John 10:1–20

“I Am the Good Shepherd”

10“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by ^aname and leads them out. ⁴And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵Yet they will by no means follow a ^bstranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

⁷Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All who ever came ¹before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ^9cI am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

^11d“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹²But a ²hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and ^eleaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd; and ^fI know My sheep, and ^gam known by My own. ^15hAs the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; ⁱand I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶And ^jother sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; ^kand there will be one flock and one shepherd.

¹⁷“Therefore My Father ^lloves Me, ^mbecause I lay down My life that I may take it again. ¹⁸No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I ⁿhave power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. ^oThis command I have received from My Father.”

¹⁹Therefore ^pthere was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. ²⁰And many of them said, ^q“He has a demon and is ³mad. Why do you listen to Him?”