Suffering, Signs, and the Bread of Life

1. Then Job answered, 2. “Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation. 3. Allow me, and I also will speak; After I have spoken, mock on. 4. As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn’t I be impatient? 5. Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth. 6. When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh. 7. “Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power? 8. Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes. 9. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. 10. Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry. 11. They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance. 12. They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe. 13. They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol. 14. They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways. 15. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’ 16. Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me. 17. “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger? 18. How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away? 19. You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it. 20. Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 21. For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off? 22. “Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high? 23. One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. 24. His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened. 25. Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good. 26. They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them. 27. “Behold, I know your thoughts, the plans with which you would wrong me. 28. For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’ 29. Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences, 30. that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led out to the day of wrath? 31. Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him what he has done? 32. Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men shall keep watch over the tomb. 33. The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him. All men shall draw after him, as there were innumerable before him. 34. So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?” 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, 2. “Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect? 4. Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment? 5. Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities. 6. For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing. 7. You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. 8. But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it. 9. You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. 10. Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you, 11. or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you. 12. “Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are! 13. You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness? 14. Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’ 15. Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden, 16. who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream, 17. who said to God, ‘Depart from us;’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’ 18. Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 19. The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them, 20. saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’ 21. “Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you. 22. Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. 23. If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents. 24. Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. 25. The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you. 26. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face to God. 27. You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows. 28. You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to you. Light shall shine on your ways. 29. When they cast down, you shall say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person. 30. He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” 1. Then Job answered, 2. “Even today my complaint is rebellious. His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. 3. Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! 4. I would set my cause in order before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 5. I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would tell me. 6. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, but he would listen to me. 7. There the upright might reason with him, so I should be delivered forever from my judge. 8. “If I go east, he is not there; if west, I can’t find him; 9. He works to the north, but I can’t see him. He turns south, but I can’t catch a glimpse of him. 10. But he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I shall come out like gold. 11. My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way, and not turned away. 12. I haven’t gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. 13. But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? What his soul desires, even that he does. 14. For he performs that which is appointed for me. Many such things are with him. 15. Therefore I am terrified at his presence. When I consider, I am afraid of him. 16. For God has made my heart faint. The Almighty has terrified me. 17. Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.

