Ezekiel 34
Prophecy against Israel’s Shepherds
1 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,†
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to the shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord and Master: “O shepherds of Israel who feed themselves, should not the shepherds feed the sheep?
3 Behold, you drink the milk and clothe yourselves with the wool. You slay the fatlings, but do not feed My sheep.
4 You have not strengthened the weak, and the sick you have not revived. The broken you have not bandaged, and the misled you have not brought back. The lost you have not sought, and the strong you have not prepared for labor.
5 So My sheep were scattered, because there were no shepherds. So they became food for all the wild animals of the field.
6 My sheep were scattered in all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the face of the earth, and there was no one to seek them or to bring them back.”
7 ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.
8 “As I live,” says the Lord and Master, “because My sheep became as plunder, and as food for all the wild animals of the plain, because there were no shepherds with them, nor did My shepherds search for My sheep, but fed themselves and not My flock”—
9 because of this, O shepherds,
10 thus says the Lord and Master: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and shall require My sheep at their hands. I shall turn them away so they may not shepherd My sheep. The shepherds will not feed them anymore, for I shall deliver My sheep from their mouth; and they shall no longer be as food for them.”
The True Shepherd
11 ‘For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I shall search for My sheep and care for them.†
12 As a shepherd seeks his flock on a day when there is darkness, and when a cloud separates the sheep, thus I will drive them from every place where they were scattered in the day of cloud and darkness.
13 And I shall bring them out from the Gentiles, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their land. I shall feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all the inhabited places of the land.
14 I shall feed them in good pasture and on the high mountain of Israel, and their folds will be there. They will lie down, and there they shall rest in good luxury, and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
15 I shall feed My sheep and refresh them; and they will know that I am the Lord,” thus says the Lord and Master.
16 “I shall seek the lost, bring back the misled, bind up the broken, strengthen the fallen, protect the strong, and feed them with judgment.”
17 ‘So as for you, My sheep, thus says the Lord and Master: “Behold, I will distinguish between sheep and sheep and between rams and goats.†
18 Is it not enough for you that you grazed on the good pasture, that you trampled down the rest of your pasture with your feet, that you drank the clear water, but muddied the rest with your feet?
19 Thus My sheep grazed on what you trampled with your feet, and drank what you muddied with your feet.”
20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord and Master: “Behold, I shall distinguish between the strong sheep and the weak sheep.
21 Because you pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and greatly distressed the weak;
22 therefore, I will save My sheep, and they will not be as plunder anymore; and I shall judge between one ram and another.
23 I shall raise up one Shepherd over them, and He will tend them, even My Servant David. He shall be their Shepherd,†
24 and I, the Lord, will be their God; and David will be the Ruler in their midst. I, the Lord, have spoken.
25 “I will also make a covenant of peace with David, and utterly destroy the evil wild animals from the land. They shall dwell in the desert and sleep in the forests.
26 I will settle them round about my mountain and will give you rain, the rain of blessing.
27 The trees of the plain will also produce their fruit, and the earth shall produce her strength. They shall dwell on their land in the hope of peace, and know that I am the Lord, when I break their yoke and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them.
28 They shall no longer be as plunder for the nations, nor will the wild animals devour them; but they will dwell in hope, and no one shall make them afraid.
29 I will raise up for them a garden of peace, and they shall no longer perish with hunger, nor bear the insults of the nations.
30 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, and they are My people, O house of Israel,” says the Lord.
31 “You are My sheep and the sheep of My pasture, and I am the Lord your God,” says the Lord and Master.’ ”
Psalms 134
1 Alleluia. †Praise the name of the Lord, O you servants; praise the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord, In the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing to His name, for it is good;
4 For the Lord chose Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.
5 For I know the Lord is great, And our Lord is above all the gods.
6 All things whatsoever the Lord willed, He did, In heaven and on the earth, In the seas and in all deep places,
7 Bringing clouds from the furthest part of the earth; He made lightning for the rain, Bringing winds from His storehouses.
8 He struck the firstborn of Egypt, From man to cattle;
9 He sent forth signs and wonders in your midst, O Egypt, Among Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck many nations And destroyed mighty kings,
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, And Og king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He gave their land as an inheritance, An inheritance for Israel His people.
Proverbs of Solomon 28
21 He who works his own land shall be satisfied with bread, But he who pursues leisure shall be filled with poverty.
22 A trustworthy man shall be blessed in many things, But an evil man shall not go unpunished.
23 He who does not respect righteous people is not good; Such a man will sell another for a morsel of bread.
24 An envious man hastens to be rich, But does not know that a merciful man shall have the mastery over him.
25 He who reproves a man’s ways Shall have more grace than he who flatters him.
Revelation 2
Ephesus: Loveless
1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:†
2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;†
3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.†
7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’†
Smyrna: Persecuted
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:†
9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.†
10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.†
11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’
Pergamos: Compromising
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:†
13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.†
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.†
15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.†
17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it. ” ’†
Thyatira: Corrupt
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:†
19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.
20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.†
21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.†
23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
24 “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.†
25 But hold fast what you have till I come.
26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ — as I also have received from My Father;
28 and I will give him the morning star.†
29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’