Jezekiel 34

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

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God; O shepherds of Israel, do shepherds feed themselves? do not the shepherds feed the sheep?

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and tell them, even the shepherds, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep?

3 Behold, you feed on the milk, and clothe yourselves with the wool, and kill the fat: but you feed not my sheep.

You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep.

4 The weak one you have not strengthened, and the sick you have not cherished, and the bruised you have not bound up, and the stray one you have not turned back, and the lost you have not sought; and the strong you have wearied with labour.

You haven’t strengthened the diseased. You haven’t healed that which was sick. You haven’t bound up that which was broken. You haven’t brought back that which was driven away. You haven’t sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor.

5 And my sheep were scattered, because there were no shepherds: and they became meat to all the wild beasts of the field.

They were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.

6 And my sheep were scattered on every mountain, and on every high hill: yes, they were scattered on the face of the earth, and there was none to seek them out, nor to bring them back.

My sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth. There was no one who searched or sought.”

7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.

“‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the LORD’s word:

8 [As] I live, says the Lord God, surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became meat to all the wild beasts of the field, because there were no shepherds, and the shepherds sought not out my sheep, and the shepherds fed themselves, but fed not my sheep.

“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd, and my shepherds didn’t search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn’t feed my sheep,

9 For this cause, O shepherds,

therefore, you shepherds, hear the LORD’s word!”

10 thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hands, and will turn them back that they shall not feed my sheep, and the shepherds shall no longer feed them; and I will deliver my sheep out of their mouth, and they shall no longer be meat for them.

The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against the shepherds. I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. The shepherds won’t feed themselves any more. I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.”

11 For thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will seek out my sheep, and will visit them.

“‘For the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.

12 As the shepherd seeks his flock, in the day when there is darkness and cloud, in the midst of the sheep that are separated: so will I seek out my sheep, and will bring them back from every place where they were scattered in the day of cloud and darkness.

As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is amongst his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

13 And I will bring them out from the Gentiles, and will gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land, and will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, and in the valleys, and in every inhabited place of the land.

I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

14 I will feed them in a good pasture, on a high mountain of Israel: and their folds shall be there, and they shall lie down, and there shall they rest in perfect prosperity, and they shall feed in a fat pasture on the mountains of Israel.

I will feed them with good pasture, and their fold will be on the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold. They will feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed my sheep, and I will cause them to rest; and they shall know that I am the Lord: thus says the Lord God.

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down,” says the Lord GOD.

16 I will seek that which is lost, and I will recover the stray one, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen the fainting, and will guard the strong, and will feed them with judgement.

“I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.”’

17 And [as for] you, you sheep, thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will distinguish between sheep and sheep, [between] rams and he-goats.

“As for you, O my flock, the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male goats.

18 And [is it] not enough for you that you fed on the good pasture, that you trampled with your feet the remnant of your pasture? and [that] you drank the standing water, [that] you disturbed the residue with your feet?

Does it seem a small thing to you to have fed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? And to have drunk of the clear waters, but must you foul the residue with your feet?

19 So my sheep fed on that which you had trampled with your feet; and they drank the water that had been disturbed by your feet.

As for my sheep, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet.’

20 Therefore thus says the Lord God; Behold, I will separate between the strong sheep and the weak sheep.

“Therefore the Lord GOD says to them: ‘Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

21 You did thrust with your sides and shoulders, and pushed with your horns, and you cruelly treated all the sick.

Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad,

22 Therefore I will save my sheep, and they shall not be any more for a prey; and will judge between ram and ram.

therefore I will save my flock, and they will no more be a prey. I will judge between sheep and sheep.

23 And I will raise up one shepherd over them, and he shall tend them, [even] my servant David, and he shall be their shepherd;

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

24 and I the Lord will be to them a God, and David a prince in the midst of them; I the Lord have spoken it.

I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David prince amongst them. I, the LORD, have spoken it.

25 And I will make with David a covenant of peace and I will utterly destroy evil beasts from off the land; and they shall dwell in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests.

“‘I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil animals to cease out of the land. They will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

26 And I will settle them round about my mountain; and I will give you the rain, the rain of blessing.

I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will cause the shower to come down in its season. There will be showers of blessing.

27 And the trees that are in the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her strength, and they shall dwell in the confidence of peace on their land, and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken their yoke; and I will deliver them out of the hand of those that enslaved them.

The tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them.

28 And they shall no more be a spoil to the nations, and the wild beasts of the land shall no more at all devour them; and they shall dwell safely, and there shall be none to make them afraid.

They will no more be a prey to the nations, neither will the animals of the earth devour them; but they will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid.

29 And I will raise up for them a plant of peace, and they shall no more perish with hunger upon the land, and they shall no more bear the reproach of the nations.

I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, and not bear the shame of the nations any more.

30 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, and they my people. O house of Israel, says the Lord God,

They will know that I, the LORD, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord GOD.

31 you are my sheep, even the sheep of my flock, and I am the Lord your God, says the Lord God.

You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,’ says the Lord GOD.”