John 10

1 “Truly, I tell all of you ^{a10:1 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.} emphatically, the person who doesn’t enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a bandit.ISV — John 10:1

2 The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.ISV — John 10:2

3 It’s to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it’s his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.ISV — John 10:3

4 When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.ISV — John 10:4

5 They’ll never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.”ISV — John 10:5

6 Jesus used this illustration with them, but they didn’t understand what he was saying to them.ISV — John 10:6

7 So again Jesus said, “Truly, I tell all of you ^{b10:7 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.} emphatically, I’m the gate for the sheep.ISV — John 10:7

8 All who came before me ^{c10:8 Other mss. lack before me} are thieves and bandits, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.ISV — John 10:8

9 I’m the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. He’ll come in and go out and find pasture.ISV — John 10:9

10 The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I’ve come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.ISV — John 10:10

11 “I’m the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down ^{d10:11 Other mss. read gives} his life for the sheep.ISV — John 10:11

12 The hired worker, who isn’t the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, deserts the sheep, and runs away. So the wolf snatches them and scatters them,ISV — John 10:12

13 because he’s a hired worker, and the sheep don’t matter to him.ISV — John 10:13

14 I’m the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,ISV — John 10:14

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down ^{e10:15 Other mss. read give} my life for the sheep.ISV — John 10:15

16 I have other sheep that don’t belong to this fold. I must lead these also, and they’ll listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd.ISV — John 10:16

17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it back again.ISV — John 10:17

18 No one is taking it from me; I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is what my Father has commanded me.”ISV — John 10:18

19 Once again there was a division among the Jews ^{f10:19 i.e. Judean leaders} because of what Jesus had been saying.ISV — John 10:19

20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why bother listening to him?”ISV — John 10:20

21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of a man who is demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can it?”ISV — John 10:21

22 Now ^{g10:22 Other mss. read Then} Hanukkah ^{h10:22 Or the Festival of Dedication} was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter,ISV — John 10:22

23 and Jesus was walking around in the Temple inside the open porch of Solomon.ISV — John 10:23

24 So the Jewish leaders ^{i10:24 i.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews} surrounded him and quizzed him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you’re the Messiah, ^{j10:24 Or Christ} tell us so plainly.”ISV — John 10:24

25 Jesus answered them, “I have told you, but you don’t believe it. The actions that I do in my Father’s name testify on my behalf,ISV — John 10:25

26 but you don’t believe, because you don’t belong to my sheep. ^{k10:26 Other mss. read my sheep, just as I told you}ISV — John 10:26

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

28 I give them eternal life, they’ll never be lost, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.ISV — John 10:28

29 What my Father has given me ^{l10:29 Some MSS read My father, who gave them to me,} is more important than anything, ^{m10:29 Or is greater than everything else} and no one can snatch it from the Father’s hand.ISV — John 10:29

30 I and the Father are one.”ISV — John 10:30

31 Again the Jewish leaders ^{n10:31 i.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews} picked up stones to stone him to death.ISV — John 10:31

32 Jesus replied to them, “I’ve shown you many good actions from my ^{o10:32 Other mss. read the} Father. For which of them are you going to stone me?”ISV — John 10:32

33 The Jewish leaders ^{p10:33 i.e. Judean leaders; lit. The Jews} answered him, “We are not going to stone you for a good action, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, are making yourself God!”ISV — John 10:33

34 Jesus replied to them, “Is it not written in your ^{q10:34 Other mss. read the} Law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? ^{r10:34 Cf. Ps 82:6}ISV — John 10:34

35 If he called those to whom a message from God came ‘gods’ (and the Scripture cannot be disregarded),ISV — John 10:35

36 how can you say to the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You’re blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I’m the Son of God’?ISV — John 10:36

37 If I’m not doing my Father’s actions, don’t believe me.ISV — John 10:37

38 But if I’m doing them, even though you don’t believe me, believe the actions, so that you may know and understand ^{s10:38 Other mss. read believe} that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”ISV — John 10:38

39 Again they tried to seize him, but he slipped away from them. ^{t10:39 Lit. away out of their hands}ISV — John 10:39

40 Then he went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and he remained there.ISV — John 10:40

41 Many people came to him and kept saying, “John never performed a sign, but everything that John said about this man is true!”ISV — John 10:41

42 And many believed in Jesus ^{u10:42 Lit. him} there.ISV — John 10:42