His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

A Psalm for ^(A)giving thanks.

¹⁷ “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: ^(A)Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and ^(B)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 ^(C)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 ^(D)thrust at all the ^(E)weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, ²² I will rescue^[a] my flock; ^(F)they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. ²³ And ^(G)I will set up over them one shepherd, ^(H)my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.

Shepherd the Flock of God

5 So I exhort the elders among you, ^(A)as a fellow elder and ^(B)a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ^2 (C)shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,^{[a] (D)}not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;^{[b] (E)}not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not ^(F)domineering over those in your charge, but ^(G)being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when ^(H)the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the ^(I)unfading ^(J)crown of glory. ⁵ Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. ^(K)Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ^(L)“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”