The Branch From Jesse

¹⁴ “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise^(A) I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep^(A) and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd^(B) looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.^{(C) 13} I will bring them out from the nations and gather^(D) them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.^(E) I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.^{(F) 14} I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel^(G) will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture^(H) on the mountains of Israel.^{(I) 15} I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,^(J) declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(K) 16} I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up^(L) the injured and strengthen the weak,^(M) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.^(N) I will shepherd the flock with justice.^(O)

¹⁷ “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.^{(P) 18} Is it not enough^(Q) for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet?^(R) Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? ¹⁹ Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

²⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.^{(S) 21} Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns^(T) until you have driven them away, ²² I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.^{(U) 23} I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend^(V) them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.^{(W) 24} I the Lord will be their God,^(X) and my servant David^(Y) will be prince among them.^(Z) I the Lord have spoken.^(AA)

²⁵ “‘I will make a covenant^(AB) of peace^(AC) with them and rid the land of savage beasts^(AD) so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.^{(AE) 26} I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.^[a](AF) I will send down showers in season;^(AG) there will be showers of blessing.^{(AH) 27} The trees will yield their fruit^(AI) and the ground will yield its crops;^(AJ) the people will be secure^(AK) in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke^(AL) and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.^{(AM) 28} They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety,^(AN) and no one will make them afraid.^{(AO) 29} I will provide for them a land renowned^(AP) for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine^(AQ) in the land or bear the scorn^(AR) of the nations.^{(AS) 30} Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(AT) 31} You are my sheep,^(AU) the sheep of my pasture,^(AV) and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

²¹ and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.^{(A) 22} I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.^(B) There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.^{(C) 23} They will no longer defile^(D) themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,^[a](E) and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.^(F)

²⁴ “‘My servant David^(G) will be king^(H) over them, and they will all have one shepherd.^(I) They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.^{(J) 25} They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.^(K) They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever,^(L) and David my servant will be their prince forever.^{(M) 26} I will make a covenant of peace^(N) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.^(O) I will establish them and increase their numbers,^(P) and I will put my sanctuary among them^(Q) forever.^{(R) 27} My dwelling place^(S) will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.^{(T) 28} Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy,^(U) when my sanctuary is among them forever.^(V)’”

⁴ For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince,^(A) without sacrifice^(B) or sacred stones,^(C) without ephod^(D) or household gods.^{(E) 5} Afterward the Israelites will return and seek^(F) the Lord their God and David their king.^(G) They will come trembling^(H) to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.^(I)