⁷ And I feed the flock of slaughter, even you, ye afflicted of the flock; and I take to me two staves, the one I have called Pleasantness, and the other I have called Bands, and I feed the flock.

⁴ Thus said Jehovah my God: `Feed the flock of the slaughter,

¹⁴ And I cut asunder my second staff, Bands, to break the unity between Judah and Israel.

⁴ And he hath judged in righteousness the poor, And decided in uprightness for the humble of earth, And hath smitten earth with the rod of his mouth, And with the breath of his lips he putteth the wicked to death.

¹ The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah `is' on me, Because Jehovah did anoint me To proclaim tidings to the humble, He sent me to bind the broken of heart, To proclaim to captives liberty, And to bound ones an opening of bands.

¹⁶ `And thou, son of man, take to thee one stick, and write on it, For Judah, and for the sons of Israel, his companions; and take another stick, and write on it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel, his companions,

¹⁷ and bring them near one unto another, to thee, for one stick, and they have become one in thy hand.

¹⁸ `And when sons of thy people speak unto thee, saying, Dost thou not declare to us what these `are' to thee?

¹⁹ Speak unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am taking the stick of Joseph, that `is' in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions, and have given them unto him, with the stick of Judah, and have made them become one stick, and they have been one in My hand.

²⁰ And the sticks on which thou writest have been in thy hand before thine eyes,

²¹ and speak thou unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am taking the sons of Israel, From among the nations whither they have gone, And have gathered them from round about, And I have brought them in unto their land.

²² And I have made them become one nation in the land, on mountains of Israel, And one king is to them all for king, And they are no more as two nations, Nor are they divided any more into two kingdoms again.

²³ Nor are they defiled any more with their idols, And with their abominations, And with any of their transgressions, And I have saved them out of all their dwellings, In which they have sinned, And I have cleansed them, And they have been to Me for a people, And I -- I am to them for God.

¹² And I have left in thy midst a people humble and poor, And they have trusted in the name of Jehovah.

⁵ Hearken, my brethren beloved, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He promised to those loving Him?

¹³ and now, in Christ Jesus, ye being once afar off became nigh in the blood of the Christ,

¹⁴ for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down,

¹⁵ the enmity in his flesh, the law of the commands in ordinances having done away, that the two he might create in himself into one new man, making peace,

¹⁶ and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in it,

²¹ that they all may be one, as Thou Father `art' in me, and I in Thee; that they also in us may be one, that the world may believe that Thou didst send me.

²² `And I, the glory that thou hast given to me, have given to them, that they may be one as we are one;

²³ I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be perfected into one, and that the world may know that Thou didst send me, and didst love them as Thou didst love me.

¹⁶ and other sheep I have that are not of this fold, these also it behoveth me to bring, and my voice they will hear, and there shall become one flock -- one shepherd.

³⁷ therefore David himself saith of him Lord, and whence is he his son?' And the great multitude were hearing him gladly,

⁴⁰ And he taketh his staff in his hand, and chooseth for him five smooth stones from the brook, and putteth them in the shepherds' habiliments that he hath, even in the scrip, and his sling `is' in his hand, and he draweth nigh unto the Philistine.

⁴³ And the Philistine saith unto David, `Am I a dog that thou art coming unto me with staves?' and the Philistine revileth David by his gods,

⁴ Also -- when I walk in a valley of death-shade, I fear no evil, for Thou `art' with me, Thy rod and Thy staff -- they comfort me.

¹ A Song of the Ascents, by David. Lo, how good and how pleasant The dwelling of brethren -- even together!

² As the good oil on the head, Coming down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, That cometh down on the skirt of his robes,

³ As dew of Hermon -- That cometh down on hills of Zion, For there Jehovah commanded the blessing -- Life unto the age!

⁴ And I -- I said, `Surely these `are' poor, They have been foolish, For they have not known the way of Jehovah, The judgment of their God.

⁵ I get me to the great, and I speak with them, For they have known the way of Jehovah, The judgment of their God.' Surely they together have broken the yoke, They have drawn away the bands.

¹⁰ And I take My staff Pleasantness, and cut it asunder, to make void My covenant that I had made with all the peoples:

¹¹ and it is broken in that day, and know well do the afflicted of the flock who are observing me, that it `is' a word of Jehovah.

⁸ And it hath come to pass, In all the land, an affirmation of Jehovah, Two parts in it are cut off -- they expire, And the third is left in it.

⁹ And I have brought the third into fire, And refined them like a refining of silver, And have tried them like a trying of gold, It doth call in My name, and I answer it, I have said, `My people it `is',' And it saith, `Jehovah `is' my God!'

⁵ blind receive sight, and lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear, dead are raised, and poor have good news proclaimed,

³² `And all the tithe of the herd and of the flock -- all that passeth by under the rod -- the tenth is holy to Jehovah;