"Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

The Jews who heard these words were again divided.Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?"

But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter,and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon's Colonnade.The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."

Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify about me,but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.I and the Father are one."

Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"

"We are not stoning you for any good work," they replied, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are "gods"' ?If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.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 in the Father."Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed,and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true."And in that place many believed in Jesus.

John 10

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

1 “I tell you the solemn truth,t the one who does not enter the sheepfolds by the door,t 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 doorkeeperts opens the doort for him,t and the sheep hear his voice. Het calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.s4 When he has brought all his own sheept out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognizet his voice.5 They will never follow a stranger,t but will run away from him, because they do not recognizet the stranger’s voice.”t

6 Jesus told them this parable,s but theyt did not understandt what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth,t I am the door for the sheep.t8 All who came before me weret thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.t9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out,t and find pasture.s

10 The thief comes only to steal and killt and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.t
11 “I am the goodt shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his lifets for the sheep.12 The hired hand,s who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandonst the sheep and runs away.t So the wolf attackst the sheep and scatters them.

13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep,t he runs away.s
14 “I am the good shepherd. It know my ownt and my own know me –15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my lifet fort the sheep.16 I havet other sheep that do not come fromt this sheepfold.s I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice,t so thatt there will be one flock andt one shepherd.17 This is why the Father loves met – because I lay down my life,t so that I may take it back again.

18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it downt of my own free will.t I have the authorityt to lay it down, and I have the authorityt to take it back again. This commandmentt I received from my Father.”
19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish peoplet because of these words.20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind!t Why do you listen to him?”

21 Others said, “These are not the wordst of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see,t can it?”t

Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

22 Then came the feast of the Dedicationts in Jerusalem.s23 It was winter,s and Jesus was walking in the temple areat in Solomon’s Portico.ts24 The Jewish leaderst surrounded him and asked,t “How long will you keep us in suspense?t If you are the Christ,ts tell us plainly.”t25 Jesus replied,t “I told you and you do not believe. The deedst 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 givet them eternal life, and they will never perish;t no one will snatcht them from my hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,t and no one can snatcht them from my Father’s hand.

30 The Father and It are one.”t
31 The Jewish leaderst picked up rocks again to stone him to death.32 Jesus said to them,t “I have shown you many good deedst from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?”

33 The Jewish leaderst replied,t “We are not going to stone you for a good deedt but for blasphemy,s becauset you, a man, are claiming to be God.”t
34 Jesus answered,t “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?s35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken),s36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apartt and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?37 If I do not performt the deedst of my Father, do not believe me.38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds,ts so that you may come to knowt and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

39 Thens they attemptedt again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches.ts
40 Jesust went back across the Jordan Rivert again to the place where Johns had been baptizing at an earlier time,ts and he stayed there.41 Manyt came to him and began to say, “Johns performedt no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this mant was true!”

42 And many believed in Jesust there.