(A)So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named (B)Favor, the other I named (C)Union. (D)And I tended the sheep.

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So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter,(A) particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock.

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Thus said the Lord my God: (A)“Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter.

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Two Shepherds

This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.(A)

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14 Then I broke (A)my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

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14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.

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but (A)with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall (B)strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
    and (C)with the breath of his lips (D)he shall kill the wicked.

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but with righteousness(A) he will judge the needy,(B)
    with justice(C) he will give decisions for the poor(D) of the earth.
He will strike(E) the earth with the rod of his mouth;(F)
    with the breath(G) of his lips he will slay the wicked.(H)

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13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were (A)far off have been brought near (B)by the blood of Christ. 14 For (C)he himself is our peace, (D)who has made us both one and has broken down (E)in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in (F)ordinances, that he might create in himself one (G)new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might (H)reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

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13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once(A) were far away have been brought near(B) by the blood of Christ.(C)

14 For he himself is our peace,(D) who has made the two groups one(E) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh(F) the law with its commands and regulations.(G) His purpose was to create in himself one(H) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,(I) by which he put to death their hostility.

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12 But I will leave in your midst
    a people (A)humble and lowly.
(B)They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,

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12 But I will leave within you
    the meek(A) and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust(B) in the name of the Lord.

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16 (A)“Son of man, (B)take a stick[a] and write on it, ‘For (C)Judah, and (D)the people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For (E)Joseph (the stick of (F)Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ 17 And (G)join them one to another into one stick, that (H)they may become (I)one in your hand. 18 And when (J)your people say to you, (K)‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ 19 say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am about to take (L)the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the (M)stick of Judah,[b] and (N)make them one stick, (O)that they may be one in my hand. 20 When the sticks on which you write are in your hand (P)before their eyes, 21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, (Q)I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and (R)bring them to their own land. 22 And (S)I will make them one nation in the land, on (T)the mountains of Israel. And (U)one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer (V)two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. 23 (W)They shall not (X)defile themselves anymore (Y)with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But (Z)I will save them from all the backslidings[c] in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and (AA)they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:16 Or one piece of wood; also verses 17, 19, 20
  2. Ezekiel 37:19 Hebrew And I will place them on it, the stick of Judah
  3. Ezekiel 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts dwellings

16 “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites(A) associated with him.(B)’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17 Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.(C)

18 “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’(D) 19 say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’(E) 20 Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21 and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.(F) 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.(G) There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.(H) 23 They will no longer defile(I) themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,[a](J) and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts all their dwelling places where they sinned

The Year of the Lord's Favor

61 (A)The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has (B)anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;[a]
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and (C)the opening of the prison to those who are bound;[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Or afflicted
  2. Isaiah 61:1 Or the opening [of the eyes] to those who are blind; Septuagint and recovery of sight to the blind

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit(A) of the Sovereign Lord(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed(C) me
    to proclaim good news(D) to the poor.(E)
He has sent me to bind up(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom(G) for the captives(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

Listen, my beloved brothers, (A)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be (B)rich in faith and heirs of (C)the kingdom, (D)which he has promised to those who love him?

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Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:(A) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world(B) to be rich in faith(C) and to inherit the kingdom(D) he promised those who love him?(E)

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16 And (A)I have other sheep that are not of this fold. (B)I must bring them also, and (C)they will listen to my voice. So there will be (D)one flock, (E)one shepherd.

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16 I have other sheep(A) that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock(B) and one shepherd.(C)

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37 David himself calls him Lord. So (A)how is he his son?” And the great throng (B)heard him gladly.

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37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd(A) listened to him with delight.

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(A)the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers[a] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and (B)the poor have good news preached to them.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 11:5 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 11:5 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.

In the whole land, declares the Lord,
    two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
    (A)and one third shall be left alive.
And (B)I will put this third into the fire,
    and refine them as one refines silver,
    and test them as gold is tested.
(C)They will call upon my name,
    and (D)I will answer them.
(E)I will say, ‘They are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

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In the whole land,” declares the Lord,
    “two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
    yet one-third will be left in it.(A)
This third I will put into the fire;(B)
    I will refine them like silver(C)
    and test them like gold.(D)
They will call(E) on my name(F)
    and I will answer(G) them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’(H)
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.(I)’”

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