Day 4 of 365

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.

¹Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.

²It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick.

³The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, "Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick."

⁴But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God's Son may be glorified by it."

⁵Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

⁶When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.

⁷Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go into Judea again."

⁸The disciples told him, "Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just trying to stone you, and are you going there again?"

⁹Jesus answered, "Are not there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

¹⁰But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

¹¹He said these things, and after that, he said to them, "Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep."

¹²The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

¹³Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.

¹⁴So Jesus said to them plainly then, "Lazarus is dead.

¹⁵I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him."

¹⁶Thomas therefore, who is called The Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us go also, that we may die with him."

¹⁷So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.

¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.

¹⁹Many of the Judeans had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.

²⁰Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house.

²¹Therefore Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you would have been here, my brother would not have died.

²²Even now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you."

²³Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

²⁴Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.

²⁶Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

²⁷She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, God's Son, he who comes into the world."

²⁸When she had said this, she went away, and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, "The Teacher is here, and is calling you."

²⁹When she heard this, she arose quickly, and went to him.

³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met him.

³¹Then the Judeans who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

³²Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you would have been here, my brother would not have died."

³³When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Judeans weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

³⁴and said, "Where have you put him?" They told him, "Lord, come and see."

³⁵Jesus wept.

³⁶The Judeans therefore said, "See how much affection he had for him!"

³⁷Some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?"

³⁸Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

³⁹Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."

⁴⁰Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see God's glory?"

⁴¹So they took away the stone. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, "Father, I thank you that you listened to me.

⁴²I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me."

⁴³When he had said this, he shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

⁴⁴He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Free him, and let him go."

⁴⁵Therefore many of the Judeans, who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him.

⁴⁶But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.

⁴⁷The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, "What are we doing? For this man does many signs.

⁴⁸If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

⁴⁹But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,

⁵⁰nor do you consider that it is advantageous for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish."

⁵¹Now he did not say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

⁵²and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

⁵³So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.

⁵⁴Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Judeans, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples.

⁵⁵Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

⁵⁶Then they sought for Jesus and spoke one with another, as they stood in the temple, "What do you think-that he is not coming to the feast at all?"

⁵⁷Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, that they might seize him.

¹Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he raised from the dead.

²So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him.

³Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

⁴Then Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said,

⁵"Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?"

⁶Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.

⁷But Jesus said, "Leave her alone, that she may keep this for the day of my burial.

⁸For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

⁹A large crowd therefore of the Judeans learned that he was there, and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

¹⁰But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also,

¹¹because on account of him many of the Jewish people went away and believed in Jesus.

¹²On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

¹³they took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet him, and were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!"

¹⁴Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written,

¹⁵"Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey's colt."

¹⁶His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him.

¹⁷The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, was testifying about it.

¹⁸For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign.

¹⁹The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him."

²⁰Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast.

²¹These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus."

²²Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.

²³Jesus answered them, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

²⁴Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

²⁵He who loves his life loses it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.

²⁶If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

²⁷"Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? 'Father, save me from this time?' But for this cause I came to this time.

²⁸Father, glorify your name!" Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."

²⁹The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."

³⁰Jesus answered, "This voice hasn't come for my sake, but for your sakes.

³¹Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.

³²And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to myself."

³³But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.

³⁴The multitude answered him, "We have heard out of the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up?' Who is this Son of Man?"

³⁵Jesus therefore said to them, "Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness does not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light." Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.

³⁷But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him,

³⁸that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, "Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

³⁹For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,

⁴⁰"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them."

⁴¹Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.

⁴²Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue,

⁴³for they loved men's praise more than God's praise.

⁴⁴Jesus shouted out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me.

⁴⁵He who sees me sees him who sent me.

⁴⁶I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.

⁴⁷If anyone listens to my sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

⁴⁸He who rejects me, and does not receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.

⁴⁹For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

⁵⁰I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak."

¹Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness. Give me relief from my distress. Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

²You sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor? Will you love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah.

³But know that the Lord has set apart for himself him who is godly: The Lord will hear when I call to him.

⁴When agitated, do not sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.

⁵Offer the sacrifices of righteousness. Put your trust in the Lord.

⁶Many say, "Who will show us any good?" Lord, let the light of your face shine on us.

⁷You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and their new wine are increased.

⁸In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you, the Lord alone, make me live in safety.

¹Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

²for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.

³For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

⁶Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶For they do not sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.

²⁰My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

²⁷Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.