The Lord Will Be Israel’s Shepherd

34 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?^{(A) 3} You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.^{(B) 4} You have not strengthened the weak or healed^(C) the sick or bound up^(D) the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.^{(E) 5} So they were scattered because there was no shepherd,^(F) and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.^{(G) 6} My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.^(H) They were scattered^(I) over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.^(J)

⁷ “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸ As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered^(K) and has become food for all the wild animals,^(L) and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,^{(M) 9} therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against^(N) the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue^(O) my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.^(P)

¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep^(Q) and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd^(R) 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.^{(S) 13} I will bring them out from the nations and gather^(T) them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.^(U) I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.^{(V) 14} I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel^(W) will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture^(X) on the mountains of Israel.^{(Y) 15} I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,^(Z) declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(AA) 16} I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up^(AB) the injured and strengthen the weak,^(AC) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.^(AD) I will shepherd the flock with justice.^(AE)

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.^{(AF) 18} Is it not enough^(AG) for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet?^(AH) 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.^{(AI) 21} Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns^(AJ) 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.^{(AK) 23} I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend^(AL) them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.^{(AM) 24} I the Lord will be their God,^(AN) and my servant David^(AO) will be prince among them.^(AP) I the Lord have spoken.^(AQ)

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says,^(A) it says to those who are under the law,^(B) so that every mouth may be silenced^(C) and the whole world held accountable to God.^{(D) 20} Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;^(E) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.^(F)

Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God^(G) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.^{(H) 22} This righteousness^(I) is given through faith^(J) in^[a] Jesus Christ^(K) to all who believe.^(L) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,^{(M) 23} for all have sinned^(N) and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified^(O) freely by his grace^(P) through the redemption^(Q) that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[b](R) through the shedding of his blood^(S)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(T)— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting?^(U) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.^{(V) 29} Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,^{(W) 30} since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.^{(X) 31} Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.