a beautiful school narthex

a beautiful school narthex
a beautiful school narthex

Thursday, June 5, 2014

good and bad shepherds


   (Ezekiel 34.1-31)
1
And the word of the Lord 
came unto me, saying,
2 
Son of man, prophesy 
against the shepherds of 
Israel, prophesy, and say 
unto them, Thus saith the 
Lord God unto the 
shepherds; Woe be to the 
shepherds of Israel that 
do feed themselves! 
should not the shepherds 
feed the flocks?
3 
Ye eat the fat, and ye 
clothe you with the wool, 
ye kill them that are fed:  
but ye feed not the flock.
4 
The diseased have ye not 
strengthened, neither 
have ye healed that which 
was sick, neither have ye 
bound up that which was 
broken, neither have ye 
brought again that which 
was driven away, neither 
have ye sought that 
which was lost; but with 
force and with cruelty 
have ye ruled them.
5 
And they were 
scattered, because 
there is no shepherd:  
and they  became 
meat to all the beasts 
othe field, when they 
were scattered.
6 
My sheep wandered 
through all the 
mountains, and upon 
every high hill:  yea, 
my flock was scattered 
upon all the face of the 
earth, and none did 
search or seek after 
them.
Therefore, ye shepherds, 
hear the word of the 
Lord;
8 
As I live, saith the Lord 
God, surely because 
my flock became a prey, 
and my flock became 
meat to every beast 
of the field, because 
there was no shepherd, 
neither did my shepherds 
search for my flock, 
but the shepherds fed 
themselves, and fed 
not my flock;
9
therefore, O ye 
shepherds, hear the 
word of the Lord;
10 
Thus saith the Lord God; 
Behold, I am against the 
shepherds; and I will 
require my flock at 
their hand, and cause 
them to cease from 
feeding the flock; 
neither shall the 
shepherds feed 
themselves any more; 
for I will deliver my 
flock from their 
mouth, that they 
may not be meat for 
them.
11 
For thus saith the 
Lord God; Behold, I, 
even I, will both search 
my sheep, and seek 
them out.
12 
As a shepherd seeketh 
out his flock in the day 
that he is among his 
sheep that are 
scattered; so will I 
seek out my sheep, 
and will deliver them 
out of ALL places 
where they have 
been scattered in 
the cloudy and dark 
day.
13 
And I will bring them 
out from the people, 
and gather them 
from the countries, 
and will bring them 
to their own land, 
and feed them upon 
the mountains of 
Israel by the rivers, 
and in ALL the 
inhabited places of 
the country.
14 
I will feed them in a 
good pasture, and 
upon the high 
mountains of Israel 
shall their fold be:  
there shall they lie 
in a good fold, 
and in a fat pasture 
shall they feed upon 
the mountains of 
Israel.
15 
I will feed my flock, and 
I will cause them to lie 
down, saith the Lord 
God.
16 
I will seek that which 
was lost, and bring 
again that which was 
driven away, and will 
bind up that which 
was broken, and will 
strengthen that 
which was sick:  but 
I will destroy the fat
and the strong; 
I will feed them with 
judgment.
17 
And as for you, O my 
flock, thus saith the 
Lord God; Behold, I 
judge between 
cattle and cattle, 
between the rams 
and the he goats.
18 
Seemeth it a small 
thing unto you to 
have eaten up the 
good pasture, 
but ye must tread 
down with your feet 
the residue of your 
pastures?  and 
to have drunk of the 
deep waters, but ye 
must foul the residue 
with your feet?
19 
And as for my flock, they 
eat that which ye have 
trodden with your feet; 
and they drink that 
which ye have fouled 
with your feet.
20
Therefore thus saith 
the Lord God unto 
them; Behold, I, even I, 
will judge between the 
fat cattle and 
between the lean 
cattle.
21
Because ye have 
thrust with side and 
with shoulder, and 
pushed all the 
diseased with your 
horns, till ye have 
scattered them 
abroad;
22
therefore will I save 
my flock, and they 
shall no more be a 
prey; and I will judge 
between cattle and 
cattle.
23
And I will set up one 
shepherd over them, 
and he shall feed 
them, even my 
servant David; he shall 
feed them, and he shall 
be their shepherd.  
24 
And I the Lord will be 
their God, and my 
servant David a prince 
among them; the 
Lord have spoken it.
26 
And I will make with 
them a covenant of 
peace, and will cause 
the evil beasts to 
cease out of the 
land:  and they shall 
dwell safely in the 
wilderness, and 
sleep in the woods.
26
And I will make them 
and the places round 
about my hill a 
blessing; and I will 
cause the shower to 
come down in his 
season; there shall 
be showers of 
blessing.
27 
And the tree of the 
field shall yield her 
fruit, and the earth 
shall yield her increase, 
and they shall be safe 
in their land, and shall 
know that I am the 
Lord, when I have 
broken the bands of 
their yoke, and 
delivered them out 
of the hand of 
those that served 
themselves of them.
28 
And they shall no more 
be a prey to the 
heathen, neither shall 
the beast of the land 
devour them; but they 
shall dwell safely, 
and none shall make 
them afraid.
29 
And I will raise up for 
them a plant of renown, 
and they shall be no 
more consumed with 
hunger in the land, 
neither bear the 
shame of the heathen 
any more.
30 
Thus shall they know 
that I the Lord their 
God am with them, 
and that they, even 
the house of Israel, 
are my people, saith 
the Lord God.
31 
And ye my flock, the 
flock of my pasture, 
are men and women, 
and I am your God, 
saith the Lord God.

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