I Am the Good Shepherd

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 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 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 his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 ^yA stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus ^zused with them, but they ^adid not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^bI am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, ^che will be saved and will go in and out and ^dfind pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and ^ekill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 ^fI am the good shepherd. The good shepherd ^glays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is ^ha hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and ⁱleaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and ^jscatters them. 13 He flees because ^khe is a hired hand and ^lcares nothing for the sheep. 14 ^mI am the good shepherd. ⁿI know my own and ^omy own know me, 15 ^pjust as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and ^qI lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And ^rI have other sheep that are not of this fold. ^sI must bring them also, and ^tthey will listen to my voice. So there will be ^uone flock, ^vone shepherd. 17 ^wFor this reason the Father loves me, ^xbecause ^yI lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 ^zNo one takes it from me, but ^yI lay it down ^aof my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and ^bI have authority to take it up again. ^cThis charge I have received from my Father.”

19 ^dThere was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, ^e“He has a demon, and ^fis insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. ^gCan a demon open the eyes of the blind?”