Day 461 of 730

¹"Truly, truly, I tell you, one who does not enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

²But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

⁴Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

⁵They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they do not know the voice of strangers."

⁶Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

⁷Jesus therefore said to them again, "Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the sheep's door.

⁸All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

⁹I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.

¹⁰The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

¹²He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.

¹³The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and does not care for the sheep.

¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me;

¹⁵even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.

¹⁶I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.

¹⁷Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

¹⁸No 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."

¹⁹Therefore a division arose again among the Jewish people because of these words.

²⁰Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?"

²¹Others said, "These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It is not possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?"

²²It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem.

²³It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon's porch.

²⁴The Jewish leaders therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."

²⁵Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, these testify about me.

²⁶But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep.

²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

²⁸I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

²⁹My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

³⁰I and the Father are one."

³¹Therefore the Jewish leaders took up stones again to stone him.

³²Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of those works do you stone me?"

³³The Jewish leaders answered him, "We do not stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God."

³⁴Jesus answered them, "Is not it written in your law, 'I said, you are gods?'

³⁵If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

³⁶do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You blaspheme,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God?'

³⁷If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me.

³⁸But if I do them, though you do not believe me, believe the works; that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

³⁹They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand.

⁴⁰He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed.

⁴¹Many came to him. They said, "John indeed did no sign, but everything that John said about this man is true."

⁴²And many believed in him there.

¹In the Lord, I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain!"

²For, behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrows on the strings, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

³If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

⁴The Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men.

⁵The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and him who loves violence his soul hates.

⁶On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

⁷For the Lord is righteous. He loves righteousness. The upright shall see his face.

¹Do not boast about tomorrow; for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

²Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

³A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.

⁴Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?

⁵Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

⁷A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.

⁹Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man's friend.

¹⁰Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend. Do not go to your brother's house in the day of your disaster: better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.

¹²A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

¹³Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!

¹⁴He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.

¹⁵A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:

¹⁶restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.

¹⁷Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend's countenance.

¹⁸Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.

¹⁹As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.

²⁰Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man's eyes are never satisfied.

²¹The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.

²²Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

²³Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds:

²⁴for riches are not forever, nor does even the crown endure to all generations.

²⁵The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.

²⁶The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.

²⁷There will be plenty of goats' milk for your food, for your family's food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.