God Warns All Shepherds (Jer 23: 1-6) Poem by Dr John Celes

‘Disaster waits for shepherds who
Shall lose or scatter any sheep
Belonging to my pasture, fold,
declares Lord Yahweh, rather cold.’

‘My flock, you scattered, and drove them;
You didn’t take care of them as told;
I’ll punish you for your misdeeds’ –
Thus speaks the Lord about shepherds.

‘I’ll bring the remnant of my flock
from all the countries, whence they’ve gone,
back to their folds, to be fruitful,
increasing in their numbers fast.’

‘I’ll raise new shepherds for them soon,
to pasture them without a fear;
No one shall ev’r be lost again’ –
Declares Yahweh, the God of all.

‘The days are coming, ’ says the Lord,
‘I’ll raise a David’s upright branch;
He’ll reign as king, remaining wise,
And doing what is just, upright.’

‘Judah will triumph, in his days;
Israel will live in safety then;
He will be called by just this name’ –
‘Yahweh-Is-Our-Saving-Justice’.

Copyright by Dr John Celes 7-19-2009