[1]TRULY, truly, I say to you, He who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up from another place, is a thief and a bandit. [2]But he who enters by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep. [3]To him the door-keeper opens the door; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by their names and brings them out. [4]And when he has brought out his sheep, he goes before them; and his own sheep follow him, because they know his voice. [5]The sheep do not follow a stranger, but they run away from him; because they do not know the voice of a stranger. [6]Jesus spoke this parable to them; but they did not understand what he was telling them. [7]Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. [8]All who have come are thieves and bandits, if the sheep did not hear them. [9]I am the door; if any man enter by me, he shall live, and he shall come in and go out and find pasture. [10]A thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly. [11]I am the good shepherd; a good shepherd risks his life for the sake of his sheep. [12]But the hired person, who is not the shepherd, and who is not the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep and runs away; and the wolf comes and seizes and scatters the sheep. [13]The hired person runs away, because he is hired, and he does not care for the sheep. [14]I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me. [15]Just as my Father knows me, I also know my Father; and I lay down my life for the sake of the sheep. [16]I have other sheep also, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear my voice; and all the sheep will become one flock and one shepherd. [17]This is why my Father loves me, because I lay down my life, so that I may take it up again. [18]No man takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own will. Therefore I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. [19]There was again a division among the Jews because of these sayings. [20]And many of them said, He is insane and rambles; why do you listen to him? [21]Others said, These are not the words of a crazy man. Why, can a crazy man open the eyes of the blind? [22]Then came the feast of dedication at Jerusalem, and it was winter. [23]And Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon's porch. [24]Then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, How long do you vex our soul with uncertainty? If you are the Christ, tell us openly. [25]Jesus answered and said to them, I have told you, but you do not believe; yet the works which I do, in the name of my Father, testify of me. [26]But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep, just as I told you. [27]My own sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; [28]And I give to them eternal life; and they will never perish, and no man will snatch them from my hands. [29]For my Father who gave them to me is greater than all; and no man can snatch anything from my Father's hand. [30]I and my Father are one in accord. [31]Then the Jews again took up stones to stone him. [32]Jesus said to them, I have shown you many good works from my Father; for which one of them do you stone me? [33]The Jews said to him, It is not because of the good works we stone you, but because you blaspheme; for while you are only a man, you make yourself God. [34]Jesus said to them, Is it not so written in your law, I said, you are gods? [35]If he called them gods, because the word of God was with them, and the scripture cannot be broken; [36]Yet to the one whom the Father sanctified and sent to the world, you say, You blaspheme, just because I said to you, I am the Son of God. [37]If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. [38]But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe in me, believe in the works; so that you may know and believe that my Father is with me and I am with my Father. [39]And they wanted again to seize him; but he escaped from their hands. [40]And he went away to the Jordan crossing, to the place where John was, where he first baptized; and he remained there. [41]And many men came to him and said, John did not perform a single miracle; but everything which John said concerning this man is true. [42]And many believed in him.
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Author: George M. Lamsa
Source: studybible.info
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