And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and you must say to them, to the shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves! Must not the shepherds feed the flock? The fat you eat, and you clothe yourself with the wool; the well-nourished animals you slaughter, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, and the sick you have not healed, and with respect to the hurt you have not bound them up, and you have not brought back the scattered, and you have not sought the lost, but rather you ruled over them with force and with ruthlessness. And they were scattered without a shepherd, and they were as food for all the animals of the field when they were scattered. My flock went astray upon all of the mountains and on every high hill, and so upon all the surface of the world my flock were scattered, and there was no one seeking them, and there was no one searching for them." Therefore, hear, O shepherds, the word of Yahweh: "As I live," declares the Lord Yahweh, "Surely because my flock have become as plunder, and my flock became as food to all the animals of the field, since there was not a shepherd, since my shepherds have not sought my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and they fed not my flock,’" therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I am against the shepherds, and I will seek my flock from their hand, and I will put an end to them from shepherding flocks, and the shepherds will no longer feed themselves, and I will deliver my flocks from their mouth, so that they will not be as food for them."

"‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I, even I, will seek my flock, and I will look after them, just like the caring of a shepherd for his herd on the day when he is in the midst of his scattered flock. Thus I will look after my flock, and I will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on the day of storm and stress. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and I will gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their soil, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all of the settlements of the land. I will feed them in good pasture, and their pasture will be on the mountains of the heights of Israel; there they will lie down in good pasture, and on lush pasture they will feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will feed my flock and I myself will allow them to lie down," declares the Lord Yahweh. "I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the scattered, and I will bind up the one hurt, and I will strengthen the sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed her with justice."

"‘And you, my flock, thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I am judging between one sheep and another, between the rams and between the he-goats. Is it not enough for you that you feed on the good pasture? And still you must trample the remainder of your pasture with your feet, and clear water you drink, and the leftover water you must make muddy with your feet. And my flock must graze the pasture treaded upon by your feet, and must drink the mud puddle stirred up by your feet."

"‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: "Look! I, even I will judge between fat sheep and between lean sheep, because with your flank and with your shoulder you shoved, and with your horns you pushed all of the sick animals until you scattered it to the outside. And so I will save my flock, and they will no longer be for plunder, and I will judge between one sheep and another. And I will set up over them one shepherd, and he will feed them; that is, my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be for them as a shepherd. And I, Yahweh, I will be for them as God, and my servant David will be a leader in the midst of them. I, Yahweh, I have spoken. And I will make them a covenant of peace, and I will put an end to wild animals from the land, and they will dwell in the desert safely, and they will sleep in the forest. And I will make them and the area all around my hill a blessing, and I will let the rain go down at its appointed time; they will be rains of blessing. And the tree of the field will give its fruit, and the land will give its produce, and they will be on their land safely, and they will know that I am Yahweh when I break their yoke, and I will deliver them from the hand of the ones enslaving them. And they will not be any longer plunder to the nations, and the animals of the land will not eat them, and they will dwell in safety, and there will not be anyone frightening them. And I will raise for them a garden plot of renown, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land, and they will not bear any more the insult of the nations. And they will know that I, Yahweh their God, am with them and they are my people, the house of Israel," declares the Lord Yahweh, "and you are my flock, the flock of my pasture. You are my people; I am your God," declares the Lord Yahweh.’"

And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, "Son of man, set your face against the mountain of Seir and prophesy against it, and you must say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I am against you, mountain of Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will make you a desolation and a wasteland. Your cities I will make ruins, and you will be a desolation, and then you will know that I am Yahweh, because there has been to you an ancient hostility, and you handed over the Israelites to the power of the sword at the time of their disaster, at the time of their final punishment. Therefore as I live," declares the Lord Yahweh, "Certainly to blood guilt I will prepare you and blood will pursue; since you did not hate blood, it will pursue you. And I will make the mountain of Seir into a desolation and ruin, and I will cut off from it both he who is crossing over and he who is returning. And I will fill its mountains with its slain; your hills and your valleys and all of your watercourses, the slain by the sword will fall in them. An everlasting desolation I will make you, and your cities will not return, and you will know that I am Yahweh. I do this because of your saying, ‘The two nations and the two lands, they will be mine, and we will take possession of it,’ and yet Yahweh was there. Therefore, as I live," declares the Lord Yahweh, "so I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your jealousy that you did, because of your hatred against them, and I will make myself known among them when I judge you. And you will know that I, Yahweh, I have heard all of your contemptible words that you said against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They will be desolate; they are given to us as food.’ And you magnified yourself against me with your insolent speech, and you spoke voluminously against me with your words—I heard! Thus the Lord Yahweh says, ‘As the whole world rejoices, I will make you a desolation. Like your rejoicing over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, I will do to you; you will be a desolation, mountain of Seir and all of Edom, indeed all of it; and they will know that I am Yahweh.’"’

"And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel; and so you must say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh; thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Because the enemy said concerning you, ‘Ah, and the ancient high places will be to us as a possession!’"’ Therefore prophesy, and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Because indeed when you were desolate, then they crushed you from all around, so that you became a possession to the remainder of the nations, and you became a byword and object of slander for the people." Therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh; thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the river channels and to the valleys and to the ruins that are desolate and to the cities that are abandoned and that have become as plunder and as scorn for the remainder of the nations that are from all around. Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Certainly in the fire of my passion I spoke against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who made my land as a possession, because of its pastureland for plunder, for themselves in all of the joy of their whole heart and in their inner disdain." Therefore prophesy against the land of Israel, and you must say to the mountains and to the hills, to the river channels and to the valleys, thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I spoke in my passion and in my anger the insult of the peoples you have endured." Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "I swear certainly that the nations that are all around you, they indeed will endure their disgrace.

