10:8a

All who came before Me were thieves and robbers: Jesus said that those who came before him and who said that they were the gate were really thieves. They said that they were the Messiah or had a different way to salvation (the sheepfold), but they were wrong. These are the people mentioned in 10:1a–d.

All: This word does not refer to everyone who came before Jesus, because that would include Moses and the prophets. Jesus did not say that they were thieves! Rather, there is some implied information here. Jesus apparently meant something like “All who came before me and said that they were the gate.” Remember that they did not go in through the true gate (see 10:1). You may need to include some of the implied information if people misunderstand this sentence without it. For example:

All who lived before me and who did not enter through the gate are sheep-thieves. (Otomi Back Translation)
-or-
Many ⌊teachers⌋ have preceded me ⌊who said that they had a different way into the sheep pen⌋ . They were just crooks!

thieves and robbers: The words thieves and robbers mean about the same thing. The idea is repeated for emphasis. See 10:1d, where the same words are used in the singular. You may want to translate them the same way that you did there. Here it is clearer that the thieves are not just those stealing sheep but represent those trying to destroy people. For example:

just criminals
-or-
thieves and criminals

10:8b

but: This word indicates something that is not expected. Although it is implied that the thieves tried to deceive the sheep, the sheep did not listen to them. It is implied that because the sheep did not listen, the thieves were not able to steal them. It may be necessary to make some of this implied information explicit. For example:

⌊They called the sheep⌋ but…
-or-

⌊They wanted the sheep to follow them⌋ but…

the sheep did not listen to them: The words the sheep continue the metaphor. The people of God did not listen to the false religious teachers. They knew that Jesus was the door and that they should only go in or out through him. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

the sheep didn’t respond to them (God’s Word)
-or-
the true sheep did not listen to them (New Living Translation (2004))

to them: The word them refers to the false teachers, who were trying to call the sheep. In some languages it may be natural to say:

to them ⌊when they called⌋
-or-
to their ⌊commands/call⌋
-or-
to their ⌊voices/words⌋

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