John 10
10
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
1“What I’m about to tell you Pharisees is true. What if someone does not enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in another way? That person is a thief and a robber. 2The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him. The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own sheep, he goes on ahead of them. His sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will run away from him. They don’t recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6Jesus told this story. But the Pharisees didn’t understand what he was telling them.
7So Jesus said again, “What I’m about to tell you is true. I am like a gate for the sheep. 8All who have come before me are thieves and robbers. But the sheep have not listened to them. 9I’m like a gate. Anyone who enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out. And they will find plenty of food. 10A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they may have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12The hired man is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when the hired man sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired man. He does not care about the sheep.
14“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. 15They know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I give my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that do not belong to this sheep pen. I must bring them in too. They also will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I give up my life. But I will take it back again. 18No one takes it from me. I give it up myself. I have the authority to give it up. And I have the authority to take it back again. I received this command from my Father.”
19The Jews who heard these words could not agree with one another. 20Many of them said, “He is controlled by a demon. He has gone crazy! Why should we listen to him?”
21But others said, “A person controlled by a demon does not say things like this. Can a demon open the eyes of someone who is blind?”
Another Challenge to Jesus’ Claims
22Then came the Feast of Hanukkah at Jerusalem. It was winter. 23Jesus was in the temple courtyard walking in Solomon’s Porch. 24The Jews who were gathered there around Jesus spoke to him. They said, “How long will you keep us waiting? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25Jesus answered, “I did tell you. But you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name are a witness for me. 26But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never die. No one will steal them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than anyone. No one can steal them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”
31Again the Jews who had challenged him picked up stones to kill him. 32But Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. Which good work are you throwing stones at me for?”
33“We are not throwing stones at you for any good work,” they replied. “We are stoning you for saying a very evil thing. You are only a man. But you claim to be God.”
34Jesus answered them, “Didn’t God say in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’? (Psalm 82:6) 35We know that Scripture is always true. God spoke to some people and called them ‘gods.’ 36If that is true, what about the one the Father set apart as his very own? What about this one the Father sent into the world? Why do you charge me with saying a very evil thing? Is it because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37Don’t believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38But what if I do them? Even if you don’t believe me, believe these works. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39Again they tried to arrest him. But he escaped from them.
40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan River. He went to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed. 41Many people came to him. They said, “John never performed a sign. But everything he said about this man was true.” 42And in that place many believed in Jesus.
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John 10: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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John 10
10
I Am the Good Shepherd
1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5#[ver. 12, 13]A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6This figure of speech Jesus #ch. 9:40 used with them, but they #See Mark 9:32did not understand what he was saying to them.
7So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, #ver. 9; [ch. 14:6; Eph. 2:18]I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, #[ch. 5:34] he will be saved and will go in and out and #Ps. 23:2; Ezek. 34:14find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and #[Jer. 23:1; Ezek. 34:3]kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11#Isa. 40:11; Ezek. 34:12, 23; 37:24; Zech. 13:7; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4; [ch. 21:15-17; Ps. 23; Rev. 7:17] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd #ver. 15, 17; ch. 15:13; 1 John 3:16; [Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45]lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is #[Ezek. 34:2-6] a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and #Zech. 11:17; 13:7 leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and #[Jer. 23:1-3]scatters them. 13He flees because #[1 Pet. 5:2] he is a hired hand and #Zech. 11:16cares nothing for the sheep. 14#See ver. 11 I am the good shepherd. #ver. 27; Nah. 1:7; 2 Tim. 2:19 I know my own and #ver. 4my own know me, 15#See Matt. 11:27 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and #See ver. 11I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And #Isa. 56:8 I have other sheep that are not of this fold. #[Ezek. 34:11-13; Matt. 8:11, 12; Eph. 2:13-18; 1 Pet. 2:25] I must bring them also, and #ch. 5:25; 18:37; [Acts 28:28] they will listen to my voice. So there will be #[ch. 11:52; 12:32; 17:11, 21, 22] one flock, #Ezek. 34:23; 37:24one shepherd. 17#Phil. 2:9; See ch. 5:20 For this reason the Father loves me, #Isa. 53:7, 8, 12; Heb. 2:9 because #ver. 11I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18#[Matt. 26:53] No one takes it from me, but #[See ver. 17 above] I lay it down #[ch. 5:30] of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and #ch. 2:19; [Phil. 2:7] I have authority to take it up again. #ch. 12:49; 14:31; 15:10This charge I have received from my Father.”
19 # ch. 7:43; 9:16 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20Many of them said, #See ch. 7:20 “He has a demon, and #[Mark 3:21]is insane; why listen to him?” 21Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. #[Ex. 4:11; Ps. 146:8]; See ch. 9:33Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
I and the Father Are One
22At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, #Acts 3:11; 5:12in the colonnade of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are #ch. 1:41 the Christ, #Matt. 26:63; Luke 22:67tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. #ver. 38; See ch. 5:36 The works that I do #See ch. 5:43in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26but #[ch. 8:47]you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27#ver. 14, 16My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28#[1 John 2:25; 5:11] I give them eternal life, and #ch. 17:12; 18:9 they will never perish, and #ch. 6:37no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, #ch. 6:37; 17:2 who has given them to me,#10:29 Some manuscripts What my Father has given to me#[ch. 14:28] is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of #[Deut. 32:39; Isa. 49:2; 51:16]the Father’s hand. 30#ch. 17:11, 22; [ch. 5:19; 14:9]I and the Father are one.”
31 # ch. 8:59 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but #See Lev. 24:16; Matt. 9:3 for blasphemy, because you, being a man, #ch. 5:18make yourself God.” 34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in #[ch. 12:34; 15:25; 1 Cor. 14:21] your Law, #Cited from Ps. 82:6‘I said, you are gods’? 35If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be #[Matt. 5:17, 19]broken— 36do you say of him whom #[ch. 6:27] the Father consecrated and #See ch. 3:17 sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because #ch. 5:17, 18; [ver. 30]I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37#ch. 15:24If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38but if I do them, #ver. 25; [ch. 14:11] even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that #ch. 14:10, 11, 20; 17:21, 23; [ch. 8:29]the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39#ch. 7:30, 44Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
40He went away again across the Jordan to the place #ch. 1:28where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but #ch. 1:7, 29-34; 3:27-30; 5:33everything that John said about this man was true.” 42And #See ch. 7:31many believed in him there.
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