Ezekiel 34

1 And the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Sonne of man, prophesie against the shepherdes of Israel, prophesie and say vnto them, Thus saieth the Lord God vnto the shepherds, Wo be vnto the shepherds of Israel, that feede them selues: should not the shepherds feede the flockes?

“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 Yee eate the fat, and yee clothe you with the wooll: yee kill them that are fed, but ye feede not the sheepe.

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 weake haue ye not strengthened: the sicke haue ye not healed, neither haue ye bounde vp the broken, nor brought againe that which was driuen away, neither haue yee sought that which was lost, but with crueltie, and with rigour haue yee ruled them.

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 they were scattered without a shepherde: and when they were dispersed, they were deuoured of all the beastes of the fielde.

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 sheepe wandred through all the mountaines, and vpon euery hie hill: yea, my flocke was scattered through al the earth, and none did seeke or search after 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, heare the woorde of the Lord.

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

8 As I liue, sayeth the Lord God, surely because my flocke was spoyled, and my sheepe were deuoured of all the beasts of the fielde, hauing no shepherde, neither did my shepherdes seeke my sheepe, but the shepherdes fedde them selues, and fedde not my sheepe,

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, heare ye the word of the Lord, O ye shepherds.

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

10 Thus saieth the Lord God, Behold, I come against the shepherds, and will require my sheepe at their hands, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheepe: neither shall the shepherds feede them selues any more: for I wil deliuer my sheepe from their mouthes, and they shall no more deuoure 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 sayeth the Lord God, Beholde, I will search my sheepe, and seeke them out.

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

12 As a shepherd searcheth out his flocke, when he hath bene among his sheepe that are scattered, so wil I seeke out my sheepe and wil deliuer them out of all places, where they haue beene scattered in the cloudie and darke 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 people, and gather them from the countreis, and will bring them to their owne lande, and feede them vpon the mountaines of Israel, by the riuers, and in all the inhabited places of the countrey.

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 feede them in a good pasture, and vpon the hie mountaines of Israel shall their folde be: there shall they lie in a good folde and in fat pasture shall they feede vpon the mountaines 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 feede my sheepe, and bring them to their rest, sayth the Lord God.

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

16 I will seeke that which was lost, and bring againe that which was driue away, and will binde vp that which was broken, and will strengthen the weake but I wil destroy the fat and the strong, and I will feede them with iudgement.

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 Also you my sheepe, Thus saieth the Lord God, behold, I iudge betweene sheepe, and sheepe, betweene the rammes and the goates.

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 Seemeth it a small thing vnto you to haue eaten vp the good pasture, but yee must treade downe with your feete the residue of your pasture? and to haue drunke of the deepe waters, but yee must trouble the residue with your feete?

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 sheepe eate that which yee haue troden with your feete, and drinke that which ye haue troubled with your feete.

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 sayth the Lord God vnto them, behold, I, euen I wil iudge betweene the fat sheepe and the leane sheepe.

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 ye haue thrust with side and with shoulder, and pusht al the weake with your hornes, till ye haue scattered them abroade,

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 Therefore wil I helpe my sheepe, and they shall no more be spoyled, and I wil iudge betweene sheepe and sheepe.

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 wil set vp a shepherd ouer them, and he shall feede them, euen my seruant Dauid, he shall feede them, and he shalbe 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 seruant Dauid shalbe the prince amog them. I the Lord haue 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 with them a couenant of peace, and will cause the euil beastes to cease out of the land: and they shall dwel safely in the wildernesse, and sleepe in the woods.

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 wil set them, as a blessing, euen roud about my mountaine: and I will cause rayne to come downe in due season, and there shalbe raine 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 fielde shall yeeld her fruite, and the earth shall giue her fruite, and they shalbe safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I haue broken the cordes of their yoke, and deliuered them out of the hands of those that serued themselues of 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 no more be spoyled of the heathen, neither shall the beastes of the land deuoure them, but they shall dwell safely and none shall make them afrayd.

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 rayse vp for them a plant of renoume, and they shalbe no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither beare the reproche of the heathen any more.

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

30 Thus shall they vnderstande, that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, euen the house of Israel, are my people, sayth 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 yee my sheepe, the sheepe of my pasture are men, and I am 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.”