Common - John - 10

10:1  "Truly, truly, I say to you, the man who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by some other way, he is a thief and a robber.

10:2  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

10:3  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

10:4  When he has brought out all his own, he goes on before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

10:5  A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

10:6  This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

10:7  Then Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

10:8  All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

10:9  I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

10:10  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

10:11  I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

10:12  But he who is a hireling and not the shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.

10:13  He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.

10:14  I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep, and my sheep know me—

10:15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

10:16  And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

10:17  For this reason my Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

10:18  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father."

10:19  There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.

10:20  Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is mad. Why listen to him?"

10:21  Others said, "These are not the sayings of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

10:22  Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter,

10:23  and Jesus was in the temple, walking in Solomon’s Porch.

10:24  So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

10:25  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;

10:26  but you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep.

10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

10:28  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

10:29  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

10:30  I and the Father are one."

10:31  The Jews took up stones again to stone him.

10:32  Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"

10:33  The Jews answered him, "For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God."

10:34  Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?

10:35  If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

10:36  do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming, ‘because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

10:37  If I do not do the works of my father, do not believe me;

10:38  but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father."

10:39  Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped from their hands.

10:40  He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed.

10:41  And many came to him and they said, "John performed no sign, but all that John said about this man was true."

10:42  And many believed in him there.