Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Psalm of praise.

¹ ¶ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD all the earth.

² Serve the LORD with gladness; come before his presence with joy.

³ Know ye that the LORD he is God; it is he that has made us and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him and bless his name.

⁵ For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.

¹⁷ ¶ And as for you, O my flock, thus hath the Lord GOD said: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between the rams and the he goats.

¹⁸ Does it seem a small thing unto you that ye eat of the good pastures, but ye also tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and that in drinking of the deep waters, ye must also foul the residue with your feet?

¹⁹ And my sheep eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

²⁰ Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and between the lean sheep,

²¹ because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder and pushed all the weak with your horns until ye have scattered them outside.

²² I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

²³ And I will raise up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my slave David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

5 ¶ The elders who are among you I exhort (I am also an elder with them and a witness of the afflictions of the Christ, and also a participant of the glory that shall be revealed).

² Feed the flock of God which is among you, caring for her, not by force, but willingly; not for shameful lucre, but with willing desire;

³ and not as having lordship over the heritage of the Lord, but in such a manner as to be examples of the flock.

⁴ And when the great Prince of the pastors shall appear, ye shall receive the incorruptible crown of glory.

⁵ ¶ Likewise, young people, be subject to the elders in such a manner that you are all subject to one another. Be clothed with humility of will, for God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.