10:1 "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
10:2 But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
10:3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
10:4 When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.
10:5 But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."
10:6 Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
10:7 So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep.
10:8 All who came (before me) are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
10:9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
10:10 A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.
10:11 I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
10:12 A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them.
10:13 This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
10:14 I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,
10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
10:17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father."
10:19 Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words.
10:20 Many of them said, "He is possessed and out of his mind; why listen to him?"
10:21 Others said, "These are not the words of one possessed; surely a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?"
10:22 The feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter.
10:23 And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
10:24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
10:25 Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
10:26 But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
10:27 My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.
10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
10:30 The Father and I are one."
10:31 The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him.
10:32 Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
10:33 The Jews answered him, "We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God."
10:34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?
10:35 If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be set aside,
10:36 can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
10:37 If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
10:38 but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize (and understand) that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
10:39 (Then) they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.
10:40 He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
10:41 Many came to him and said, "John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true."