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 concerning the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to the shepherds: Thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that fed themselves: should not the hocks 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 ate the milk, and you clothed yourselves with the wool, and you killed that which was fat: 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 The weak you have not strengthened, and that which was sick you have not healed, that which was broken you have not bound up, and that which was driven away you have not brought again, neither have you sought that which was lost: but you ruled over them with rigour, and with a high hand.

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 the prey of all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.

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 in every mountain, and in every high hill: and my flocks mere scattered upon the face of the earth, and there was none that sought them, there was none, I say, that 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 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

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

8 As I live, saith the Lord God, forasmuch as my flocks have been made a spoil, and my sheep are become a prey to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd: for my shepherds did not seek after my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not 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 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

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

10 Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself come upon the shepherds, I will require my hock at their hand, and I will cause them to cease from feeding the flock any more, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more: and I will deliver my flock from their mouth, and it shall no more 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 saith the Lord God: Behold I myself will seek 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 visiteth his hock in the day when he shall be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

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 peoples, and will gather them out of the countries, and will bring them to their own land: and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the habitations 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 the most fruitful pastures, and their pastures shall be in the high mountains of Israel: there shall they rest on the green grass, and be fed in fat pastures upon 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, saith 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 was lost: and that which was driven away, I will bring again: and I will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will preserve: and I will feed them in 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 And as for you, O my flocks, thus saith the Lord God: Behold I judge between cattle and cattle, of rams and of 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? but you must also tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures: and when you drank the dearest water, you troubled the rest 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 fed with that which you had trodden with your feet: and they drank what your feet had troubled.

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 saith the Lord God to you: Behold, I myself will judge 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 Because you thrusted with sides and shoulders, and struck all the weak cattle with your horns, till 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 dock, and it shall be no more a spoil, 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 SET UP ONE SHEPHERD OVER THEM, and he shall feed them, even my servant David: he shall feed them, 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 their God: and my servant David the 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 a covenant of peace with them, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they that dwell in the wilderness shall sleep secure 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 round about my hill: and I will send down the rain in its season, there shall 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 shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be in their land without fear: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have broken the bonds of their yoke, and shall have delivered them out of the hand of those that 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 shall be no more for a spoil to the nations, neither shall the beasts of the earth devour them: but they shall dwell securely 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 bud of renown: and they shall be no more consumed with famine in the land, neither shall they bear any more 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: saith 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 And you my flocks, the flocks of my pasture are men: and I am the Lord your God, saith 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.”