NET Bible | New Living Translation |
1"I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. | 1 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! |
2The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. | 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. |
3The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. | 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. |
4When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. | 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. |
5They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not recognize the stranger's voice." | 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” |
6Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. | 6Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, |
7So Jesus said to them again, "I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep. | 7so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. |
8All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. | 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. |
9I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. | 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. |
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. | 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. |
11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. | 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. |
12The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. | 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. |
13Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. | 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. |
14"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me-- | 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, |
15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. | 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. |
16I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. | 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. |
17This is why the Father loves me--because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. | 17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. |
18No one takes it away from me, but 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 commandment I received from my Father." | 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” |
19Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people because of these words. | 19When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. |
20Many of them were saying, "He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! Why do you listen to him?" | 20Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” |
21Others said, "These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?" | 21Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God |
22Then came the feast of the Dedication in Jerusalem. | 22It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. |
23It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area in Solomon's Portico. | 23He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. |
24The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." | 24The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” |
25Jesus replied, "I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father's name testify about me. | 25Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. |
26But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. | 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. |
27My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. | 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. |
28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. | 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, |
29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father's hand. | 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. |
30The Father and I are one." | 30 The Father and I are one.” |
31The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death. | 31Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. |
32Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?" | 32Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?” |
33The Jewish leaders replied, "We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God." | 33They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” |
34Jesus answered, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods'? | 34Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ |
35If those people to whom the word of God came were called 'gods' (and the scripture cannot be broken), | 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ |
36do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? | 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. |
37If I do not perform the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. | 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. |
38But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me." | 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” |
39Then they attempted again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. | 39Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. |
40Jesus went back across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. | 40He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. |
41Many came to him and began to say, "John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!" | 41And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” |
42And many believed in Jesus there. | 42And many who were there believed in Jesus. |
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