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`Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is not entering through the door to the fold of the sheep, but is going up from another side, that one is a thief and a robber; |
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and he who is entering through the door is shepherd of the sheep; |
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to this one the doorkeeper doth open, and the sheep hear his voice, and his own sheep he doth call by name, and doth lead them forth; |
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and when his own sheep he may put forth, before them he goeth on, and the sheep follow him, because they have known his voice; |
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and a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, because they have not known the voice of strangers.' |
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This similitude spake Jesus to them, and they knew not what the things were that he was speaking to them; |
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Jesus said therefore again to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you -- I am the door of the sheep; |
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all, as many as came before me, are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them; |
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I am the door, through me if any one may come in, he shall be saved, and he shall come in, and go out, and find pasture. |
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`The thief doth not come, except that he may steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and may have `it' abundantly. |
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`I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd his life layeth down for the sheep; |
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and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep; |
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and the hireling doth flee because he is an hireling, and is not caring for the sheep. |
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`I am the good shepherd, and I know my `sheep', and am known by mine, |
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according as the Father doth know me, and I know the Father, and my life I lay down for the sheep, |
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and other sheep I have that are not of this fold, these also it behoveth me to bring, and my voice they will hear, and there shall become one flock -- one shepherd. |
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`Because of this doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that again I may take it; |
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no one doth take it from me, but I lay it down of myself; authority I have to lay it down, and authority I have again to take it; this command I received from my Father.' |
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Therefore, again, there came a division among the Jews, because of these words, |
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and many of them said, `He hath a demon, and is mad, why do ye hear him?' |
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others said, `These sayings are not those of a demoniac; is a demon able blind men's eyes to open?' |
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And the dedication in Jerusalem came, and it was winter, |
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and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the porch of Solomon, |
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the Jews, therefore, came round about him, and said to him, `Till when our soul dost thou hold in suspense? if thou art the Christ, tell us freely.' |
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Jesus answered them, `I told you, and ye do not believe; the works that I do in the name of my Father, these testify concerning me; |
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but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep, |
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according as I said to you: My sheep my voice do hear, and I know them, and they follow me, |
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and life age-during I give to them, and they shall not perish -- to the age, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand; |
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my Father, who hath given to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck out of the hand of my Father; |
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I and the Father are one.' |
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Therefore, again, did the Jews take up stones that they may stone him; |
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Jesus answered them, `Many good works did I shew you from my Father; because of which work of them do ye stone me?' |
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The Jews answered him, saying, `For a good work we do not stone thee, but for evil speaking, and because thou, being a man, dost make thyself God.' |
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Jesus answered them, `Is it not having been written in your law: I said, ye are gods? |
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if them he did call gods unto whom the word of God came, (and the Writing is not able to be broken,) |
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of him whom the Father did sanctify, and send to the world, do ye say -- Thou speakest evil, because I said, Son of God I am? |
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if I do not the works of my Father, do not believe me; |
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and if I do, even if me ye may not believe, the works believe, that ye may know and may believe that in me `is' the Father, and I in Him.' |
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Therefore were they seeking again to seize him, and he went forth out of their hand, |
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and went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John was at first baptizing, and remained there, |
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and many came unto him, and said -- `John, indeed, did no sign, and all things, as many as John said about this one were true;' |
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and many did believe in him there. |