Lectionary 16, Year B

¹ “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says the LORD. ² Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says against the shepherds who feed my people: “You have scattered my flock, driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. ³ “I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they will be fruitful and multiply. ⁴ I will set up shepherds over them, who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, neither will any be lacking,” says the LORD. ⁵ “Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. This is his name by which he will be called: the LORD our righteousness.

¹ The LORD is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. ³ He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. ⁶ Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the LORD’s house forever.

¹¹ Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands), ¹² that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, ²⁰ being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; ²¹ in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²² in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.