1 “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold through the door but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. 2 But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens to him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus told them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the door for 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 through me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them— 13 because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own 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 that are not of this fold. I must bring them too, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock, with one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me: because I lay down my life to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

19 Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 Then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

31 The Jews again picked up stones to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of them are you stoning me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called those to whom the word of God came gods—and the Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say to the one the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may come to know and continue to know that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Then they tried again to seize him, but he escaped from their hands.

40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.