Ezekiel 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 about the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and you shall say to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the flocks be fed by the shepherds?

“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 You consumed the milk, and you covered yourselves with the wool, and you killed what was fattened. But my flock you did not feed.

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

4 What was weak, you have not strengthened, and what was sick, you have not healed. What was broken, you have not bound, and what was cast aside, you have not led back again, and what was lost, you have not sought. Instead, you ruled over them with severity and with power.

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 was no shepherd. And they became devoured by all the wild beasts of the field, and they were dispersed.

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 My sheep have wandered to every mountain and to every exalted hill. And my flocks have been scattered across the face of the earth. And there was no one who sought them; there was no one, I say, who sought them.

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 Because of this, O shepherds, listen to the word of the Lord:

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

8 As I live, says the Lord God, since my flocks have become a prey, and my sheep have been devoured by all the wild beasts of the field, since there was no shepherd, for my shepherds did not seek my flock, but instead the shepherds fed themselves, and they did not feed my flocks:

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 because of this, O shepherds, listen to the word of the Lord:

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

10 Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I myself will be over the shepherds. I will require my flock at their hand, and I will cause them to cease, so that they no longer refrain from feeding the flock. Neither will the shepherds feed themselves any more. And I will deliver my flock from their mouth; and it will no longer be food 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 myself will seek my sheep, and I myself 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 Just as a shepherd visits his flock, in the day when he will be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit my sheep. And I will deliver them from all the places to which they had been scattered in the day of gloom 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 lead them away from the peoples, and I will gather them from the lands, and I will bring them into their own land. And I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the settlements 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 very fertile pastures, and their pastures will be on the lofty mountains of Israel. There they will rest on the green grass, and they will be fed in the fat pastures, 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 lie down, 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 what had been lost. And I will lead back again what had been cast aside. And I will bind up what had been broken. And I will strengthen what had been infirm. And I will preserve what was fat and strong. And I will feed them on judgment.

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 But as for you, O my flocks, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, among rams and among 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 Was it not enough for you to feed upon good pastures? For you even trample with your feet upon the remainder of your pastures. And when you drank the purist water, you disturbed the remainder 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 And my sheep were pastured from what you had trampled with your feet, and they drank from what your feet had disturbed.

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

20 Because of this, thus says the Lord God to you: Behold, I myself am judging between the fat cattle and the lean.

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

21 For you have pushed with your sides and shoulders, and you have threatened all the weak cattle with your horns, until they were scattered abroad.

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 I will save my flock, and it will no longer be a prey, and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

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 over them ONE SHEPHERD, who will feed them, my servant David. He himself will feed them, and he will 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 their God. And my servant David will be the leader in their midst. I, the Lord, have spoken.

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 a covenant of peace with them. And I will cause the very harmful beasts to cease from the land. And those who are living in the desert will sleep securely 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 make them a blessing all around my hill. And I will send the rain in due time; there will be showers 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 tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the land will yield its crop. And they will be in their own land without fear. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have crushed the chains of their yoke, and when I will have rescued them from the hand of those who rule over 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 will no longer be a prey to the Gentiles, nor will the wild beasts of the earth devour them. Instead, they will live in confidence without any terror.

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 renowned branch. And they will be no longer be diminished by famine in the land, nor will they carry any longer the reproach of the Gentiles.

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, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they are my people, the 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 For you are my flocks; the flocks of my pasture are men. 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.”