John 10

Modern

Literal

Jesus the Good Shepherd

¹“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.

¹“Truly, truly, I say to you, the one not entering through the door to the fold of the sheep, but going up another way, he is a thief and a robber.

²But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

²But the one entering through the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

³To this one the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice. And he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

⁴When he may bring out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

⁵But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.”

⁵But they will never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

⁶Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.

⁶Jesus spoke to them this allegory, but they did not know what it was that He was saying to them.

⁷So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.

⁷Therefore Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁸All who came before Me^a were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

⁸All, as many as came before Me, are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

⁹I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.

⁹I am the door. If anyone may enter through Me, he will be saved, and he will come in and will go out and will find pasture.

¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.

¹⁰The thief does not come except so that he might steal and might kill and might destroy. I came so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

¹²The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock.

¹²But the hired servant, not being the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them—

¹³The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.

¹³because he is a hired servant and is not himself caring about the sheep.

¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,

¹⁴I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me—

¹⁵just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep.

¹⁵just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My life for the sheep.

¹⁶I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.

¹⁶And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. It is necessary for Me to bring those also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

¹⁷The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again.

¹⁷Because of this, the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I might take it again.

¹⁸No 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 charge I have received from My Father.”

¹⁸No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

¹⁹Again there was division among the Jews because of Jesus’ message.

¹⁹Again there was division among the Jews because of these words.

²⁰Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”

²⁰And many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?”

²¹But others replied, “These are not the words of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

²¹Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. Is a demon able to open the eyes of the blind?”

Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

²²At that time the Feast of Dedication^a took place in Jerusalem. It was winter,

²²Then the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,

²³and Jesus was walking in the temple courts^a in Solomon’s Colonnade.

²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the porch of Solomon.

²⁴So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

²⁴Therefore the Jews encircled Him and were saying to Him, “Until when do You hold our soul in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

²⁵“I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf.

²⁵Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in the name of My Father, these testify about Me.

²⁶But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe.

²⁶But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.

²⁷My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.

²⁷My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.

²⁸And I give them eternal life, and never shall they perish to the age, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

²⁹My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

²⁹My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the hand of the Father.

³⁰I and the Father are one.”

³¹At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him.

³¹Therefore the Jews took up stones again so that they might stone Him.

³²But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”

³²Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; because of which work of them do you stone Me?”

³³“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

³³The Jews answered Him, “We do not stone You concerning a good work, but concerning blasphemy, and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.”

³⁴Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’?^a

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I said you are gods’?

³⁵If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—

³⁵If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture is not able to be broken—

³⁶then what about the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world? How then can you accuse Me of blasphemy for stating that I am the Son of God?

³⁶do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

³⁷If I am not doing the works of My Father, then do not believe Me.

³⁷If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me.

³⁸But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works themselves, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father.”

³⁸But if I do, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and may understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.”

³⁹At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.

³⁹Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, but He went forth out of their hand.

John’s Testimony Confirmed

⁴⁰Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and He stayed there.

⁴⁰And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and He remained there.

⁴¹Many came to Him and said, “Although John never performed a sign, everything he said about this man was true.”

⁴¹And many came to Him and were saying, “John indeed did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.”

⁴²And many in that place believed in Jesus.

⁴²And many believed in Him there.