Psalm 101

Of David. A psalm.

²⁵ Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead^(A) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. ²⁶ Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?^(B) You’ve deceived me,^(C) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.^{(D) 27} Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,^(E) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels^(F) and harps?^{(G) 28} You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.^(H) You have done a foolish thing. ²⁹ I have the power to harm you;^(I) but last night the God of your father^(J) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’^{(K) 30} Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.^(L) But why did you steal^(M) my gods?^(N)”

³¹ Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.^{(O) 32} But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(P) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.^(Q)

³³ So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent^(R) and into the tent of the two female servants,^(S) but he found nothing.^(T) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household gods^(U) and put them inside her camel’s saddle^(V) and was sitting on them. Laban searched^(W) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

³⁵ Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;^(X) I’m having my period.^(Y)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.^(Z)

³⁶ Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged^(AA) you that you hunt me down?^{(AB) 37} Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?^(AC) Put it here in front of your relatives^(AD) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.^(AE)

³⁸ “I have been with you for twenty years now.^(AF) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,^(AG) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. ³⁹ I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen^(AH) by day or night.^{(AI) 40} This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.^{(AJ) 41} It was like this for the twenty years^(AK) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters^(AL) and six years for your flocks,^(AM) and you changed my wages^(AN) ten times.^{(AO) 42} If the God of my father,^(AP) the God of Abraham^(AQ) and the Fear of Isaac,^(AR) had not been with me,^(AS) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,^(AT) and last night he rebuked you.^(AU)”

⁴³ Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.^(AV) All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? ⁴⁴ Come now, let’s make a covenant,^(AW) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”^(AX)

⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.^{(AY) 46} He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,^(AZ) and they ate there by the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.^[a](BA)

⁴⁸ Laban said, “This heap^(BB) is a witness between you and me today.”^(BC) That is why it was called Galeed. ⁴⁹ It was also called Mizpah,^[b](BD) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat^(BE) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness^(BF) between you and me.”^(BG)

Reasons for Writing

On Not Loving the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world.^(L) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[a] is not in them.^{(M) 16} For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,^(N) the lust of the eyes,^(O) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away,^(P) but whoever does the will of God^(Q) lives forever.

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.^{(A) 2} The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.^{(B) 3} The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.^(C) He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.^{(D) 4} When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.^{(E) 5} But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech,^(F) but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.^(G)

⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am^(H) the gate^(I) for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me^(J) are thieves and robbers,^(K) but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,^(L) and have it to the full.^(M)

¹¹ “I am^(N) the good shepherd.^(O) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.^{(P) 12} The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.^(Q) Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd;^(R) I know my sheep^(S) and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father^(T)—and I lay down my life for the sheep.^{(U) 16} I have other sheep^(V) that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock^(W) and one shepherd.^{(X) 17} The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life^(Y)—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.^(Z) I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”^(AA)