Ezekiel 34

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

And the word of Jehovah came to 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 to them, to the shepherds, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

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 eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill that which is fatted; but ye feed not the flock.

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 do ye not strengthen, and the sick do ye not heal, and the wounded do ye not bind up; ye bring not back that which hath been driven away, neither seek ye that which hath been lost; but with force and with cruelty do ye rule them.

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.

Therefore are they scattered abroad, because there is no shepherd, and they are food to all the beasts of the field, or are scattered abroad.

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 wander through all the mountains, and upon every high hill; yea, over the whole face of the land is my flock scattered, and none careth for them, or seeketh them.

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

Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah:

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 Jehovah, surely, because my flock is become a prey, and my flock is become meat to all the beasts of the field because there is no shepherd, and because my shepherds search not for my flock, and feed themselves, and feed not my flock, —

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

therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah.

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 Jehovah: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, and they shall not be meat 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 Jehovah: Behold I, even I, will seek my flock, and look after them;

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 looketh after his flock in the day when he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I look after my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the day of clouds and 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 nations, and gather them from the countries; and I will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all the dwelling-places of the land.

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 flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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 bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong will I destroy; I will feed them as they deserve.

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 sheep, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will judge between the weak of the flock and the strong ones, 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 to you to eat up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to drink of the clear 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 that my sheep eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and 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 Jehovah to them: Behold I, even I, will judge between the fat and the lean of the flock.

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 your side and with your shoulder, and push all the weak with your horns, till ye scatter 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 sheep, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

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 raise 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, Jehovah, will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them. I, Jehovah, have spoken it.

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, so that they shall dwell safely in the desert, 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; showers rich in blessings shall there be.

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 her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase; and they shall be secure in their land, and shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall break the bands of their yoke and deliver them out of the hand of them that made them servants.

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 beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell in security, 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 for them a plantation for my glory; and they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, neither shall they bear the reproach 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.

Then shall they know, that I, Jehovah, their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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

For ye, my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord Jehovah.