And thou Bethlehem, {in} the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. {rule: or, feed}

And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. {feed or, rule}

And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, {even} my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

And David my servant {shall be} king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

In all {the places} wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? {any of...: any of the judges}

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry {them} in his bosom, {and} shall gently lead those that are with young. {that...: or, that give suck}

And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

Behold, I have given him {for} a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

And he sent, and brought him in. Now he {was} ruddy, {and} withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this {is} he. {of a...: Heb. fair of eyes}

Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

For it became him, for whom {are} all things, and by whom {are} all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, {and} behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. {behaved...: or, prospered}

Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee {all} thy days.

To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him {to be} captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him {to be} captain over his people, because thou hast not kept {that} which the LORD commanded thee.

Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

And thou Bethlehem, {in} the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. {rule: or, feed}

In all {the places} wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? {any of...: any of the judges}

And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou {wast} he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel. {in time...: Heb. both yesterday and the third day} {feed: or, rule}

Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, {that is so} great?

From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. {following: Heb. after}

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe {be} to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

ZAIN. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him {to be} captain over his people, because thou hast not kept {that} which the LORD commanded thee.

And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I {am but} a little child: I know not {how} to go out or come in.

But God {is} the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Thou shalt in any wise set {him} king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: {one} from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which {is} not thy brother.

And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured {it} upon his head, and kissed him, and said, {Is it} not because the LORD hath anointed thee {to be} captain over his inheritance?

But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

And every one {that was} in distress, and every one that {was} in debt, and every one {that was} discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. {was in debt: Heb. had a creditor} {discontented: Heb. bitter of soul}

I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee {all} thy days.

Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, {Am} I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?

Then the spirit came upon Amasai, {who was} chief of the captains, {and he said}, Thine {are we}, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace {be} unto thee, and peace {be} to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band. {came...: Heb. clothed}

Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return {therefore} every man to his house in peace.

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one {that} comforteth the mourners.

The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.