And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.

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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 saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the 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 cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break 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 with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay 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 ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

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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 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust 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 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:

17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.

23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

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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

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

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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

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that 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 other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and 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 therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people 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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The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

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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.

And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall 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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