appears to be ἐζήτουν οὖν.
  91. John 10:39 tn Grk “they were seeking.”
  92. John 10:39 tn Grk “he departed out of their hand.”sn It is not clear whether the authorities simply sought to “arrest” him, or were renewing their attempt to stone him (cf. John 10:31) by seizing him and taking him out to be stoned. In either event, Jesus escaped their clutches. Nor is it clear whether Jesus’ escape is to be understood as a miracle. If so, the text gives little indication and even less description. What is clear is that until his “hour” comes, Jesus is completely safe from the hands of men: His enemies are powerless to touch him until they are permitted to do so.
  93. John 10:40 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  94. John 10:40 tn The word “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
  95. John 10:40 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
  96. John 10:40 tn Grk “formerly.”sn This refers to the city of Bethany across the Jordan River (see John 1:28).
  97. John 10:41 tn Grk “And many.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  98. John 10:41 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
  99. John 10:41 tn Grk “did.”
  100. John 10:41 tn Grk “this one.”
  101. John 10:42 tn Grk “in him.”
New English Translation (NET)

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