Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

34 The word of the Lord came to me: ^2 (A)“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: ^(B)Ah, shepherds of Israel ^(C)who have been feeding yourselves! ^(D)Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ^3 (E)You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, ^(F)you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. ^4 (G)The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, ^(H)the injured you have not bound up, ^(I)the strayed you have not brought back, ^(J)the lost you have not sought, and with force and ^(K)harshness you have ruled them. ^5 (L)So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and ^(M)they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; ⁶ they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, ^(N)with none to search or seek for them.

⁷ “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ^8 (O)As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because ^(P)my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, ⁹ therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰ Thus says the Lord God, ^(Q)Behold, I am against the shepherds, and ^(R)I will require my sheep at their hand and ^(S)put a stop to their feeding the sheep. ^(T)No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. ^(U)I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

¹¹ “For thus says the Lord God: ^(V)Behold, I, I ^(W)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 ^(X)a day of clouds and ^(Y)thick darkness. ¹³ And I will bring them out from the peoples ^(Z)and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on ^(AA)the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ^14 (AB)I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. ^(AC)There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. ^15 (AD)I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, ^(AE)and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. ^16 (AF)I will seek the lost, ^(AG)and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and ^(AH)the fat and the strong I will destroy.^[a] I will feed them in justice.

¹⁷ “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: ^(AI)Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and ^(AJ)male goats. ¹⁸ Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of ^(AK)clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? ¹⁹ And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

²⁰ “Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ²¹ Because you push with side and shoulder, and ^(AL)thrust at all the ^(AM)weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, ²² I will rescue^[b] my flock; ^(AN)they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. ²³ And ^(AO)I will set up over them one shepherd, ^(AP)my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴ And ^(AQ)I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. ^(AR)I am the Lord; I have spoken.

The Lord's Covenant of Peace

^25 (AS)“I will make with them a covenant of peace and ^(AT)banish wild beasts from the land, ^(AU)so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. ²⁶ And I will make them and the places all around my hill ^(AV)a blessing, and ^(AW)I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be ^(AX)showers of blessing. ^27 (AY)And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, ^(AZ)and they shall be secure in their land. And ^(BA)they shall know that I am the Lord, when ^(BB)I break the bars of their yoke, and ^(BC)deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. ^28 (BD)They shall no more be a prey to the nations, ^(BE)nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. ^(BF)They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. ²⁹ And I will provide for them ^(BG)a renowned place for planting so that ^(BH)they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer ^(BI)suffer the reproach of the nations. ³⁰ And they shall know that ^(BJ)I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. ³¹ And you are my sheep, ^(BK)human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”

Prophecy Against Mount Seir

35 The word of the Lord came to me: ^2 (BL)“Son of man, ^(BM)set your face ^(BN)against ^(BO)Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, ³ and say to it, Thus says the Lord God: ^(BP)Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and ^(BQ)I will stretch out my hand against you, ^(BR)and I will make you a desolation and a waste. ^4 (BS)I will lay your cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the Lord. ⁵ Because ^(BT)you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword ^(BU)at the time of their calamity, ^(BV)at the time of their final punishment, ⁶ therefore, ^(BW)as I live, declares the Lord God, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; ^(BX)because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you. ^7 (BY)I will make Mount Seir a waste ^(BZ)and a desolation, and I will cut off from it ^(CA)all who come and go. ⁸ And I will fill ^(CB)its mountains with the slain. On your hills and in your valleys and in all ^(CC)your ravines ^(CD)those slain with the sword shall fall. ^9 (CE)I will make you a perpetual desolation, and ^(CF)your cities shall not be inhabited. Then ^(CG)you will know that I am the Lord.

¹⁰ “Because you said, ^(CH)‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and ^(CI)we will take possession of them’—although the ^(CJ)Lord was there— ¹¹ therefore, ^(CK)as I live, declares the Lord God, I will deal with you ^(CL)according to the anger and ^(CM)envy that you showed because of your hatred against them. And ^(CN)I will make myself known among them, when I judge you. ¹² And you shall know that I am the Lord.

^(CO)“I have heard all the revilings that you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are laid desolate; ^(CP)they are given us to devour.’ ¹³ And ^(CQ)you magnified yourselves against me ^(CR)with your mouth, and multiplied your words against me; I heard it. ¹⁴ Thus says the Lord God: ^(CS)While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. ¹⁵ As you ^(CT)rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, ^(CU)Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then ^(CV)they will know that I am the Lord.

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

^[a] Of David.

