"My peoplehave becomelostsheep;Their shepherdshave ledthem astray.They have made them turnaside[on] the mountains;They have gonealong from mountainto hillAnd have forgottentheir restingplace.
Returnto your rest,O my soul,For the LORDhas dealtbountifullywith you.
I have goneastraylike a lostsheep;seekYour servant,For I do not forgetYour commandments.
He makes me liedownin greenpastures;He leadsme besidequietwaters.
You are my hidingplace;You preserveme from trouble;You surroundme with songsof deliverance.Selah.
Lord,You have beenour dwellingplacein allgenerations.
He who dwellsin the shelterof the MostHighWill abidein the shadowof the Almighty.
"An oxknowsits owner,And a donkeyits master'smanger,[But] Israeldoes not know,My peopledo not understand."
For thusthe LordGOD,the HolyOneof Israel,has said,"In repentanceand restyou will be saved,In quietnessand trustis your strength."But you were not willing,
Eachwill be like a refugefrom the windAnd a shelterfrom the storm,Like streamsof waterin a drycountry,Like the shadeof a hugerockin a parchedland.
Allof us like sheephave goneastray,Eachof us has turnedto his own way;But the LORDhas caused the iniquityof us allTo fallon Him.
For the shepherdshave becomestupidAnd have not soughtthe LORD;Thereforethey have not prospered,And alltheir flockis scattered.
Givegloryto the LORDyour God,BeforeHe bringsdarknessAnd beforeyour feetstumbleOn the duskymountains,And while you are hopingfor lightHe makesit into deepdarkness,[And] turns[it] into gloom.
"For longagoI brokeyour yoke[And] toreoffyour bonds;But you said,'I will not serve!'For on everyhighhillAnd undereverygreentreeYou have laindownas a harlot.
"Can a virginforgether ornaments,Or a brideher attire?Yet My peoplehave forgottenMe Dayswithoutnumber.
"Woeto the shepherdswho are destroyingand scatteringthe sheepof My pasture!"declaresthe LORD.
"Surely,the hillsare a deception,A tumult[on] the mountains.Surelyin the LORDour GodIs the salvationof Israel.
Then the LORDsaidto me in the daysof Josiahthe king,"Have you seenwhatfaithlessIsraeldid?She wentup on everyhighhilland undereverygreentree,and she was a harlotthere.
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,'There will againbe in thisplacewhich is waste,withoutmanor beast,and in allits cities,a habitationof shepherdswho resttheir flocks.
"Israelis a scatteredflock,the lionshave driven[them] away.The firstone[who] devouredhim was the kingof Assyria,and thislastone[who] has brokenhis bonesis Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon.
And I will bringIsraelbackto his pastureand he will grazeon Carmeland Bashan,and his desirewill be satisfiedin the hillcountryof Ephraimand Gilead.
"It is definitelybecausethey have misledMy peopleby saying,Peace!'when thereis nopeace.And when anyonebuildsa wall,behold,they plasterit overwith whitewash;
"I will feedthem in a goodpasture,and their grazinggroundwill be on the mountainheightsof Israel.Therethey will liedownon goodgrazinggroundand feedin richpastureon the mountainsof Israel.
"I will feedMy flockand I will leadthem to rest,"declaresthe LordGOD.
"I will seekthe lost,bringbackthe scattered,bindup the brokenand strengthenthe sick;but the fatand the strongI will destroy.I will feedthem with judgment.
but rathergoto the lostsheepof the houseof Israel.
But He answeredand said,"I was sentonlyto the lostsheepof the houseof Israel."
Seeingthe people,He felt compassionfor them, becausethey were distressedand dispiritedlikesheepwithouta shepherd.
For you were continually strayinglikesheep,but nowyou have returnedto the Shepherdand Guardianof your souls.
