John, 10

1. 'In all truth I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a bandit.

1. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber;

2. He who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock;

2. but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3. the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out.

3. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

4. When he has brought out all those that are his, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice.

4. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

5. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognise the voice of strangers.'

5. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

6. Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he was saying to them.

6. This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7. So Jesus spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the sheepfold.

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

8. All who have come before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep took no notice of them.

8. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them.

9. I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: such a one will go in and out and will find pasture.

9. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

10. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.

10. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.

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

12. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and runs away, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep;

12. He who is a hireling and not a 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.

13. he runs away because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep.

13. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for 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 and my own know me,

15. just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep.

15. as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16. And there are other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and I must lead these too. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock, one shepherd.

16. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.

17. The Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.

17. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

18. No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will, and as I have power to lay it down, so I have power to take it up again; and this is the command I have received from my Father.

18. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father."

19. These words caused a fresh division among the Jews.

19. There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.

20. Many said, 'He is possessed, he is raving; why do you listen to him?'

20. Many of them said, "He has a demon, and he is mad; why listen to him?"

21. Others said, 'These are not the words of a man possessed by a devil: could a devil open the eyes of the blind?'

21. Others said, "These are not the sayings of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

22. It was the time of the feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. It was winter,

22. It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem;

23. and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon.

23. it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.

24. The Jews gathered round him and said, 'How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us openly.'

24. So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

25. Jesus replied: I have told you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name are my witness;

25. Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me;

26. but you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine.

26. but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.

27. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.

27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;

28. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from my hand.

28. and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

29. The Father, for what he has given me, is greater than anyone, and no one can steal anything from the Father's hand.

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

30. The Father and I are one.

30. I and the Father are one."

31. The Jews fetched stones to stone him,

31. The Jews took up stones again to stone him.

32. so Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many good works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?'

32. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?"

33. The Jews answered him, 'We are stoning you, not for doing a good work, but for blasphemy; though you are only a man, you claim to be God.'

33. The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God."

34. Jesus answered: Is it not written in your Law: I said, you are gods?

34. Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, `I said, you are gods'?

35. So it uses the word 'gods' of those people to whom the word of God was addressed -- and scripture cannot be set aside.

35. If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and scripture cannot be broken),

36. Yet to someone whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world you say, 'You are blaspheming' because I said, 'I am Son of God.'

36. do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, `You are blaspheming,' because I said, `I am the Son of God'?

37. If I am not doing my Father's work, there is no need to believe me;

37. If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;

38. but if I am doing it, then even if you refuse to believe in me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for certain that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.

38. 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 am in the Father."

39. They again wanted to arrest him then, but he eluded their clutches.

39. Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

40. He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to the district where John had been baptising at first and he stayed there.

40. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained.

41. Many people who came to him said, 'John gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true';

41. And many came to him; and they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true."

42. and many of them believed in him.

42. And many believed in him there.