Ezekiel 34

1 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who are shepherding themselves. Should not shepherds guard the flock?

Son of man, prophesy concerning the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to the shepherds: Thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that fed themselves: should not the hocks be fed by the shepherds?

3 You eat the fatty portions and you dress in wool. You slaughter the fatlings of the flock. You do not shepherd at all.

You ate the milk, and you clothed yourselves with the wool, and you killed that which was fat: but my flock you did not feed.

4 You have not strengthened those who have diseases, nor do you heal the ones who are ill. You do not bind up the ones who are broken, and you do not restore the outcasts or seek the lost. Instead, you rule over them through strength and violence.

The weak you have not strengthened, and that which was sick you have not healed, that which was broken you have not bound up, and that which was driven away you have not brought again, neither have you sought that which was lost: but you ruled over them with rigour, and with a high hand.

5 Then they were scattered without a shepherd, and they became food for all the living beasts in the fields, after they were scattered.

And my sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd: and they became the prey of all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.

6 My flock strays on all of the mountains and on every high hill, and it is dispersed over the entire surface of the earth. Yet no one is searching for them.

My sheep have wandered in every mountain, and in every high hill: and my flocks mere scattered upon the face of the earth, and there was none that sought them, there was none, I say, that sought them.

7 Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:

Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

8 As I live—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—because my flock has become plunder and food for all the beasts in the fields, because there was no shepherd and none of my shepherds sought my flock, but the shepherds guarded themselves and did not shepherd my flock.

As I live, saith the Lord God, forasmuch as my flocks have been made a spoil, and my sheep are become a prey to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd: for my shepherds did not seek after my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flocks:

9 Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:

Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

10 The Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock from their hand. Then I will dismiss them from shepherding the flock; neither will the shepherds any longer shepherd themselves since I will take away my flock from their mouths, so that my flock will no longer be food for them.

Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself come upon the shepherds, I will require my hock at their hand, and I will cause them to cease from feeding the flock any more, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more: and I will deliver my flock from their mouth, and it shall no more be meat for them.

11 For the Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I myself will seek out my flock and I will look after them,

For thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself will seek my sheep, and will visit them.

12 like a shepherd seeking his flock on the day he is within the midst of his scattered flock. Thus I will seek my flock, and I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on the day of clouds and darkness.

As the shepherd visiteth his hock in the day when he shall be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

13 Then I will bring them out from among the peoples; I will gather them from the lands and bring them to their land. I will put them in pastures on the mountainsides of Israel, by the streams, and in every settlement in the land.

And I will bring them out from the peoples, and will gather them out of the countries, and will bring them to their own land: and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the habitations of the land.

14 I will put them in good pastures; the high mountains of Israel will be their grazing places. They will lie down there in good places for grazing, in abundant pastures, and they will graze on the mountains of Israel.

I will feed them in the most fruitful pastures, and their pastures shall be in the high mountains of Israel: there shall they rest on the green grass, and be fed in fat pastures upon the mountains of Israel.

15 I myself will shepherd my flock, and I myself will make them lie down—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—

I will feed my sheep: and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.

16 I will seek the lost and restore the outcast. I will bind up the broken sheep and heal the sick sheep but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd with justice.

I will seek that which was lost: and that which was driven away, I will bring again: and I will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will preserve: and I will feed them in judgment.

17 So now you, my flock—this is what the Lord Yahweh says—behold, I will be a judge between sheep and sheep and between rams and male goats.

And as for you, O my flocks, thus saith the Lord God: Behold I judge between cattle and cattle, of rams and of he goats.

18 Is it not enough to feed on the good pasture, that you must trample down with your feet what is left of the pasture; and to drink from clear waters, that you must muddy the rivers with your feet?

Was it not enough for you to feed upon good pastures? but you must also tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures: and when you drank the dearest water, you troubled the rest with your feet.

19 Must my sheep eat what you have trampled with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

And my sheep were fed with that which you had trodden with your feet: and they drank what your feet had troubled.

20 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this to them: Behold! I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the thin ones,

Therefore thus saith the Lord God to you: Behold, I myself will judge between the fat cattle and the lean.

21 for you have pushed them with your sides and shoulders, and you have gored all of the weak ones with your horns until you have scattered them away from the land.

Because you thrusted with sides and shoulders, and struck all the weak cattle with your horns, till they were scattered abroad:

22 I will save my flock and they will no longer be plunder, and I will judge between one sheep and another!

I will save my dock, and it shall be no more a spoil, and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

23 I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will shepherd them, he will feed them, and he will be their shepherd.

AND I WILL SET UP ONE SHEPHERD OVER THEM, and he shall feed them, even my servant David: he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

24 For I, Yahweh, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among them—I, Yahweh, have declared this.

And I the Lord will be their God: and my servant David the prince in the midst of them: I the Lord have spoken it.

25 Then I will make a covenant of peace with them and remove the evil wild animals from the land, so that they will live securely in the wilderness and safely sleep in the forests.

And I will make a covenant of peace with them, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they that dwell in the wilderness shall sleep secure in the forests.

26 I will also bring blessings on them and on the places around my hill, for I will send out showers in due season. These will be showers of blessing.

And I will make them a blessing round about my hill: and I will send down the rain in its season, there shall be showers of blessing.

27 Then the trees of the field will produce their fruit, and the earth will yield its produce. My sheep will be secure in their land; then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I break the bars of their yoke, and when I rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be in their land without fear: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have broken the bonds of their yoke, and shall have delivered them out of the hand of those that rule over them.

28 They will no longer be plunder for the nations, and the wild animals on the earth will no longer devour them. For they will live securely, and no one will frighten them.

And they shall be no more for a spoil to the nations, neither shall the beasts of the earth devour them: but they shall dwell securely without any terror.

29 For I will provide them a land known for its crops; so they will not be victims of famine in the land, and they will not bear the scorn of the nations.

And I will raise up for them a bud of renown: and they shall be no more consumed with famine in the land, neither shall they bear any more the reproach of the Gentiles.

30 Then they will know that I, Yahweh their God, am with them. They are my people, the house of Israel—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.

And they shall know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they are my people the house of Israel: saith the Lord God.

31 For you are my sheep, the flock of my pasture, and my people, and I am your God—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'”

And you my flocks, the flocks of my pasture are men: and I am the Lord your God, saith the Lord God.