Ezekiel 34

1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed their flock?

'Son of man, prophesy concerning shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and thou hast said unto them: To the shepherds, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Woe [to] the shepherds of Israel, Who have been feeding themselves! The flock do not the shepherds feed?

3 You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened sheep, but you do not feed the flock.

The fat ye do eat, and the wool ye put on, The fed one ye slaughter, the flock ye feed not.

4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.

The weak ye have not strengthened, And the sick one ye have not healed, And the broken ye have not bound up, And the driven away have not brought back, And the lost ye have not sought, And with might ye have ruled them and with rigour.

5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild beasts.

And they are scattered from want of a shepherd, And are for food to every beast of the field, Yea, they are scattered.

6 My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. They were scattered over the face of all the earth, with no one to search for them or seek them out.’

Go astray do My flock on all the mountains, And on every high hill, And on all the face of the land have My flock been scattered, And there is none inquiring, and none seeking.

7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

Therefore, shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

8 ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because My flock lacks a shepherd and has become prey and food for every wild beast, and because My shepherds did not search for My flock but fed themselves instead,

I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, If not, because of My flock being for a prey, Yea, My flock is for food to every beast of the field, Because there is no shepherd, And My shepherds have not sought My flock, And the shepherds do feed themselves, And My flock they have not fed.

9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD!’

Therefore, O shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

10 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand from them My flock and remove them from tending the flock, so that they can no longer feed themselves. For I will deliver My flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.’

Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I [am] against the shepherds, And have required My flock from their hand, And caused them to cease from feeding the flock, And no more do the shepherds feed themselves, And I have delivered My flock from their mouth, And they are not to them for food.

11 For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out.

For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I — even I, have required My flock, And I have sought it out.

12 As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

As a shepherd's searching of his drove, In the day of his being in the midst of his scattered flock, so I do seek My flock, And have delivered them out of all places, Whither they have been scattered, In a day of cloud and thick darkness.

13 I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the settlements of the land.

And brought them out from the peoples, And have gathered them from the lands, And brought them unto their own ground, And have fed them on mountains of Israel, By streams, and by all dwellings of the land.

14 I will feed them in good pasture, and the lofty mountains of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in a good grazing land; they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

With good pasture I do feed them, And on mountains of the high place of Israel is their habitation, There do they lie down in a good habitation, And fat pastures they enjoy on mountains of Israel.

15 I will tend My flock and make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.

I feed My flock, and cause them to lie down, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

16 I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’

The lost I seek, and the driven away bring back, And the broken I bind up, and the sick I strengthen, And the fat and the strong I destroy, I feed it with judgment.

17 This is what the Lord GOD says to you, My flock: ‘I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the goats.

And you, My flock, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am judging between sheep and sheep, Between rams and he-goats.

18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink the clear waters? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?

Is it a little thing for you — the good pasture ye enjoy, And the remnant of your pasture ye tread down with your feet, And a depth of waters ye do drink, And the remainder with your feet ye trample,

19 Why must My flock feed on what your feet have trampled, and drink what your feet have muddied?’

And My flock the trodden thing of your feet consumeth, And the trampled thing of your feet drinketh?

20 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says to them: ‘Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah to them: Lo, I — even I, have judged between fat sheep and lean sheep.

21 Since you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak ones with your horns until you have scattered them abroad,

Because with side and with shoulder ye thrust away, And with your horns push all the diseased, Till ye have scattered them to the out-place,

22 I will save My flock, and they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.

And I have given safety to My flock, And they are not any more for prey, And I have judged between sheep and sheep.

23 I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.

And have raised up over them one shepherd, And he hath fed them — my servant David, He doth feed them, and he is their shepherd,

24 I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.

And I, Jehovah, I am their God, And My servant David prince in their midst, I, Jehovah, have spoken.

25 I will make with them a covenant of peace and rid the land of wild animals, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.

And I have made for them a covenant of peace, And caused evil beasts to cease out of the land, And they have dwelt in a wilderness confidently, And they have slept in forests.

26 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season—showers of blessing.

And I have given them, and the suburbs of my hill, a blessing, And caused the shower to come down in its season, Showers of blessing they are.

27 The trees of the field will give their fruit, and the land will yield its produce; My flock will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and delivered them from the hands that enslaved them.

And given hath the tree of the field its fruit, And the land doth give her increase, And they have been on their land confident, And they have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My breaking the bands of their yoke, And I have delivered them from the hand of those laying service on them.

28 They will no longer be prey for the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not consume them. They will dwell securely, and no one will frighten them.

And they are no more a prey to nations, And the beast of the earth devoureth them not, And they have dwelt confidently, And there is none troubling.

29 And I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations.

And I have raised for them a plant for renown, And they are no more consumed by hunger in the land, And they bear no more the shame of the nations.

30 Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ declares the Lord GOD.

And they have known that I, Jehovah, their God, [am] with them, And they — the house of Israel — My people, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

31 ‘You are My flock, the sheep of My pasture, My people, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

And ye, My flock, the flock of My pasture, Men ye [are] — I [am] your God, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'