Ezekiel 34

1 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2 “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!

Son of man, be a prophet against the keepers of the flock of Israel, and say to them, O keepers of the sheep! this is the word of the Lord: A curse is on the keepers of the flock of Israel who take the food for themselves! is it not right for the keepers to give the food to the sheep?

3 [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.

You take the milk and are clothed with the wool, you put the fat beasts to death, but you give the sheep no food.

4 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.

You have not made the diseased ones strong or made well that which was ill; you have not put bands on the broken or got back that which had been sent away or made search for the wandering ones; and the strong you have been ruling cruelly.

5 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.

And they were wandering in every direction because there was no keeper: and they became food for all the beasts of the field.

6 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].

And my sheep went out of the way, wandering through all the mountains and on every high hill: my sheep went here and there over all the face of the earth; and no one was troubled about them or went in search of them.

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

For this cause, O keepers of the flock, give ear to the word of the Lord:

8 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.

By my life, says the Lord, truly, because my sheep have been taken away, and my sheep became food for all the beasts of the field, because there was no keeper, and my keepers did not go in search of the sheep, but the keepers took food for themselves and gave my sheep no food;

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

For this reason, O you keepers of the flock, give ear to the word of the Lord;

10 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.

This is what the Lord has said: See I am against the keepers of the flock, and I will make search and see what they have done with my sheep, and will let them be keepers of my sheep no longer; and the keepers will no longer get food for themselves; I will take my sheep out of their mouths so that they may not be food for them.

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

For this is what the Lord has said: Truly, I, even I, will go searching and looking for my sheep.

12 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.

As the keeper goes looking for his flock when he is among his wandering sheep, so I will go looking for my sheep, and will get them safely out of all the places where they have been sent wandering in the day of clouds and black night.

13 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.

And I will take them out from among the peoples, and get them together from the countries, and will take them into their land; and I will give them food on the mountains of Israel by the water-streams and wherever men are living in the country.

14 [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].

I will give them good grass-land for their food, and their safe place will be the mountains of the high place of Israel: there they will take their rest in a good place, and on fat grass-land they will take their food on the mountains of Israel.

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

I myself will give food to my flock, and I will give them rest, says the Lord.

16 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.

I will go in search of that which had gone wandering from the way, and will get back that which had been sent in flight, and will put bands on that which was broken, and give strength to that which was ill: but the fat and the strong I will give up to destruction; I will give them for their food the punishment which is theirs by right.

17 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.

And as for you, O my flock, says the Lord, truly, I will be judge between sheep and sheep, the he-sheep and the he-goats.

18 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].

Does it seem a small thing to you to have taken your food on good grass-land while the rest of your grass-land is stamped down under your feet? and that after drinking from clear waters you make the rest of the waters dirty with your feet?

19 [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!

And as for my sheep, their food is the grass which has been stamped on by your feet, and their drink the water which has been made dirty by your feet.

20 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.

For this reason the Lord has said to them, Truly, I, even I, will be judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep.

21 [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].

Because you have been pushing with side and leg, pushing the diseased with your horns till they were sent away in every direction;

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

I will make my flock safe, and they will no longer be taken away, and I will be judge between sheep and sheep.

23 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.

And I will put over them one keeper, and he will give them food, even my servant David; he will give them food and be their keeper.

24 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.

And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David their ruler; I the Lord have said it.

25 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.

And I will make with them an agreement of peace, and will put an end to evil beasts through all the land: and they will be living safely in the waste land, sleeping in the woods.

26 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.

And I will give the rain at the right time, and I will make the shower come down at the right time; there will be showers of blessing.

27 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].

And the tree of the field will give its fruit and the earth will give its increase, and they will be safe in their land; and they will be certain that I am the Lord, when I have had their yoke broken and have given them salvation from the hands of those who made them servants.

28 [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.

And their goods will no longer be taken by the nations, and they will not again be food for the beasts of the earth; but they will be living safely and no one will be a cause of fear to them.

29 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.

And I will give them planting-places of peace, and they will no longer be wasted from need of food or put to shame by the nations.

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

And they will be certain that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, the children of Israel, are my people, says the Lord.

31 [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.’”

And you are my sheep, the sheep of my grass-lands, and I am your God, says the Lord.