When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.

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

There are other sheep which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them, too; they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock with one shepherd.

I am telling you the truth: the time is coming---the time has already come---when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will come to life.

Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my message.

While he was talking, a shining cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased---listen to him!"

Anyone who does not obey that prophet shall be separated from God's people and destroyed.'

So then, as the Holy Spirit says, "If you hear God's voice today,

Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me.

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him; the sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out.

I am the good shepherd. As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them.

Then I will say to them, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!'

'Certainly not! I don't know you,' the bridegroom answered."

But he will say again, 'I don't know where you come from. Get away from me, all you wicked people!'

But the person who loves God is known by him.

But now that you know God---or, I should say, now that God knows you---how is it that you want to turn back to those weak and pitiful ruling spirits? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again?

But the solid foundation that God has laid cannot be shaken; and on it are written these words: "The Lord knows those who are his" and "Those who say that they belong to the Lord must turn away from wrongdoing."

When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. "I am the light of the world," he said. "Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness."

Whoever wants to serve me must follow me, so that my servant will be with me where I am. And my Father will honor anyone who serves me.

Jesus answered him, "If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!"

Elijah went up to the people and said, "How much longer will it take you to make up your minds? If the LORD is God, worship him; but if Baal is God, worship him!" But the people didn't say a word.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me.

Then Jesus called the crowd and his disciples to him. "If any of you want to come with me," he told them, "you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me.

Jesus looked straight at him with love and said, "You need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me."

And he said to them all, "If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me.

They are the men who have kept themselves pure by not having sexual relations with women; they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from the rest of the human race and are the first ones to be offered to God and to the Lamb.