American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks,And look well to thy herds:
For riches are not for ever:And doth the crown endure unto all generations?
The {Hebrew: grass.}hay is carried, and the tender grass showeth itself,And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in.
The lambs are for thy clothing,And the goats are the price of the field;
And there will be goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household,And maintenance for thy maidens.
Let each man abide in that calling wherein he was called.
Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you {Or, overseers}bishops, to feed the church of {Some ancient authorities, including the two oldest manuscripts read God.}the Lord which he {Greek: acquired.}purchased with his own blood.
So when they had broken their fast, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of {Greek: Joanes. See chapter 1:42 margin}John, {Love in these places represents two different Greek words.}lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I {Love in these places represents two different Greek words.}love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of {Greek: Joanes. See chapter 1:42 margin}John, {Love in these places represents two different Greek words.}lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I {Love in these places represents two different Greek words.}love thee. He saith unto him, Tend my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of {Greek: Joanes. See chapter 1:42 margin}John, {Love in these places represents two different Greek words.}lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, {Love in these places represents two different Greek words.}Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou {Or, perceivest}knowest that I {Love in these places represents two different Greek words.}love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
Tend the flock of God which is among you, {Some ancient authorities omit exercising the oversight.}exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, {Some ancient authorities omit according to the will of God.}according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.
And he called ten {Greek: bondservants.}servants of his, and gave them ten {Mina, here translated pound, is equal to a one hundred drachmas. See chapter 15:8.}pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come.
The earth {Or, yielded}beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not {Or, void}vain in the Lord.
If his loins have not blessed me,And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of thy hand; in lambs, and rams, and goats, in these were they thy merchants.