Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A song of thanks.

²³ Then I will put one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴ Then I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be the ruler living among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.

²⁵ “And I will make a peace agreement with my sheep. I will take harmful animals away from the land. Then the sheep can be safe in the desert and sleep in the woods. ²⁶ I will bless the sheep and the places around my hill. I will cause the rains to fall at the right time and will shower them with blessings. ²⁷ And the trees growing in the field will produce their fruit. The earth will give its harvest, so the sheep will be safe on their land. I will break the yokes on them and save them from the power of the people who made them slaves. Then they will know that I am the Lord. ²⁸ They will not be caught like an animal by the nations anymore. Those animals will not eat them anymore. No, they will live safely. No one will make them afraid. ²⁹ I will give them some land that will make a good garden. Then they will not suffer from hunger in that land or suffer the insults from the nations anymore. ³⁰ Then they will know that I am the Lord their God. The family of Israel will know that I am with them and that they are my people.” This is what the Lord God said!

³¹ “You are my sheep, the sheep of my grassland. You are only human beings, and I am your God.” This is what the Lord God said.

^20-21 I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so that you can do what he wants. God is the one who raised from death our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of his sheep. He raised him because Jesus sacrificed his blood to begin the new agreement that never ends. I pray that God will work through Jesus Christ to do the things in us that please him. To him be glory forever. Amen.