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1
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“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.
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2
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The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
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3
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The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
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4
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When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
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5
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They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
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6
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Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
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7
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So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
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8
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All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
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9
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I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
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10
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The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
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11
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“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
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12
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The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away — and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
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13
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The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
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14
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I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
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15
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just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
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16
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I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
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17
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For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
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18
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No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
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19
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Again the Jews were divided because of these words.
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20
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Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?”
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21
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Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
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22
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At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter,
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23
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and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.
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24
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So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
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25
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Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me;
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26
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but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.
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27
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My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.
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28
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I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.
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29
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What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.
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30
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The Father and I are one.”
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31
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The Jews took up stones again to stone him.
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32
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Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?”
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33
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The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.”
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34
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Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?
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35
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If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ — and the scripture cannot be annulled —
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36
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can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?
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37
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If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me.
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38
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But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
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39
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Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.
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40
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He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there.
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41
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Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.”
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42
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And many believed in him there.
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