"‘"But you, mountains of Israel, your branch you will shoot, and your fruit you will carry for my people Israel, for they are soon to come. For look! I am for you, and I will turn you, and you will be tilled, and you will be planted. And I will cause your population to increase for you, all of the house of Israel, all of it, and the towns will be inhabited, and the ruins will be built. And I will cause your population to increase for you, and domestic animals, even they will be numerous, and they will be fruitful, and I will cause you to be inhabited like your ancient times, and I will do good things more than in your former times, and you will know that I am Yahweh. And I will send over you my people Israel, and they will take possession of you, and you will be for them as an inheritance, and you will no longer bereave them of their children."

"‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, because they are saying to you, "You are an eater of humans, and you are one who makes childless your people." Therefore humans you will not eat any longer, and your nation you will not make childless any longer," declares the Lord Yahweh. "And I will not let you hear any longer the insult of the nations, and the disgrace of the peoples you will not bear any longer; you yourself will not cause your nation to stumble," declares the Lord Yahweh.’"

And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, "Son of man, the house of Israel, they were dwelling on their soil, and they defiled it with their way and with their deeds; like the uncleanness of menstruation was their way before me. And I poured out my rage on them for the blood that they poured on the land and for their idols with which they defiled it. And I scattered them among the nations, and I dispersed them in the countries according to their way, and according to their deeds I judged them. And they came into the nations to which they went, and they profaned my holy name when they said to them, ‘These are the people of Yahweh, and from his land they went out.’ And I was concerned for my holy name, which, the house of Israel defiled among the nations to which they went.

"Therefore thus say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Not for your sake am I about to act, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you defiled among the nations to which you went. And I will consecrate my great name, which was profaned among the nations and which you have profaned in the midst of them, and the nations will know that I am Yahweh!"’ a declaration of the Lord Yahweh, when I show myself holy before their eyes.

"‘And I will take you from the nations, and I will gather you from all of the lands, and I will bring you to your land. And I will sprinkle on you pure water, and you will be clean from all of your uncleanness, and I will cleanse you from all of your idols. And I will give a new heart to you, and a new spirit I will give into your inner parts, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and I will give to you a heart of flesh. And I will give my spirit into your inner parts, and I will make it so that you will go in my rules, and my regulations you will remember, and you will do them. And you will dwell in the land that I gave to your ancestors, and you will be to me as a people, and I will be to you as God. And I will save you from all of your uncleanness, and I will call to the grain, and I will cause it to increase, and I will not bring famine upon you. And I will cause the fruit of the tree and the crop of the field to increase, so that you will not suffer again the disgrace of famine among the nations. And you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourself over your iniquities and over your detestable things. But not for your sake am I acting," declares the Lord Yahweh. "Let it be known to you, be ashamed, and be put to shame because of your ways, house of Israel.

"Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘On the day when I cleanse you from all of your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt. And the land that was desolate will be cultivated in the very place that it was desolate before the eyes of all of the persons crossing over. And they will say, "This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden, and the wasted and desolate and destroyed cities, now being refortified, are inhabited." And the nations who are left all around, you will know that I, Yahweh, I built that which was destroyed; I planted the desolate land; I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will act.’

"Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Again this time I will let myself be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do something for them; I will cause them to increase their population like a flock. Like the flock of the sanctuary, like the flock of Jerusalem at its festival, so the desolate cities will be filled with flocks of people; and they will know that I am Yahweh.’"

A prayer of David.

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made him a dinner there, and Martha was serving, but Lazarus was one of the ones reclining at table with him. Then Mary took a pound of ointment of very valuable genuine nard and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said, "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" (Now he said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.) So Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my preparation for burial. For you have the poor with you always, but you do not always have me."

Now a large crowd of Jews found out that he was there, and they came, not only because of Jesus, but so that they could see Lazarus also, whom he raised from the dead. So the chief priests decided that they would kill Lazarus also, because on account of him many of the Jews were going and believing in Jesus.

On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, and began crying out,

So Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

(His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and they did these things to him.) So the crowd who was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify. Because of this also the crowd went to meet him, for they had heard that he had performed this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing! Behold, the world has gone after him."

Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up in order to worship at the feast. So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and began asking him saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man will be glorified. Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world preserves it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, deliver me from this hour’? But for this reason I have come to this hour! Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again." Now the crowd that stood there and heard it said it had thundered. Others were saying, "An angel has spoken to him!" Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not happened for my sake, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world! Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out! And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (Now he said this to indicate by what sort of death he was going to die.)

Then the crowd replied to him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever! And how do you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" So Jesus said to them, "Yet a little time the light is with you! Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness does not overtake you! And the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light." Jesus said these things, and then he went away and was hidden from them.

But as many signs as he had performed before them, they did not believe in him, in order that the word of the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,

For this reason they were not able to believe, because again Isaiah said,

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him.

Yet despite that, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than praise from God.

But Jesus cried out and said, "The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. I have come as a light into the world, in order that everyone who believes in me will not remain in the darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I will not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not accept my words has one who judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken from myself, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So the things that I say, just as the Father said to me, thus I say."