The Righteous Branch

23 ^(A)“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. ² Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning ^(B)the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. ^(C)Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. ^3 (D)Then I will gather the remnant of my flock ^(E)out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, ^(F)and they shall be fruitful and multiply. ^4 (G)I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

^5 (H)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous ^(I)Branch, and ^(J)he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ In his days Judah will be saved, and ^(K)Israel will ^(L)dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ^(M)‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

^11 (A)being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for ^(B)all endurance and patience ^(C)with joy; ^12 (D)giving thanks^[a] to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in ^(E)the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³ He ^(F)has delivered us from ^(G)the domain of darkness and transferred us to ^(H)the kingdom of ^(I)his beloved Son, ^14 (J)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

^15 (K)He is the image of ^(L)the invisible God, ^(M)the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by^[c] him all things were created, ^(N)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(O)thrones or ^(P)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created ^(Q)through him and for him. ¹⁷ And ^(R)he is before all things, and in him all things ^(S)hold together. ¹⁸ And ^(T)he is the head of the body, the church. He is ^(U)the beginning, ^(V)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For ^(W)in him all the ^(X)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and ^(Y)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, ^(Z)making peace ^(AA)by the blood of his cross.

³⁵ And ^(A)the people stood by, watching, ^(B)but ^(C)the rulers ^(D)scoffed at him, saying, ^(E)“He saved others; ^(F)let him save himself, ^(G)if he is ^(H)the Christ of God, ^(I)his Chosen One!” ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and ^(J)offering him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, ^(K)“If you are ^(L)the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ^38 (M)There was also an inscription over him,^[a] “This is ^(N)the King of the Jews.”

^39 (O)One of the criminals who were hanged ^(P)railed at him,^[b] saying, “Are you not ^(Q)the Christ? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he said, “Jesus, remember me ^(R)when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³ And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in ^(S)paradise.”