Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Yahweh the Shepherd

A psalm of David.^[a]

Prophecy Concerning Israel’s Shepherds and Sheep

34 And the word of Yahweh came^[a] to me, saying, ² “Son of man,^[b] prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and you must say to them, to the shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves! Must not the shepherds feed the flock? ³ The fat you eat, and you clothe yourself with the wool; the well-nourished animals you slaughter, but you do not feed the flock. ⁴ The weak you have not strengthened, and the sick you have not healed, and with respect to^[c] the hurt^[d] you have not bound them up, and you have not brought back the scattered, and you have not sought the lost, but rather you ruled over them with force^[e] and with ruthlessness. ⁵ And they were scattered without^[f] a shepherd, and they were^[g] as food for all the animals^[h] of the field when they were scattered. ⁶ My flock went astray upon all of the mountains and on every high hill, and so upon all the surface of the world^[i] my flock were scattered, and there was no one seeking them,^[j] and there was no one searching for them.”^{[k] 7} Therefore, hear, O shepherds, the word of Yahweh: ⁸ “As I live,”^[l] declares^[m] the Lord Yahweh, “Surely^[n] because my flock have become as plunder, and my flock became as food to^[o] all the animals^[p] of the field, since there was not a shepherd, since my shepherds have not sought my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and they fed not my flock,’” ⁹ therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh, ¹⁰ ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am against the shepherds, and I will seek my flock from their hand, and I will put an end to them from shepherding flocks, and the shepherds will no longer^[q] feed themselves, and I will deliver my flocks from their mouth, so that they will not be as food for them.”

¹¹ “‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I, even I, will seek my flock, and I will look after them, ¹² just like the caring of a shepherd for his herd on^[r] the day when he is in the midst of his scattered flock. Thus I will look after my flock, and I will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered^[s] on the day of storm and stress.^{[t] 13} And I will bring them out from the peoples, and I will gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their soil, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all of the settlements of the land. ¹⁴ I will feed them in good pasture, and their pasture will be on the mountains of the heights of Israel; there they will lie down in good pasture, and on lush pasture they will feed on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ I myself^[u] will feed my flock and I myself^[v] will allow them to lie down,” declares^[w] the Lord Yahweh. ¹⁶ “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the scattered, and I will bind up the one hurt, and I will strengthen the sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed her with justice.”

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to hear him. ² And both the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!”

³ So he told them this parable, saying, ⁴ “What man of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the grassland and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? ⁵ And when he^[a] has found it,^[b] he places it^[c] on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he^[d] returns to his^[e] home, he calls together his^[f] friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.