John 10:1-10

The Ideal Shepherd

1 "I assure you: Anyone who doesn't enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.

2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 The doorkeeper opens it for 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 outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.

5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don't recognize the voice of strangers."

6 Jesus gave them this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.

The Good Shepherd

7 So Jesus said again, "I assure you: I am the door of the sheep.

8 All who came before Me ^[a] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them.

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.

10 A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Footnotes

• [a] Other mss omit before Me