John 10
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
John chapter 10 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
9 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 3 Fathers — Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine, and Saint Augustine of Hippo.
John 10
1“Most assuredly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold through the door, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὁ μὴ εἰσερχόμενος διὰ τῆς θύρας εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τῶν προβάτων, ἀλλὰ ἀναβαίνων ἀλλαχόθεν, ἐκεῖνος κλέπτης ἐστὶ καὶ λῃστής.
2But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep.Ὁ δὲ εἰσερχόμενος διὰ τῆς θύρας ποιμήν ἐστι τῶν προβάτων.
3To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out.Τούτῳ ὁ θυρωρὸς ἀνοίγει, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούει, καὶ τὰ ἴδια πρόβατα καλεῖ κατ᾽ ὄνομα, καὶ ἐξάγει αὐτά.
4And whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.Καὶ ὅταν τὰ ἴδια πρόβατα ἐκβάλῃ, ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν πορεύεται· καὶ τὰ πρόβατα αὐτῷ ἀκολουθεῖ, ὅτι οἴδασι τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ.
5But they will by no means follow a stranger, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”Ἀλλοτρίῳ δὲ οὐ μὴ ἀκολουθήσωσιν, ἀλλὰ φεύξονται ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ· ὅτι οὐκ οἴδασι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων τὴν φωνήν.
6This illustration Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.Ταύτην τὴν παροιμίαν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τίνα ἦν ἃ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς.
7Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.Εἶπεν οὖν πάλιν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα τῶν προβάτων.
8All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.Πάντες ὅσοι ἦλθον κλέπται εἰσὶ καὶ λῃσταί· ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἤκουσαν αὐτῶν τὰ πρόβατα.
9I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα· δι᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐάν τις εἰσέλθῃ, σωθήσεται, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται καὶ ἐξελεύσεται, καὶ νομὴν εὑρήσει.
10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.Ὁ κλέπτης οὐκ ἔρχεται εἰ μὴ ἵνα κλέψῃ καὶ θύσῃ καὶ ἀπολέσῃ· ἐγὼ ἦλθον ἵνα ζωὴν ἔχωσι, καὶ περισσὸν ἔχωσιν.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός· ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων.
12But a hired hand, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.Ὁ μισθωτὸς δέ, καὶ οὐκ ὢν ποιμήν, οὗ οὐκ εἰσὶ τὰ πρόβατα ἴδια, θεωρεῖ τὸν λύκον ἐρχόμενον, καὶ ἀφίησι τὰ πρόβατα, καὶ φεύγει· καὶ ὁ λύκος ἁρπάζει αὐτά, καὶ σκορπίζει τὰ πρόβατα.
13But the hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and is not concerned about the sheep.Ὁ δὲ μισθωτὸς φεύγει, ὅτι μισθωτός ἐστι, καὶ οὐ μέλει αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν προβάτων.
14I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and I am known by My own.Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, καὶ γινώσκω τὰ ἐμά, καὶ γινώσκομαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμῶν.
15Just as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.Καθὼς γινώσκει με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ γινώσκω τὸν πατέρα· καὶ τὴν ψυχήν μου τίθημι ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων.
16And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.Καὶ ἄλλα πρόβατα ἔχω, ἃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τῆς αὐλῆς ταύτης· κἀκεῖνά με δεῖ ἀγαγεῖν, καὶ τῆς φωνῆς μου ἀκούσουσι· καὶ γενήσεται μία ποίμνη, εἷς ποιμήν.
17“For this reason My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again.Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ πατήρ με ἀγαπᾷ, ὅτι ἐγὼ τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἵνα πάλιν λάβω αὐτήν.
18No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This command I have received from My Father.”Οὐδεὶς αἴρει αὐτὴν ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ τίθημι αὐτὴν ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ. Ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι αὐτήν, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω πάλιν λαβεῖν αὐτήν. Ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου.
19Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these words.Σχίσμα οὖν πάλιν ἐγένετο ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις διὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους.
20And many of them said, “He has a demon and is raving mad. Why do you listen to Him?”Ἔλεγον δὲ πολλοὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν, Δαιμόνιον ἔχει καὶ μαίνεται· τί αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε;
21Others said, “These are not the words of one being demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”Ἄλλοι ἔλεγον, Ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα οὐκ ἔστι δαιμονιζομένου· μὴ δαιμόνιον δύναται τυφλῶν ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀνοίγειν;
22Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.Ἐγένετο δὲ τὰ Ἐγκαίνια ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ χειμὼν ἦν·
23And Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon's porch.καὶ περιεπάτει ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐν τῇ στοᾷ Σολομῶνος.
24Then the Jews encircled Him and said to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”Ἐκύκλωσαν οὖν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ ἔλεγον αὐτῷ, Ἕως πότε τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν αἴρεις; Εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν παρρησίᾳ.
