Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

All People Exhorted to Praise God.

A Psalm for ^[a]Thanksgiving.

¹⁷ “As for you, My flock, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am going to ^(A)judge between one ^[a]sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. ¹⁸ Is it too ^(B)little a thing for you to feed in the good pasture, that you must trample with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or too little for you to drink the clear waters, that you must muddy the rest with your feet? ¹⁹ But as for My flock, they must eat what you trample with your feet, and drink what you muddy with your feet!’”

²⁰ Therefore, this is what the Lord God says to them: “Behold, I, I Myself will also judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ²¹ Since you push away with your side and shoulder, and ^(C)gore all the ^[b]weak with your horns until you have scattered them ^[c]abroad, ²² therefore, I will ^(D)save My flock, and they will no longer be plunder; and I will judge between one sheep and another.

²³ “Then I will ^(E)appoint over them one ^(F)shepherd, My servant ^(G)David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.

Serve God Willingly

5 ^(A)Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your ^(B)fellow elder and a ^(C)witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a ^[a](D)fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed: ² shepherd ^(E)the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, ^(F)not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and ^(G)not ^[b]with greed but with eagerness; ³ nor yet as ^(H)domineering over ^[c]those assigned to your care, but by ^[d]proving to be ^[e](I)examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief ^(J)Shepherd appears, you will receive the ^(K)unfading ^[f](L)crown of glory. ^5 (M)You ^[g]younger men, likewise, ^(N)be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with ^(O)humility toward one another, because ^(P)God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.