Jezekiel 34

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God; O shepherds of Israel, do shepherds feed themselves? do not the shepherds feed the sheep?

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds who lead Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord God says: Disaster is coming to the shepherds of Israel, who only look after themselves, and not the sheep! Shouldn't shepherds make sure their flock is fed?

3 Behold, you feed on the milk, and clothe yourselves with the wool, and kill the fat: but you feed not my sheep.

You eat the cream, you use the wool for clothes, and you slaughter the fattened sheep, but you don't feed the flock.

4 The weak one you have not strengthened, and the sick you have not cherished, and the bruised you have not bound up, and the stray one you have not turned back, and the lost you have not sought; and the strong you have wearied with labour.

You haven't taken care of the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought home the strays, or looked for the lost. On the contrary, you ruled them using violence and cruelty.

5 And my sheep were scattered, because there were no shepherds: and they became meat to all the wild beasts of the field.

They were scattered because they didn't have a shepherd. When they scattered they were preyed on by all the wild animals for food.

6 And my sheep were scattered on every mountain, and on every high hill: yes, they were scattered on the face of the earth, and there was none to seek them out, nor to bring them back.

My sheep strayed, going to all the mountains and high hills. They were scattered everywhere, and there was no one to go and look for them.

7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.

So, you shepherds, listen to what the Lord has to say:

8 [As] I live, says the Lord God, surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became meat to all the wild beasts of the field, because there were no shepherds, and the shepherds sought not out my sheep, and the shepherds fed themselves, but fed not my sheep.

As I live, declares the Lord God, because my sheep didn't have a shepherd and were preyed on by all the wild animals for food, and because my shepherds didn't look after my sheep but instead only fed themselves,

9 For this cause, O shepherds,

so, you shepherds, you listen to what the Lord has to say!

10 thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hands, and will turn them back that they shall not feed my sheep, and the shepherds shall no longer feed them; and I will deliver my sheep out of their mouth, and they shall no longer be meat for them.

This is what the Lord God says: Watch out, because I'm condemning the shepherds, and I will take my sheep back and stop them looking after the sheep so they won't be able to feed themselves anymore. I will take away my sheep from them, and I won't let them eat the sheep anymore.

11 For thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will seek out my sheep, and will visit them.

For this is what the Lord God says: Watch as I myself will go looking for my sheep, searching to find them.

12 As the shepherd seeks his flock, in the day when there is darkness and cloud, in the midst of the sheep that are separated: so will I seek out my sheep, and will bring them back from every place where they were scattered in the day of cloud and darkness.

Just like a shepherd goes looking for his lost sheep when he is with the flock, so I will look for my sheep. I will rescue them from everywhere they were scattered on a dark and dismal day.

13 And I will bring them out from the Gentiles, and will gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land, and will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, and in the valleys, and in every inhabited place of the land.

I will take them out from among the other nations. I will gather them from the different countries, and bring them back to their own country. Like a shepherd I will have them feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and everywhere that people live in the country.

14 I will feed them in a good pasture, on a high mountain of Israel: and their folds shall be there, and they shall lie down, and there shall they rest in perfect prosperity, and they shall feed in a fat pasture on the mountains of Israel.

I will provide them with good pasture and places to graze in the high mountains of Israel. They will also be able to rest there in the good pasture and in the places to graze in mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed my sheep, and I will cause them to rest; and they shall know that I am the Lord: thus says the Lord God.

I myself will look after my sheep and give them a place to rest, declares the Lord God.

16 I will seek that which is lost, and I will recover the stray one, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen the fainting, and will guard the strong, and will feed them with judgement.

I will go looking for the lost, bring home the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak. However, I will destroy those who are fat and strong. Because I do what's right, I will be sure to take care of them.

17 And [as for] you, you sheep, thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will distinguish between sheep and sheep, [between] rams and he-goats.

My flock, this is what the Lord God says to you: Watch, because I will judge between one sheep and the next, between the rams and the goats.

18 And [is it] not enough for you that you fed on the good pasture, that you trampled with your feet the remnant of your pasture? and [that] you drank the standing water, [that] you disturbed the residue with your feet?

Aren't you satisfied with feeding in good pasture? Do you have to trample down the rest of the pasture with your feet? Aren't you satisfied to drink the clear water? Do you have to muddy the rest of it with your feet?

19 So my sheep fed on that which you had trampled with your feet; and they drank the water that had been disturbed by your feet.

Why does my flock have to feed on what your feet have trampled down, and drink the water that your feet have muddied?

20 Therefore thus says the Lord God; Behold, I will separate between the strong sheep and the weak sheep.

That's why the Lord God says to them: Watch, because I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the skinny sheep.

21 You did thrust with your sides and shoulders, and pushed with your horns, and you cruelly treated all the sick.

Since you push others around with your sides and your shoulders, and use your horns to attack all the weak ones until you have chased them away,

22 Therefore I will save my sheep, and they shall not be any more for a prey; and will judge between ram and ram.

I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be your victims. I will judge between one sheep and the next.

23 And I will raise up one shepherd over them, and he shall tend them, [even] my servant David, and he shall be their shepherd;

I will put one shepherd in charge of them, my servant David, and he will take care of them. He will take care of them and be their shepherd.

24 and I the Lord will be to them a God, and David a prince in the midst of them; I the Lord have spoken it.

I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be their leader. I the Lord have spoken.

25 And I will make with David a covenant of peace and I will utterly destroy evil beasts from off the land; and they shall dwell in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests.

I will make an agreement of peace with them, and get rid of the wild animals from the country, so that they can live safely in the wilderness and sleep securely in the forest.

26 And I will settle them round about my mountain; and I will give you the rain, the rain of blessing.

I will bless them and everywhere around my hill. I will send rain at the right time. They will be showers of blessing.

27 And the trees that are in the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her strength, and they shall dwell in the confidence of peace on their land, and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken their yoke; and I will deliver them out of the hand of those that enslaved them.

The trees in the orchards will produce their fruit; the earth will grow its crops; and my flock will be live in safety in their country. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I break their yokes of slavery, and set them free from those who made them slaves.

28 And they shall no more be a spoil to the nations, and the wild beasts of the land shall no more at all devour them; and they shall dwell safely, and there shall be none to make them afraid.

They won't be the victims of other nations anymore, and wild animals won't eat them. They will live in safety, and no one will terrorize them.

29 And I will raise up for them a plant of peace, and they shall no more perish with hunger upon the land, and they shall no more bear the reproach of the nations.

I will make their fields produce remarkable harvests, and they won't suffer famine in their country again or be mocked by others.

30 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, and they my people. O house of Israel, says the Lord God,

Then they will know that I am with them as the Lord their God, and that the people of Israel belong to me, declares the Lord God.

31 you are my sheep, even the sheep of my flock, and I am the Lord your God, says the Lord God.

You are my sheep, the sheep that I feed. You are my people, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”