The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

¹¹ “For thus says the Lord God: ^(A)Behold, I, I ^(B)myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. ¹² As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on ^(C)a day of clouds and ^(D)thick darkness. ¹³ And I will bring them out from the peoples ^(E)and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on ^(F)the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ^14 (G)I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. ^(H)There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. ^15 (I)I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, ^(J)and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. ^16 (K)I will seek the lost, ^(L)and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and ^(M)the fat and the strong I will destroy.^[a] I will feed them in justice.

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ When they had ^(A)finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ^(B)“Simon, ^(C)son of John, ^(D)do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed ^(E)my lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, ^(F)“Tend ^(G)my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him ^(H)the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, ^(I)you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed ^(J)my sheep. ^18 (K)Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, ^(L)you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ (This he said to show ^(M)by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ^(N)“Follow me.”

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle

²⁰ Peter turned and saw ^(O)the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, ^(P)the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain ^(Q)until ^(R)I come, what is that to you? ^(S)You follow me!”