John 10

Moffatt^{(i) 1} Truly, truly I tell you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs up somewhere else, he is a thief and a robber; ² he who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gate-keeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice; he calls his sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought all his sheep outside, he goes in front of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice; ⁵ they will not follow a stranger, they will run from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." ⁶ Jesus told them this allegory, but they did not understand what he was saying to them; ⁷ so he said to them again, "Truly, truly I tell you, I am the shepherd of the sheep; ⁸ all who ever came before me have been thieves and robbers — but the sheep would not listen to them. ⁹ (I am the Gate; whoever enters by me will be saved, he will go in and out and find pasture.) ¹⁰ The thief only comes to steal, to slay, and to destroy: I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. ¹¹ I am the good shepherd; a good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. ¹² The hired man, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, deserts them when he sees the wolf coming; he runs away, leaving the wolf to tear and scatter them, ¹³ just because he is a hired man, who has no interest in the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me ¹⁵ (just as the Father knows me and I know the Father,) and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep, too, which do not belong to this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; so it will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷ This is why my Father loves me, because I lay down my life to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, I lay it down of my own accord: I have power to lay it down and also power to take it up again; I have my Father's orders for this. ¹⁹ The Jews were again divided over these words. ²⁰ A number of them said, "He is mad. Why listen to him?" ²¹ Others said, "These are not a madman's words. Can a madman open the eyes of the blind?" ²² [vss 22-29 moved to follow 9:41] Then came the festival of Dedication at Jerusalem; it was winter, ²³ and Jesus used to walk inside the temple, in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴ So the Jews gathered round him and asked, "How long are you going to 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 deeds I do in the name of my Father testify to me, but you do not believe, ²⁶ because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them and they follow me; ²⁸ and I give them eternal life; they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father who gave me them is stronger than all, and no one can snatch anything out of the Father's hand. ³⁰ I and my Father are one — ." ³¹ The Jews again caught up stones to stone him. ³² Jesus replied, "I have let you see many a good deed of God; for which of them do you mean to stone me?" ³³ The Jews retorted, "We mean to stone you, not for a good deed, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, make yourself God." ³⁴ Jesus answered, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'? ³⁵ If the Law said they were gods, to whom the word of God came — and scripture cannot be broken — ³⁶ do you mean to tell me, whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am God's Son'? ³⁷ If I am not doing the deeds of my Father, do not believe me; ³⁸ but if I am, then believe the deeds, though you will not believe me — that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." ³⁹ Once more they tried to arrest him, but he escaped their hands ⁴⁰ and went across the Jordan, back to the spot where John had baptized at first. There he stayed; ⁴¹ and many came to him, saying, "John did not perform any Sign, but all he ever said about this man was true." ⁴² And many believed in him there.