Our Shepherd

¹¹ The LORD God proclaims: I myself will search for my flock and seek them out. ¹² As a shepherd seeks out the flock when some in the flock have been scattered, so will I seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered during the time of clouds and thick darkness. ¹³ I will gather and lead them out from the countries and peoples, and I will bring them to their own fertile land. I will feed them on Israel’s highlands, along the riverbeds, and in all the inhabited places. ¹⁴ I will feed them in good pasture, and their sheepfold will be there, on Israel’s lofty highlands. On Israel’s highlands, they will lie down in a secure fold and feed on green pastures. ¹⁵ I myself will feed my flock and make them lie down. This is what the LORD God says. ¹⁶ I will seek out the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the wounded, and strengthen the weak. But the fat and the strong I will destroy, because I will tend my sheep with justice. ¹⁷ As for you, my flock, the LORD God proclaims: I will judge between the rams and the bucks among the sheep and the goats. ¹⁸ Is feeding in good pasture or drinking clear water such a trivial thing that you should trample and muddy what is left with your feet? ¹⁹ But now my flock must feed on what your feet have trampled and drink water that your feet have muddied. ²⁰ So the LORD God proclaims to them: I will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. ²¹ You shove with shoulder and flank, and with your horns you ram all the weak sheep until you’ve scattered them outside. ²² But I will rescue my flock so that they will never again be prey. I will even judge between the sheep! ²³ I will appoint for them a single shepherd, and he will feed them. My servant David will feed them. He will be their shepherd. ²⁴ I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be their prince. I, the LORD, have spoken.