1  “Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2  But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 4  Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5  They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.” 6 Yeshua spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.

7 Yeshua therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. 8  All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9  I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. 10  The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. 11  I am the good shepherd.✡ Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-12,15,22 The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12  He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them. 13  The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep. 14  I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; 15  even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16  I have other sheep, which are not of this fold.✡ Isaiah 56:8 I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. 17  Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, ✡ Isaiah 53:7-8 that I may take it again. 18  No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”

19 Therefore a division arose again among the Judeans because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”✡ Exodus 4:11

22 It was the Feast of Hanukkah* The “Feast of the Dedication” is the Greek name for “Hanukkah”, a celebration of the rededication of the Temple. at Jerusalem. 23 It was winter, and Yeshua was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 The Judeans therefore came around him and said to him, “How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 Yeshua answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me. 26  But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. 27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28  I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29  My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30  I and the Father are one.”

31 Therefore the Judeans took up stones again to stone him. 32 Yeshua answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?”

33 The Judeans answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

34 Yeshua answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’✡ Psalm 82:6 35  If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), 36  do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ 37  If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. 38  But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”

39 They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand. 40 He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where Yochanan was immersing at first, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him. They said, “Yochanan indeed did no sign, but everything that Yochanan said about this man is true.” 42 Many believed in him there.