1. After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2. A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick. 3. Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. 4. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5. Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” 6. This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone of them may receive a little.” 8. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9. “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?” 10. Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11. Jesus took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired. 12. When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.” 13. So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten. 14. When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” 15. Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself. 16. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17. and they entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18. The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing. 19. When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid. 20. But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 21. They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. 22. On the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and that Jesus hadn’t entered with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone. 23. However boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24. When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26. Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27. Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.” 28. They said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29. Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30. They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you do? 31. Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” 32. Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, it wasn’t Moses who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34. They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36. But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe. 37. All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out. 38. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39. This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. 40. This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” 41. The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.” 42. They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’” 43. Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves. 44. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. 45. It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me. 46. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. 47. Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life. 48. I am the bread of life. 49. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52. The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53. Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. 54. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him. 57. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live because of me. 58. This is the bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna, and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59. He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60. Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?” 61. But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62. Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63. It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life. 64. But there are some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him. 65. He said, “For this cause I have said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.” 66. At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67. Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You don’t also want to go away, do you?” 68. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69. We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 70. Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71. Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve. 1. After these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee, for he wouldn’t walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was at hand. 3. His brothers therefore said to him, “Depart from here, and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works which you do. 4. For no one does anything in secret, and himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, reveal yourself to the world.” 5. For even his brothers didn’t believe in him. 6. Jesus therefore said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7. The world can’t hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil. 8. You go up to the feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, because my time is not yet fulfilled.” 9. Having said these things to them, he stayed in Galilee. 10. But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret. 11. The Jews therefore sought him at the feast, and said, “Where is he?” 12. There was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others said, “Not so, but he leads the multitude astray.” 13. Yet no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews. 14. But when it was now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How does this man know letters, having never been educated?” 16. Jesus therefore answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17. If anyone desires to do his will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am speaking from myself. 18. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 19. Didn’t Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me?” 20. The multitude answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill you?” 21. Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel because of it. 22. Moses has given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a boy. 23. If a boy receives circumcision on the Sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me, because I made a man completely healthy on the Sabbath? 24. Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” 25. Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this he whom they seek to kill? 26. Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is truly the Christ? 27. However we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from.” 28. Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know me, and know where I am from. I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you don’t know. 29. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” 30. They sought therefore to take him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31. But of the multitude, many believed in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, he won’t do more signs than those which this man has done, will he?” 32. The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33. Then Jesus said, “I will be with you a little while longer, then I go to him who sent me. 34. You will seek me, and won’t find me; and where I am, you can’t come.” 35. The Jews therefore said among themselves, “Where will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36. What is this word that he said, ‘You will seek me, and won’t find me; and where I am, you can’t come’?” 37. Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! 38. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” 39. But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified. 40. Many of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, “This is truly the prophet.” 41. Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “What, does the Christ come out of Galilee? 42. Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43. So there arose a division in the multitude because of him. 44. Some of them would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him. 45. The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him?” 46. The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” 47. The Pharisees therefore answered them, “You aren’t also led astray, are you? 48. Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees? 49. But this multitude that doesn’t know the law is accursed.” 50. Nicodemus (he who came to him by night, being one of them) said to them, 51. “Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?” 52. They answered him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” 53. Everyone went to his own house, 1. but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2. Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them. 3. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle, 4. they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. 5. Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?” 6. They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7. But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.” 8. Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. 9. They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. 10. Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?” 11. She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.” 12. Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13. The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” 14. Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going. 15. You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. 16. Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. 17. It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. 18. I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.” 19. They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me, nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20. Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. 21. Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.” 22. The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?” 23. He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 24. I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.” 25. They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26. I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.” 27. They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father. 28. Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. 29. He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30. As he spoke these things, many believed in him. 31. Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. 32. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33. They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?” 34. Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin. 35. A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever. 36. If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37. I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. 38. I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.” 39. They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this. 41. You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.” 42. Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me. 43. Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word. 44. You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. 45. But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me. 46. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47. He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.” 48. Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?” 49. Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50. But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges. 51. Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52. Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’ 53. Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54. Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our God. 55. You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him, and keep his word. 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad.” 57. The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58. Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.” 59. Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by. 1. As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3. Jesus answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. 4. I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. 5. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6. When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, 7. and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing. 8. The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?” 9. Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.” He said, “I am he.” 10. They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?” 11. He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 12. Then they asked him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.” 13. They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees. 14. It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15. Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.” 16. Some therefore of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was division among them. 17. Therefore they asked the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18. The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight, 19. and asked them, “Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20. His parents answered them, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21. but how he now sees, we don’t know; or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself.” 22. His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 23. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask him.” 24. So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25. He therefore answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see.” 26. They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27. He answered them, “I told you already, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t also want to become his disciples, do you?” 28. They insulted him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29. We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.” 30. The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31. We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God, and does his will, he listens to him. 32. Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind. 33. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34. They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” They threw him out. 35. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 36. He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?” 37. Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.” 38. He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him. 39. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.” 40. Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41. Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains. 1. “Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2. But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 4. Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5. They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.” 6. Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them. 7. Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. 8. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9. I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. 10. The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. 11. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them. 13. The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep. 14. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; 15. even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16. I 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. 17. Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. 18. No 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.” 19. Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of these words. 20. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” 21. Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?” 22. It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. 23. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24. The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, “How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25. Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me. 26. But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30. I and the Father are one.” 31. Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?” 33. The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34. Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ 35. If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), 36. do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ 37. If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. 38. But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39. They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand. 40. He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed. 41. Many came to him. They said, “John indeed did no sign, but everything that John said about this man is true.” 42. Many believed in him there.

1. Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh from the heavens! Praise him in the heights! 2. Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all his army! 3. Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you shining stars! 4. Praise him, you heavens of heavens, You waters that are above the heavens. 5. Let them praise Yahweh’s name, For he commanded, and they were created. 6. He has also established them forever and ever. He has made a decree which will not pass away. 7. Praise Yahweh from the earth, you great sea creatures, and all depths; 8. lightning and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling his word; 9. mountains and all hills; fruit trees and all cedars; 10. wild animals and all livestock; small creatures and flying birds; 11. kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; 12. both young men and maidens; old men and children: 13. let them praise Yahweh’s name, for his name alone is exalted. His glory is above the earth and the heavens. 14. He has lifted up the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near to him. Praise Yah!