Ezekiel 34

1 And the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying:

Yahweh gave me another message. He said,

2 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?

“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 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

[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 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.

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, because there was no shepherd; And they became food for every wild beast of the field. So were they scattered.

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 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.

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 Wherefore ye shepherds, hear ye the word of Yahweh:

Therefore, you [who should be acting like] shepherds, listen to what I, Yahweh the Lord say:

8 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

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 ye shepherds, hear ye the word of Yahweh:

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

10 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.

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 saith My Lord. Yahweh, - Here am I myself Therefore will I inquire after my flock and seek 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 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;

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 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:

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 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.

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

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

16 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.

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 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.

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 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?

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

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

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 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

[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 will I bring salvation to my flock, and they shall be no longer a prey, —but I will judge between one sheep and another,

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 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;

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 Yahweh, will become to them a God. my servant David, being a prince in their midst, — I Yahweh, have spoken;

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 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;

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, 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;

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 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.

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 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.

[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 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.

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 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.

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

[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.’”