Ezekiel 34

1 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,

And the word of the Lord came unto 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, prophesy concerning the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say unto them, unto the shepherds, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Woe to the shepherds of Israel who do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

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.

The fat ye eat, and with the wool ye clothe yourselves, those that are well fed ye slaughter; but the flock ye feed not.

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.

The diseased have ye not strengthened, and the sick have ye not healed, and that which had a limb broken have ye not bound up, and the strayed have ye not brought back again, and what was lost have ye not sought for; but with force have ye ruled them and with rigor.

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 scattered for want of a shepherd; and they became food unto all the beasts of the field, and they were scattered.

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].

My sheep have to wander about on all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, over all the face of the land are my flock scattered, and there is none that inquireth and none that seeketh [after them].

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

Therefore, ye shepherds, hear 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.

As I live, saith the Lord Eternal, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became food unto every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, and my shepherds did not inquire for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and my flock they fed not:

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

Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear 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.

Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I will be against the shepherds, and I will require my flock from their hand, and I will stop them from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more: and I will deliver my flock out of their mouth, that they may not serve them for food.

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 thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I am here, and I will both inquire for my flocks, and search for them.

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 a shepherd searcheth for his flock on the day that he is among his flocks that are scattered: so will I search for my flocks; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered on the day of clouds and [tempestuous] darkness.

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 bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of 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].

On a good pasture will I feed them, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall be their fold: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed 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 feed my flock, and I myself will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord Eternal.

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.

That which was lost will I seek for, and that which was gone astray will I bring back again, and that which had a limb broken will I bind up, and the sick will I strengthen: but the fat and the strong will I destroy; I will feed them in justice.

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, thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I will judge between lamb and lamb, between the wethers 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].

Is it too little for you that ye can feed on the good pasture, that ye must tread down the residue of your pastures with your feet? and that ye can drink clear waters, that ye must render muddy with your feet what is left?

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 flock, what ye have trodden with your feet must they eat; and what ye have made muddy with your feet must they drink.

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.

Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal unto them, Behold, I am here, and I will judge between the fat lamb and the lean lamb.

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 ye thrust with side and with shoulder, and push with your horns all the diseased, till ye have scattered them abroad:

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

Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between lamb and lamb.

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 appoint over them one shepherd, and he shall feed them, namely, my servant David: he it is that shall feed them, and he it is that shall be unto them for a shepherd.

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—I will be unto them for a God, and my servant David shall be a prince in their midst: I the Lord have spoken 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 a covenant of peace, and I will cause the wild beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell in the wilderness in safety, and sleep in the forests.

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 make them and the environs of my hill a blessing; and I will cause the rain to come down in its season; rains of blessing shall they be.

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 shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield her products, and they shall be on their land in safety: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bands of their yoke, and deliver them out of the hand of those that had made them labor for them.

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 they shall be no more a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the land shall not devour them; but they shall dwell in safety, with none to make them afraid.

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 raise up for them a plantation for a [perpetual] renown, and they shall be no more taken away by hunger in the land, neither bear the shameful reproach of the nations any more.

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.

Thus shall they experience that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord Eternal.

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 ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, [and] I am your God, saith the Lord Eternal.