ESV 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. MSG 1 "Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he's up to no good - a sheep rustler! ESV 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. MSG 2 The shepherd walks right up to the gate. ESV 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. MSG 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ESV 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. MSG 4 When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. ESV 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." MSG 5 They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it." ESV 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. MSG 6 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. ESV 7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. MSG 7 So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. ESV 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. MSG 8 All those others are up to no good - sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. ESV 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. MSG 9 I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for - will freely go in and out, and find pasture. ESV 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. MSG 10 A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. ESV 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. MSG 11 "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. ESV 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. MSG 12 A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. ESV 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. MSG 13 He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him. ESV 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, MSG 14 "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. ESV 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. MSG 15 In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. ESV 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. MSG 16 You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. ESV 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. MSG 17 This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. ESV 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." MSG 18 No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father." ESV 19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. MSG 19 This kind of talk caused another split in the Jewish ranks. ESV 20 Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?" MSG 20 A lot of them were saying, "He's crazy, a maniac - out of his head completely. Why bother listening to him?" ESV 21 Others said, "These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" MSG 21 But others weren't so sure: "These aren't the words of a crazy man. Can a 'maniac' open blind eyes?"
MSG 1 "Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he's up to no good - a sheep rustler! MSG 2 The shepherd walks right up to the gate. MSG 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. MSG 4 When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. MSG 5 They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it." MSG 6 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. MSG 7 So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. MSG 8 All those others are up to no good - sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. MSG 9 I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for - will freely go in and out, and find pasture. MSG 10 A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. MSG 11 "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. MSG 12 A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. MSG 13 He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him. MSG 14 "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. MSG 15 In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. MSG 16 You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. MSG 17 This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. MSG 18 No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father." MSG 19 This kind of talk caused another split in the Jewish ranks. MSG 20 A lot of them were saying, "He's crazy, a maniac - out of his head completely. Why bother listening to him?" MSG 21 But others weren't so sure: "These aren't the words of a crazy man. Can a 'maniac' open blind eyes?"