Ezekiel 34

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

And the word of Yahweh 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 thou shalt say unto them, even to the shepherds— Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh— Alas! for the shepherds of Israel who have been tending, themselves, Is it not the flock that the shepherds should tend?

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

The milk, ye do eat And with the wool, ye do clothe your- selves, The well-fed, ye do sacrifice, The flock, ye do not tend

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 And, the sick, have ye not healed. And the torn, have ye not bound up, And that which was driven out, have ye not brought back, And that which was straying, have ye not sought out; But with force, have ye ruled 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.

And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; And they became food for every wild beast of the field. So were they 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 did wander through all the mountains, And over every high hill, - And over all the face of the land, were my sheep scattered, And there was none to inquire And none to seek out.

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

Wherefore ye shepherds, hear ye the word of Yahweh:

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, — Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely because my flock became a prey. And my flock became food for every wild beast of the field, through having no shepherd, Neither did my shepherds inquire after the flock, —But the shepherds tended themselves. And my flock, they tended not

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

Therefore ye shepherds, hear ye the word of Yahweh:

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 My Lord. Yahweh, Behold me! against the shepherds So then I will require my flock at their hand And will cause them to cease tending the flock, Neither shall the shepherds any longer tend themselves, But I will deliver my flock out of their mouth, that they may not be their food.

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 My Lord. Yahweh, - Here am I myself Therefore will I inquire after my flock 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 he is in the midst of his sheep that are scattered, So! will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they were scattered in the day of cloud 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 among the peoples And will gather them out of the lands, And will bring them upon their own soil, And will tend them Upon the mountains of Israel, In the ravines. And in all the habitable 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.

In good pastures, will I feed them, And on the mountains of the height of Israel, shall be their fold, — There, shall they lie down in a fold that is good, And on pasture that is fat, shall they feed. among the mountains of Israel.

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

I myself, will tend my flock. And, I myself, will cause them to lie down, Declareth My Lord Yahweh:

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.

That which is straying, will I seek out. And that which hath been driven away, will I bring back, And that which is torn, will I bind up, And the weak, will I strengthen, - But the fat and the strong, will I watch I will feed them with 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 My Lord. Yahweh: Behold me! judging between one kind of small cattle and another as well the rams as 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?

Is it too small a thing for you that on the good pasture, ye feed, But the remainder of your pastures, ye must needs trample down with your feet? Or that of the pure waters, ye drink But the waters left remaining—with your feet, ye must needs foul?

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 my flock On what hath been trampled down by your feet, may feed, And of what hath been fouled by your feet, may drink?

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 My Lord Yahweh, unto them: Here am I myself. Therefore will I judge between fat sheep and lean sheep,

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 with the side and with the shoulder, ye do thrust, And with your horns, ye do push all the sick, — Until you 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 bring salvation to my flock, and they shall be no longer a prey, —but I will judge between one sheep and another,

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 over them one shepherd And he shall tend them, Even my servant David, — He, will tend them, And, he, will become to them a shepherd;

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

And, I Yahweh, will become to them a God. my servant David, being a prince in their midst, — I Yahweh, 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 solemnise for them a covenant of prosperity, And will cause to cease the mischievous wild-beast out of the land, And they shall dwell in the wilderness, securely, And shall sleep in the forests;

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 abundant rain to come down in its season abundant rains of blessing, shall they 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 his fruit And, the land, shall yield her increase, And they shall remain on their own soil in security, - So shall they know that I, am Yahweh, When I have broken the bars of their yoke, And shall deliver them out of the hand of them who have been using them as slaves.

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 be no longer a prey for the nations, Nor shall the wild beast of the earth! devour them, — But they shall dwell securely with none to put them in terror.

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 fame, - And there shall be no longer the destroyed of hunger in the land, Neither shall they bear any longer the reproach of the nations.

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.

So shall they know that, I, Yahweh their God am with them, - And that they are my people the house of Israel, Declareth My Lord. Yahweh.

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

Ye, therefore, my flock the flock of my pasture, are, men, — I, am your God, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.