John 10

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ⁴When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

⁷Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. ¹⁰The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ¹¹I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. ¹²He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them: ¹³he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, ¹⁵even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. ¹⁸No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father.

¹⁹There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰And many of them said, He hath a demon, and is mad; why hear ye him? ²¹Others said, These are not the sayings of one possessed with a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?

²²And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem: ²³it was winter; and Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s porch. ²⁴The Jews therefore came round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou hold us in suspense? If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly. ²⁵Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, these bear witness of me. ²⁶But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰I and the Father are one. ³¹The Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³²Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? ³³The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. ³⁴Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? ³⁵If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken), ³⁶say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? ³⁷If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. ³⁸But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. ³⁹They sought again to take him: and he went forth out of their hand.

⁴⁰And he went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was at the first baptizing; and there he abode. ⁴¹And many came unto him; and they said, John indeed did no sign: but all things whatsoever John spake of this man were true. ⁴²And many believed on him there.