The True Source of Leadership

1. Ask of Yahweh rain in the spring time, Yahweh who makes storm clouds, and he gives rain showers to everyone for the plants in the field. 2. For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd. 3. My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; For Yahweh of Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle. 4. From him will come the cornerstone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. 5. They shall be as mighty men, treading down muddy streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because Yahweh is with them; and the riders on horses will be confounded. 6. “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back; for I have mercy on them; and they will be as though I had not cast them off: for I am Yahweh their God, and I will hear them. 7. Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their heart will rejoice as through wine; yes, their children will see it, and rejoice. Their heart will be glad in Yahweh. 8. I will signal for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they will increase as they have increased. 9. I will sow them among the peoples; and they will remember me in far countries; and they will live with their children, and will return. 10. I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and there won’t be room enough for them. 11. He will pass through the sea of affliction, and will strike the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the Nile will dry up; and the pride of Assyria will be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt will depart. 12. I will strengthen them in Yahweh; and they will walk up and down in his name,” says Yahweh.

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1. Open your doors, Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars. 2. Wail, cypress tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the stately ones are destroyed. Wail, you oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest has come down. 3. A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! For their glory is destroyed: a voice of the roaring of young lions! For the pride of the Jordan is ruined. 4. Yahweh my God says: “Feed the flock of slaughter. 5. Their buyers slaughter them, and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, for I am rich;’ and their own shepherds don’t pity them. 6. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land,” says Yahweh; “but, behold, I will deliver the men everyone into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king. They will strike the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.” 7. So I fed the flock of slaughter, especially the oppressed of the flock. I took for myself two staffs. The one I called “Favor”, and the other I called “Union”, and I fed the flock. 8. I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me. 9. Then I said, “I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those who are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10. I took my staff Favor, and cut it apart, that I might break my covenant that I had made with all the peoples. 11. It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was Yahweh’s word. 12. I said to them, “If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them.” So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13. Yahweh said to me, “Throw it to the potter, the handsome price that I was valued at by them!” I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them to the potter, in Yahweh’s house. 14. Then I cut apart my other staff, even Union, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15. Yahweh said to me, “Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16. For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces. 17. Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will be on his arm, and on his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”

1. Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2. Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they begged him, 3. asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way. 4. However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly. 5. “Let them therefore”, he said, “that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.” 6. When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought. 7. When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove, 8. while he said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.” 9. But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and be judged by me there concerning these things?” 10. But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. 11. For if I have done wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you shall go.” 13. Now when some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and greeted Festus. 14. As he stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix; 15. about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for a sentence against him. 16. I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction before the accused has met the accusers face to face and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him. 17. When therefore they had come together here, I didn’t delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought. 18. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charges against him of such things as I supposed; 19. but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20. Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. 21. But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar.” 22. Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.” 23. So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24. Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 25. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him, 26. of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write. 27. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him.”

16. “Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold of me. 17. In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest. 18. My garment is disfigured by great force. It binds me about as the collar of my tunic. 19. He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes. 20. I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me. 21. You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me. 22. You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm. 23. For I know that you will bring me to death, To the house appointed for all living. 24. “However doesn’t one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help? 25. Didn’t I weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn’t my soul grieved for the needy? 26. When I looked for good, then evil came. When I waited for light, darkness came. 27. My heart is troubled, and doesn’t rest. Days of affliction have come on me. 28. I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help. 29. I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches. 30. My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat. 31. Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.