Psalm 23

The King of Love My Shepherd Is

Heading
A psalm by David.

The Shepherd Provides for His People

The Shepherd Protects His People

The Royal Host Provides for His People

¹¹ “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep. He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ Because he works for money, he does not care about the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me ¹⁵ (just as the Father knows me and I know the Father). And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This is the commission I received from my Father.”

The Church Speaks God’s Word Boldly

²³ After Peter and John were released, they went to their own friends and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said. ²⁴ When they heard this, with one mind they raised their voices to God and said, “Master, you are the God who^[a] made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵ By the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David, your servant, you said:

²⁷ “For certainly, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and people of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸ They did whatever your hand and your plan had decided beforehand should happen.

²⁹ “Now Lord, look at their threats and give to your servants the ability to keep on speaking your word with all boldness ³⁰ as you stretch out your hand to heal and as signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. Also, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

The Believers Shared Everything

³² The whole group of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they held everything in common. ³³ The apostles continued to testify about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ^[d] with great power, and abundant grace was on all of them.

Love From the Father

3 See the kind of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are! The world does not know us, because it did not know him.

² Dear friends, we are children of God now, but what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he is revealed we will be like him, and we will see him as he really is.