"Be on guardfor yourselvesand for allthe flock,amongwhichthe HolySpirithas madeyou overseers,to shepherdthe churchof GodwhichHe purchasedwith His ownblood.
RememberYour congregation,which You have purchasedof old,Which You have redeemedto be the tribeof Your inheritance;[And] thisMountZion,whereYou have dwelt.
The lipsof the righteousfeedmany,But foolsdiefor lackof understanding.
Like a shepherdHe will tendHis flock,In His armHe will gatherthe lambsAnd carry[them] in His bosom;He will gently leadthe nursing[ewes].
Then His peoplerememberedthe daysof old,of Moses.Whereis He who broughtthem up out of the seawith the shepherdsof His flock?Whereis He who putHis HolySpiritin the midstof them,
But ifyou will not listento it, My soulwill sobin secretfor [such] pride;And my eyeswill bitterlyweepAnd flowdownwith tears,Becausethe flockof the LORDhas been takencaptive.
"Liftup your eyesand seeThose comingfrom the north.Whereis the flockthat was givenyou, Your beautifulsheep?
"Then I will giveyou shepherdsafter My own heart,who will feedyou on knowledgeand understanding.
Hearthe wordof the LORD,O nations,And declarein the coastlandsafaroff,And say,"He who scatteredIsraelwill gatherhim And keephim as a shepherdkeeps his flock."
"You eatthe fatand clotheyourselveswith the wool,you slaughterthe fat[sheep] withoutfeedingthe flock.
"As for you, My sheep,the sheepof My pasture,you are men,and I am your God,"declaresthe LordGOD.
And He will ariseand shepherd[His flock] In the strengthof the LORD,In the majestyof the nameof the LORDHis God.And they will remain,Becauseat that timeHe will be greatTo the endsof the earth.
ShepherdYour peoplewith Your scepter,The flockof Your possessionWhich dwellsby itselfin the woodland,In the midstof a fruitfulfield.Let them feedin Bashanand GileadAs in the daysof old.
Thussaysthe LORDmy God,"Pasturethe flock[doomed] to slaughter.
"I alsosayto you that you are Peter,and upon thisrockI will buildMy church;and the gatesof Hadeswill not overpowerit.
AND YOU, BETHLEHEM,LANDOF JUDAH,ARE BY NO MEANSLEASTAMONGTHE LEADERSOF JUDAH;FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTHA RULERWHOWILL SHEPHERDMY PEOPLEISRAEL.'"
"But be on your guard;for they will deliveryou to [the] courts,and you will be floggedin [the] synagogues,and you will standbeforegovernorsand kingsfor My sake,as a testimonyto them.
"Do not be afraid,littleflock,for your Fatherhas chosen gladlyto giveyou the kingdom.
"Be on guard,sothat your heartswill not be weighted downwith dissipationand drunkennessand the worriesof life,and that daywill not comeon you suddenlylikea trap;
While they were ministeringto the Lordand fasting,the HolySpiritsaid,"Set apartfor Me Barnabasand Saulfor the workto whichI have calledthem."
When they had appointedeldersfor them in everychurch,having prayedwith fasting,they commendedthem to the Lordin whomthey had believed.
From Miletushe sentto Ephesusand calledto him the eldersof the church.
"I knowthat aftermy departuresavagewolveswill comein amongyou, not sparingthe flock;
Greetone anotherwith a holykiss.Allthe churchesof Christgreetyou.
To the churchof Godwhich is at Corinth,to those who have been sanctifiedin ChristJesus,saintsby calling,with allwho in everyplacecallon the nameof our LordJesusChrist,their [Lord] and ours:
Giveno offenseeitherto Jewsorto Greeksorto the churchof God;
What!Do you not havehousesin which to eatand drink?Ordo you despisethe churchof Godand shamethosewho havenothing?Whatshall I sayto you? Shall I praiseyou? In thisI will not praiseyou.
For I amthe leastof the apostles,and not fitto be calledan apostle,becauseI persecutedthe churchof God.
For you have been boughtwith a price:thereforeglorifyGodin your body.
For you have heardof my formermanner of lifein Judaism,howI used to persecutethe churchof Godbeyondmeasureand tried to destroyit;
whois given as a pledgeof our inheritance,with a viewto the redemptionof [God's own] possession,to the praiseof His glory.
In Him we haveredemptionthroughHis blood,the forgivenessof our trespasses,accordingto the richesof His grace
And He gavesome[as] apostles,and some[as] prophets,and some[as] evangelists,and some[as] pastorsand teachers,
Pauland Timothy,bond-servantsof ChristJesus,To allthe saintsin ChristJesuswho are in Philippi,includingthe overseersand deacons:
in whomwe haveredemption,the forgivenessof sins.
Sayto Archippus,"Take heedto the ministrywhichyou have receivedin the Lord,that you may fulfillit."
It is a trustworthystatement:ifany manaspiresto the office of overseer,it is a fineworkhe desires[to do].
An overseer,then,mustbe above reproach,the husbandof onewife,temperate,prudent,respectable,hospitable,able to teach,
(but ifa mandoes not know howto managehis ownhousehold,howwill he take careof the churchof God?),
Do not neglectthe spiritual giftwithinyou, whichwas bestowedon you throughprophetic utterancewith the layingon of handsby the presbytery.
Pay close attentionto yourselfand to your teaching;perseverein these things,for as you dothisyou will ensure salvationbothfor yourselfand for thosewho hearyou.
The elderswho rulewellare to be considered worthyof doublehonor,especiallythosewho work hardat preachingand teaching.
For the overseermustbe above reproachas God'ssteward,not self-willed,not quick-tempered,not addicted to wine,not pugnacious,not fond of sordid gain,
whogaveHimselffor us to redeemus from everylawless deed,and to purifyfor Himselfa peoplefor His ownpossession,zealousfor gooddeeds.
Seeto it that noonecomes shortof the graceof God;that norootof bitternessspringingup causes trouble,and by it manybe defiled;
Obeyyour leadersand submit[to them], for they keep watchoveryour soulsas those who will givean account.Let them dothiswith joyand not with grief,for thiswould be unprofitablefor you.
For you were continually strayinglikesheep,but nowyou have returnedto the Shepherdand Guardianof your souls.
But you are A CHOSENRACE,A royalPRIESTHOOD,A HOLYNATION,A PEOPLEFOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION,sothat you may proclaimthe excellenciesof Him who has calledyou out of darknessinto His marvelouslight;
but ifwe walkin the Lightas He Himselfis in the Light,we havefellowshipwith one another,and the bloodof JesusHis Soncleansesus from allsin.
And they sanga newsong,saying,"Worthyare You to takethe bookand to breakits seals;for You were slain,and purchasedfor Godwith Your blood[men] from everytribeand tongueand peopleand nation.
