Ezekiel 34

1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

2 “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?

'Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, even to the shepherds: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that have fed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep?

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

Ye did eat the fat, and ye clothed you with the wool, ye killed the fatlings; but ye fed not the sheep.

4 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.

The weak have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force have ye ruled over them and with rigour.

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

So were they scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.

6 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.

My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill, yea, upon all the face of the earth were My sheep scattered, and there was none that did search or seek.

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

Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

8 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,

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely forasmuch as My sheep became a prey, and My sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not My sheep;

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

therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

10 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.

Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver My sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.

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

For thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, here am I, and I will search for My sheep, and seek them out.

12 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.

As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are separated, so will I seek out My sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the day of clouds and thick darkness.

13 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.

And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the habitable places of the country.

14 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.

I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie down in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

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

I will feed My sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

16 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.

I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy, I will feed them in justice.

17 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.

And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, even the rams and the he-goats.

18 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?

Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the settled waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

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

And as for My sheep, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

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

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and the lean cattle.

21 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,

Because ye thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the weak with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;

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

therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

23 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.

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.

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

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

25 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.

And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

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

And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there shall be showers of blessing.

27 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.

And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield her produce, and they shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those that made bondmen of them.

28 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.

And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, neither shall the beast of the earth devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

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

And I will raise up unto them a plantation for renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the nations any more.

30 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.

And they shall know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord GOD.

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

And ye My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.'