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?”
I and the Father Are One
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, hin the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are ithe Christ, jtell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. kThe works that I do lin my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but myou do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 nMy sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 oI give them eternal life, and pthey will never perish, and qno one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, rwho has given them to me,1 sis greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of tthe Father’s hand. 30 uI and the Father are one.”
31 vThe Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but wfor blasphemy, because you, being a man, xmake yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in yyour Law, z‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be abroken— 36 do you say of him whom bthe Father consecrated and csent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because dI said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 eIf I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, feven though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that gthe Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 hAgain they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place iwhere John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but jeverything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And kmany believed in him there.
1 The plans of the heart belong to man,
but lthe answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 mAll the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord nweighs the spirit.1
3 oCommit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.
4 pThe Lord has made everything for its purpose,
even qthe wicked for the day of trouble.
5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is ran abomination to the Lord;
sbe assured, he will not go unpunished.
6 By tsteadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
and by uthe fear of the Lord one vturns away from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,
whe makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 xBetter is a little with righteousness
than great revenues with injustice.
9 yThe heart of man plans his way,
but zthe Lord establishes his steps.
10 aAn oracle is on the lips of a king;
his mouth does not sin in judgment.
11 bA just balance and scales are the Lord’s;
all the weights in the bag are his work.
12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
for cthe throne is established by righteousness.
13 dRighteous lips are the delight of a king,
and he loves him who speaks what is right.
14 eA king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
and a wise man will fappease it.
15 gIn the light of a king’s face there is life,
and his dfavor is like hthe clouds that bring the spring rain.
16 iHow much better to get wisdom than jgold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ksilver.
17 The highway of the upright lturns aside from evil;
whoever guards his way preserves his life.
18 mPride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 nIt is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to odivide the spoil with the proud.
20 Whoever gives thought to the word2 pwill discover good,
and blessed is he qwho trusts in the Lord.
21 The wise of heart is called discerning,
and sweetness of speech rincreases persuasiveness.
22 Good sense is sa fountain of life to him who has it,
but the instruction of fools is folly.
23 tThe heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24 uGracious words are like va honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and whealth to the body.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.3
26 A worker’s appetite works for him;
his xmouth urges him on.
27 yA worthless man plots evil,
and his speech4 is like za scorching fire.
28 aA dishonest man spreads strife,
and ba whisperer cseparates close friends.
29 A man of violence dentices his neighbor
and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 Whoever winks his eyes plans5 edishonest things;
he who fpurses his lips brings evil to pass.
31 gGray hair is ha crown of glory;
it iis gained in a righteous life.
32 jWhoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 kThe lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is lfrom the Lord.