25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, these things testify about Me.Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Εἶπον ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε· τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρός μου, ταῦτα μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ·
26But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, just as I said to you.ἀλλ᾽ ὑμεῖς οὐ πιστεύετε· οὐ γάρ ἐστε ἐκ τῶν προβάτων τῶν ἐμῶν, καθὼς εἶπον ὑμῖν.
27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.Τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἐμὰ τῆς φωνῆς μου ἀκούει, κἀγὼ γινώσκω αὐτά, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσί μοι·
28And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.κἀγὼ ζωὴν αἰώνιον δίδωμι αὐτοῖς· καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀπόλωνται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ οὐχ ἁρπάσει τις αὐτὰ ἐκ τῆς χειρός μου.
29My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.Ὁ πατήρ μου ὃς δέδωκέ μοι, μείζων πάντων ἐστί· καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται ἁρπάζειν ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ πατρός μου.
30I and the Father are one.”Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν.
31Therefore the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.Ἐβάστασαν οὖν πάλιν λίθους οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἵνα λιθάσωσιν αὐτόν.
32Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Πολλὰ καλὰ ἔργα ἔδειξα ὑμῖν ἐκ τοῦ πατρός μου· διὰ ποῖον αὐτῶν ἔργον λιθάζετέ με;
33The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”Ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες, Περὶ καλοῦ ἔργου οὐ λιθάζομέν σε, ἀλλὰ περὶ βλασφημίας, καὶ ὅτι σὺ ἄνθρωπος ὢν ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν Θεόν.
34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’?Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Οὐκ ἔστι γεγραμμένον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ὑμῶν, Ἐγὼ εἶπα, Θεοί ἐστε;
35If He called those gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),Εἰ ἐκείνους εἶπε θεούς, πρὸς οὓς ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγένετο—καὶ οὐ δύναται λυθῆναι ἡ γραφή—
36do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?ὃν ὁ πατὴρ ἡγίασε καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι Βλασφημεῖς, ὅτι εἶπον, Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰμι;
37If I am not doing the works of My Father, do not believe Me;Εἰ οὐ ποιῶ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πατρός μου, μὴ πιστεύετέ μοι·
38but if I am doing them, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”εἰ δὲ ποιῶ, κἂν ἐμοὶ μὴ πιστεύητε, τοῖς ἔργοις πιστεύσατε· ἵνα γνῶτε καὶ πιστεύσητε ὅτι ἐν ἐμοὶ ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ.
39Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, but He escaped from their hand.Ἐζήτουν οὖν πάλιν αὐτὸν πιάσαι· καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν.
40And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He stayed there.Καὶ ἀπῆλθε πάλιν πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου εἰς τὸν τόπον ὅπου ἦν Ἰωάννης τὸ πρῶτον βαπτίζων· καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐκεῖ.
41And many came to Him and said, “John indeed performed no sign, but everything which John said about this Man was true.”Καὶ πολλοὶ ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ἔλεγον ὅτι Ἰωάννης μὲν σημεῖον ἐποίησεν οὐδέν· πάντα δὲ ὅσα εἶπεν Ἰωάννης περὶ τούτου, ἀληθῆ ἦν.
42And many believed in Him there.Καὶ ἐπίστευσαν πολλοὶ ἐκεῖ εἰς αὐτόν.
The Fathers on John 10
Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine, and Saint Augustine of Hippo comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On John 10:14–15Saint John Chrysostom“I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 10:14Saint AugustineWe have heard the Lord Jesus setting forth to us the office of a good shepherd.
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On John 10:14–21Saint Augustine of Hippo1. Those of you who hear the word of our God, not only with willingness, but also with attention, doubtless remember our promise. Indeed the same gospel lesson has also been read today which was read last Lord's day; because, having lingered over certain closely related topics, we could not discuss all that we owed to...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 10:22–24Saint John Chrysostom“And it was at Jerusalem, the Feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him, How long dost thou make us to doubt?”
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 10:22–42Saint Augustine of Hippo1. As I have already charged you, beloved, you ought steadfastly to bear in mind that Saint John the evangelist would not have us be always nourished with milk, but fed with solid food. Still, whoever is hardly able as yet to partake of the solid food of God's word, let him find nourishment in the milk of faith; and...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 10:1Saint AugustineYour faith, dearly beloved, is not ignorant, and I know that ye have so learnt by the teaching of that Master from heaven, in whom ye have placed your hope, that our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath now suffered for us and risen...
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On John 10:1–10Saint Augustine of Hippo1. Our Lord's discourse to the Jews began in connection with the man who was born blind and was restored to sight. Your Charity therefore ought to know and be advised that today's lesson is interwoven with that one. For when the Lord had said, “For judgment I have come into this world; that they who see not might see,...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 10:30Saint AugustineYe have heard what the Lord God, Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God, born of God the Father without any mother, and born of a Virgin mother without any human father, said, “I and My Father are One.” Receive ye this, believe it...
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On John 10:11–13Open John 10 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The Lord Jesus is speaking to His sheep — to those already so, and to those yet to become such — who were then present; for in the place where they were, there were those who were already His sheep, as well as those who were afterwards to become so: and He likewise shows to those then present and those to come,...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →