So I fed the flock for slaughter, [a]in particular (A)the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called [b]Beauty, and the other I called [c]Bonds; and I fed the flock.

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 11:7 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX for the Canaanites
  2. Zechariah 11:7 Or Grace
  3. Zechariah 11:7 Or Unity

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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Prophecy of the Shepherds

Thus says the Lord my God, “Feed the flock for 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 in two my other staff, [a]Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 11:14 Or Unity

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;
He shall (B)strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall 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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12 I will leave in your midst
(A)A meek and humble 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 “As for you, son of man, (A)take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for (B)the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then (C)join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.

18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, (D)‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— 19 (E)say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take (F)the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’ 20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand (G)before their eyes.

21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely (H)I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and (I)I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and (J)one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 (K)They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but (L)I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall 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

The Good News of Salvation

61 “The (A)Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord (B)has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me (C)to [a]heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim (D)liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Lit. bind up

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 brethren: (A)Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be (B)rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom (C)which He 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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13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one (A)new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might (B)reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby (C)putting to death the enmity.

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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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16 And (A)other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; (B)and there will be one flock 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 Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his (A)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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(A)The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and (B)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 in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
That (A)two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
(B)But one-third shall be left in it:
I will bring the one-third (C)through the fire,
Will (D)refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
(E)They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
(F)I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one 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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