Ezekiel 34

1 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,

Yahweh gave me another message. He said,

2 and he seide, Sone of man, profesie thou of the schepherdis of Israel, profesie thou; and thou schalt seie to the schepherdis, The Lord God seith these thingis, Wo to the schepherdis of Israel, that fedden hym silf; whether flockis ben not fed of schepherdis?

“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 Ye eeten mylk, and weren hilid with wollis, and ye killiden that that was fat; but ye fedden not my floc.

[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 Ye maden not sad that that was vnstidfast, and ye maden not hool that that was sijk; ye bounden not that that was brokun, and ye brouyten not ayen that that was cast awei, and ye souyten not that that perischide; but ye comaundiden to hem with sturnenesse, and with power.

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 my scheep weren scaterid, for no sheepherde was; and thei weren maad in to deuouryng of alle beestis of the feeld, and thei weren scaterid.

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 flockis erriden in alle mounteyns, and in ech hiy hil, and my flockis weren scaterid on al the face of erthe, and noon was that souyte.

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 Therfor, scheepherdis, here ye the word of the Lord;

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

8 Y lyue, seith the Lord God, for whi for that that my flockis ben maad in to raueyn, and my scheep in to deuouryng of alle beestis of the feeld, for that that no scheepherde was, for the scheepherdis souyten not my floc, but the scheepherdis fedden hem silf, and fedden not my flockis; therfor,

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 scheepherdis, here ye the word of the Lord,

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

10 The Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y my silf am ouer scheepherdis; Y schal seke my floc of the hond of hem, and Y schal make hem to ceesse, that thei fede no more my flok, and that the scheepherdis feede no more hem silf. And Y schal delyuere my floc fro the mouth of hem, and it schal no more be in to mete to hem.

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 the Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y my silf schal seke my scheep, and Y schal visite hem.

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 scheepherde visitith his floc, in the dai whanne he is in the myddis of hise scheep `that ben scaterid, so Y schal visite my scheep; and Y schal delyuere hem fro alle places in whiche thei weren scaterid, in the dai of cloude, and of derknesse.

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 Y schal leede hem out of puplis, and Y schal gadere hem fro londis, and Y schal brynge hem in to her lond, and Y schal feede hem in the hillis of Israel, in ryueris, and in alle seetis of erthe.

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 Y schal feede hem in moost plenteouse pasturis, and the lesewis of hem schulen be in the hiy hillis of Israel; there thei schulen reste in greene eerbis, and in fatte lesewis thei schulen be fed on the hillis 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 Y schal fede my scheep, and Y schal make hem to ligge, seith the Lord God.

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

16 I schal seke that that perischide, and Y schal brynge ayen that that was cast awei; and Y schal bynde that that was brokun, and Y schal make sad that that was sijk; and Y schal kepe that that was fat and strong; and Y schal feede hem in doom;

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 forsothe ye ben my flockis. The Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y deme bitwixe beeste and beeste, and a wethir and a buc of geet.

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 Whether it was not enowy to you to deuoure good pasturis? Ferthermore and ye defouliden with youre feet the remenauntis of youre lesewis, and whanne ye drunken clereste watir, ye disturbliden the residue with youre feet.

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 scheep weren fed with tho thingis that weren defoulid with youre feet; and thei drunken these thingis, that youre feet hadden troblid.

[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 Therfor the Lord God seith these thingis to you, Lo! Y my silf deme bitwixe a fat beeste and a leene beeste.

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 For that that ye hurliden with sidis, and schuldris, and wyndewiden with youre hornes alle sike beestis, til tho weren scaterid withoutforth, I schal saue my floc,

[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 and it schal no more be in to raueyn. And Y schal deme bitwixe beeste and beeste;

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 Y schal reise on tho o sheepherde, my seruaunt Dauid, that schal fede tho; he schal fede tho, and he schal be `in to a sheepherde to hem.

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 Forsothe Y the Lord schal be in to God to hem, and my seruaunt Dauid schal be prince in the myddis of hem; Y the Lord spak.

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 Y schal make with hem a couenaunt of pees, and Y schal make worste beestis to ceesse fro erthe; and thei that dwellen in desert, schulen slepe sikur in forestis.

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 Y schal sette hem blessyng in the cumpas of my litle hil, and Y schal lede doun reyn in his tyme. And reynes of blessyng schulen 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 tre of the feeld schal yyue his fruyt, and the erthe schal yyue his seed. And thei schulen be in her lond with out drede; and thei schulen wite, that Y am the Lord, whanne Y schal al to-breke the chaynes of her yok, and schal delyuere hem fro the hond of hem that comaunden to hem.

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 thei schulen no more be in to raueyn in to hethene men, nether the beestis of erthe schulen deuoure hem, but thei schulen dwelle tristili with outen ony drede.

[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 Y schal reise to hem a iust buriownyng named; and thei schulen no more be maad lesse for hunger in erthe, and thei schulen no more bere the schenschipis of hethene men.

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 And thei schulen wite, that Y am her Lord God with hem, and thei ben my puple, the hous of Israel, seith 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 Forsothe ye my flockis ben men, the flockis of my lesewe; and Y am youre Lord God, seith 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.’”