Ezekiel 34

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

Yahweh gave me another message. He said,

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?

“You human, prophesy about [leaders] of Israel. [They should be taking care of my people like] [MET] shepherds [take care of their sheep]. Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Terrible things will happen to you leaders [MET] of Israel who only take care of yourselves! You should certainly [RHQ] take care of [your people like] [MET] a shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep!

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

[It is as though] you eat the curds, you slaughter the very good animals and wear clothes made from their wool. But you do not take care of 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 have not enabled those who are weak to become strong. You have not healed those who were sick. You have not bandaged those who were wounded/injured. You have not brought back those who went astray. You have not searched for those who became lost. You have ruled your people harshly and cruelly.

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

So they were scattered, because you did not [take care of them like] [MET] a shepherd [takes care of his sheep]. And when they were scattered, [it was as though] wild animals attacked and [killed them and ate] their flesh.

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 people wandered like sheep all over the high hills and mountains. They were scattered all over the earth, and no one searched for them [DOU].

7 Therefore ye shepherds, heare the woorde of the Lord.

Therefore, you [who should be acting like] shepherds, listen to what I, Yahweh the Lord 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 surely as I am alive, my people [are like a flock of sheep that has] no shepherd, and as a result [it is as though] wild animals have attacked my people and eaten them. You did not search for them; instead, you only wanted to provide food for yourselves.

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

Therefore, you [who should be like] [MET] shepherds, listen to what I, Yahweh 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.

I am opposed to [you leaders who should be like] [MET] shepherds for my people. I will remove you from taking care of my people, with the result that you will no longer feed yourselves [instead of feeding them]. I will rescue my people from you, with the result that you will longer be able to [butcher them and] eat them.

11 For thus sayeth the Lord God, Beholde, I will search my sheepe, and seeke them out.

This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say to you leaders: I myself will search for my sheep and take care of 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,

Like a shepherd finds his scattered sheep, I will rescue my people from all the places to which they have been scattered, at a time when things were very gloomy and they experienced disasters.

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 bring them back from many countries and gather them together again in their own land. [Because my people are like sheep] [MET], [it is as though] I will enable them to find good pastureland on the hills of Israel, and in the ravines, and in the villages of Israel.

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.

[It is as though] I will allow them to graze in good pastures on the mountaintops. They will lie down in good (grazing areas/grassy fields) there [DOU].

15 I will feede my sheepe, and bring them to their rest, sayth the Lord God.

I myself will take care of my people and enable them to lie down and rest.

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 search for those who are lost and bring back the ones who have strayed away. I will bandage those who have been injured and strengthen those who are weak. But I will get rid of those who are fat and powerful. I will act fairly toward [the people who are like] [MET] my sheep. That is what I, Yahweh, promise.

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

And as for you who are like [MET] my sheep, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: I will judge between each of you; and I will separate [those that are peaceful like] sheep from [those that are always trying to dominate others like] 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?

It is bad that [RHQ] some of you keep the best pastures for yourselves. It is even worse that [RHQ] you trample the good grass with your feet. You yourselves drink the clear water [RHQ]. But with your feet you cause the other water to become muddy [RHQ].

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

[It is as though] you [RHQ] are forcing my flock to eat the grass that you have trampled and to drink the water that you have caused to become muddy!

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

Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say to you: I myself will judge between [those of you who are like] [MET] the fat sheep and [those of you who are like] the thin 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,

[who are like] strong sheep, [it is as though] with your shoulders and buttocks you have shoved away [those who are like] thin sheep, and you have butted them with your horns, until you have chased them all away [from the good pastureland].

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

But I will rescue my people, and they no longer will be (harassed/treated cruelly). I will judge between one person and another.

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.

And I will appoint one leader [MET] for them, [someone who will be like] King David, who served me [very well]. That leader will take care of them and be like 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, Yahweh, will be their God, and [the one who is like] [MET] King David will be their king. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.

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 a peace agreement with the people of Israel. In this agreement I will promise to get rid of all the wild animals in Israel, in order that my people may live safely, even in the desert and in the forests.

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 I will bless the places close to my sacred hill. I will bless them by sending them rain showers at the right season; they will be showers to bless them.

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 fruit trees will produce fruit and the ground will produce crops. And my people will live safely in their land. When I rescue them from people who caused them to be slaves [MET, DOU], they will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].

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.

[Soldiers from] other nations will no longer take away their valuable possessions, and wild animals will no longer attack them. They will live safely, and no one will cause them to be afraid.

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 cause their land to be famous/well-known for its good crops. There will no longer be famines in the land, and people in other nations will no longer ridicule them.

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, Yahweh their God, am helping them, and they will know that they, the Israeli people, are my people.

31 And yee my sheepe, the sheepe of my pasture are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.

[It will be as though] [MET] my people are my sheep whom I will take care of, and I will be their God. That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, declare.’”