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, ^(A)he went out with his disciples across ^(B)the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. ² Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew ^(C)the place, for ^(D)Jesus often met there with his disciples. ^3 (E)So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴ Then Jesus, ^(F)knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, ^(G)“Whom do you seek?” ⁵ They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”^[a] Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. ^6 (H)When Jesus^[b] said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ⁷ So he asked them again, ^(I)“Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” ^9 (J)This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” ¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, ^(K)having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant^[c] and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) ¹¹ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; ^(L)shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas

¹² So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews^[d] arrested Jesus and bound him. ¹³ First they ^(M)led him to ^(N)Annas, for he was the father-in-law of ^(O)Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁴ It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews ^(P)that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Peter Denies Jesus

^15 (Q)Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, ^16 (R)but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. ^17 (S)The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” ¹⁸ Now the servants^[e] and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. ^(T)Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

^19 (U)The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. ²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I have spoken ^(V)openly ^(W)to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. ^(X)I have said nothing in secret. ²¹ Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” ²² When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, ^(Y)“Is that how you answer the high priest?” ²³ Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” ^24 (Z)Annas then sent him bound to ^(AA)Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Jesus Again

^25 (AB)Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” ²⁶ One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of ^(AC)the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you ^(AD)in the garden with him?” ²⁷ Peter again denied it, and ^(AE)at once a rooster crowed.

Jesus Before Pilate

^28 (AF)Then they led Jesus ^(AG)from the house of Caiaphas to ^(AH)the governor's headquarters.^[f] It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, ^(AI)so that they would not be defiled, ^(AJ)but could eat the Passover. ^29 (AK)So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰ They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” ³¹ Pilate said to them, ^(AL)“Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” ^32 (AM)This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken ^(AN)to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

^33 (AO)So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ^(AP)“Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, ^(AQ)“My kingdom ^(AR)is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, ^(AS)my servants would have been fighting, that ^(AT)I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, ^(AU)“You say that I am a king. ^(AV)For this purpose I was born and for this purpose ^(AW)I have come into the world—^(AX)to bear witness to the truth. ^(AY)Everyone who is ^(AZ)of the truth ^(BA)listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, ^(BB)he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ^(BC)“I find no guilt in him. ^39 (BD)But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ They cried out again, ^(BE)“Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.^[g]

Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and ^(BF)flogged him. ^2 (BG)And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. ³ They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. ⁴ Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that ^(BH)I find no guilt in him.” ⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing ^(BI)the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ^(BJ)“Behold the man!” ⁶ When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, ^(BK)“Take him yourselves and crucify him, for ^(BL)I find no guilt in him.” ⁷ The Jews^[h] answered him, “We have a law, and ^(BM)according to that law he ought to die because ^(BN)he has made himself the Son of God.” ⁸ When Pilate heard this statement, ^(BO)he was even more afraid. ^9 (BP)He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, ^(BQ)“Where are you from?” But ^(BR)Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” ¹¹ Jesus answered him, ^(BS)“You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore ^(BT)he who delivered me over to you ^(BU)has the greater sin.”

¹² From then on ^(BV)Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. ^(BW)Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” ¹³ So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on ^(BX)the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic^[i] Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was ^(BY)the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour.^[j] He said to the Jews, ^(BZ)“Behold your King!” ¹⁵ They cried out, ^(CA)“Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” ^16 (CB)So he ^(CC)delivered him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus, ¹⁷ and ^(CD)he went out, ^(CE)bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. ^18 (CF)There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. ¹⁹ Pilate ^(CG)also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” ²⁰ Many of the Jews read this inscription, for ^(CH)the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. ²¹ So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” ²² Pilate answered, ^(CI)“What I have written I have written.”

^23 (CJ)When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.^[k] But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, ²⁴ so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” ^(CK)This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

So the soldiers did these things, ^25 (CM)but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and ^(CN)the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ^(CO)“Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to ^(CP)his own home.

The Death of Jesus

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now ^(CQ)finished, said (^(CR)to fulfill the Scripture), ^(CS)“I thirst.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine stood there, ^(CT)so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ^(CU)“It is finished,” and he bowed his head and ^(CV)gave up his spirit.

Jesus' Side Is Pierced

³¹ Since it was ^(CW)the day of Preparation, and ^(CX)so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was ^(CY)a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other ^(CZ)who had been crucified with him. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out ^(DA)blood and water. ^35 (DB)He who saw it has borne witness—^(DC)his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—^(DD)that you also may believe. ^36 (DE)For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ^(DF)“Not one of his bones ^(DG)will be broken.” ³⁷ And again another Scripture says, ^(DH)“They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

Jesus Is Buried

^38 (DI)After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly ^(DJ)for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. ^39 (DK)Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus^[l] by night, came ^(DL)bringing a mixture of ^(DM)myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds^[m] in weight. ⁴⁰ So they took the body of Jesus and ^(DN)bound it in ^(DO)linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹ Now in the place where he was crucified there was a ^(DP)garden, and ^(DQ)in the garden a new tomb ^(DR)in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴² So because of the Jewish ^(DS)day of Preparation, ^(DT)since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.