The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
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!
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Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 The shepherd walks right up to the gate.
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But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
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.
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To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice.
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And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it."
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And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about.
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This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep.
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Then said Jesus unto them again,Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All those others are up to no good - sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them.
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All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for - will freely go in and out, and find pasture.
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I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
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.
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The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary.
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I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
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.
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But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him.
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The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me.
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I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary.
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As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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.
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And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
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.
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Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
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."
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No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
19 This kind of talk caused another split in the Jewish ranks.
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There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
20 A lot of them were saying, "He's crazy, a maniac - out of his head completely. Why bother listening to him?"
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And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
21 But others weren't so sure: "These aren't the words of a crazy man. Can a 'maniac' open blind eyes?"
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Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
22 They were celebrating Hanukkah just then in Jerusalem. It was winter.
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And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 Jesus was strolling in the Temple across Solomon's Porch.
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And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24 The Jews, circling him, said, "How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you're the Messiah, tell us straight out."
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Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered, "I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words.
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Jesus answered them,I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26 You don't believe because you're not my sheep.
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But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me.
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My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand.
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And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him.
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My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and the Father are one heart and mind."
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I and my Father are one.
31 Again the Jews picked up rocks to throw at him.
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Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus said, "I have made a present to you from the Father of a great many good actions. For which of these acts do you stone me?"
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Jesus answered them,Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews said, "We're not stoning you for anything good you did, but for what you said - this blasphemy of calling yourself God."
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The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus said, "I'm only quoting your inspired Scriptures, where God said, 'I tell you - you are gods.'
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Jesus answered them,Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If God called your ancestors 'gods' - and Scripture doesn't lie -
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If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 why do you yell, 'Blasphemer! Blasphemer!' at the unique One the Father consecrated and sent into the world, just because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
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Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I don't do the things my Father does, well and good; don't believe me.
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If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I am doing them, put aside for a moment what you hear me say about myself and just take the evidence of the actions that are right before your eyes. Then perhaps things will come together for you, and you'll see that not only are we doing the same thing, we are the same - Father and Son. He is in me; I am in him."
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But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39 They tried yet again to arrest him, but he slipped through their fingers.
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Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40 He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and stayed there.
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And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
41 A lot of people followed him over. They were saying, "John did no miracles, but everything he said about this man has come true."
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And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42 Many believed in him then and there.
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And many believed on him there.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.