So ¹  the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, ²  who is going to rule ³  over all the nations ⁴  with an iron rod. ⁵  Her ⁶  child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne,

The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” ¹ 

You will also take in your hand this staff, with which you will do the signs.” ¹ 

So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep.

Everyone rejects God; ¹  they are all morally corrupt. ²  None of them does what is right, ³  not even one!

Yet he brought out his people like sheep; he led them through the wilderness like a flock.

My beloved is like a fragrant pouch of myrrh ¹  spending the night ²  between my breasts.

My beloved is like a cluster of henna blossoms ¹  in the vineyards of En-Gedi. ² 

The Beloved to Her Lover: Oh, how handsome you are, my lover! ¹  Oh, ²  how delightful ³  you are! The lush foliage ⁴  is our canopied bed; ⁵ 

The Beloved about Her Lover: Listen! ¹  My lover is approaching! ²  Look! ³  Here he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills!

¹ “Foreigners will take care of ²  your sheep; foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.

I will give you leaders ¹  who will be faithful to me. ²  They will lead you with knowledge and insight.

The Lord says, ¹  “The leaders of my people are sure to be judged. ²  They were supposed to watch over my people like shepherds watch over their sheep. But they are causing my people to be destroyed and scattered. ³ 

“‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out.

Then she gave birth ¹  to his brother Abel. ²  Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground. ³ 

Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. ¹  There is no end to the making ²  of many books, and much study is exhausting to the body. ³ 

May your mouth ¹  be like the best wine, flowing smoothly for my beloved, gliding gently over our lips as we sleep together. ² 

Then I said, ¹  “Look up, Jerusalem, ²  and see the enemy ³  that is coming from the north. Where now is the flock of people that were entrusted to your care? ⁴  Where now are the ‘sheep’ that you take such pride in? ⁵ 

he ¹  will rule ²  them with an iron rod ³  and like clay jars he will break them to pieces, ⁴ 

So the Lord God of Israel has this to say about the leaders who are ruling over his people: “You have caused my people ¹  to be dispersed and driven into exile. You have not taken care of them. So I will punish you for the evil that you have done. ²  I, the Lord, affirm it! ³