Ezekiel 34

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

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed their flock?

3 You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened sheep, but you do not feed the flock.

4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.

5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild beasts.

6 My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. They were scattered over the face of all the earth, with no one to search for them or seek them out.’

7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

8 ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because My flock lacks a shepherd and has become prey and food for every wild beast, and because My shepherds did not search for My flock but fed themselves instead,

9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD!’

10 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand from them My flock and remove them from tending the flock, so that they can no longer feed themselves. For I will deliver My flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.’

11 For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out.

12 As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

13 I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the settlements of the land.

14 I will feed them in good pasture, and the lofty mountains of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in a good grazing land; they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

15 I will tend My flock and make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.

16 I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’

17 This is what the Lord GOD says to you, My flock: ‘I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the goats.

18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink the clear waters? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?

19 Why must My flock feed on what your feet have trampled, and drink what your feet have muddied?’

20 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says to them: ‘Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

21 Since you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak ones with your horns until you have scattered them abroad,

22 I will save My flock, and they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.

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

24 I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.

25 I will make with them a covenant of peace and rid the land of wild animals, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.

26 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season—showers of blessing.

27 The trees of the field will give their fruit, and the land will yield its produce; My flock 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 delivered them from the hands that enslaved them.

28 They will no longer be prey for the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not consume them. They will dwell securely, and no one will frighten them.

29 And I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations.

30 Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ declares the Lord GOD.

31 ‘You are My flock, the sheep of My pasture, My people, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe [be] to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: [but] ye feed not the flock.

4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up [that which was] broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

5 And they were scattered, because [there is] no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek [after them].

7 ¶ Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

8 [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because [there was] no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, [even] I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep [that are] scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and 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 people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and [in] a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again 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 with judgment.

17 ¶ And [as for] you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.

18 [Seemeth it] a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

19 And [as for] my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, [even] I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.

21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;

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

23 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 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken [it].

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

26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make [them] afraid.

29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

30 Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God [am] with them, and [that] they, [even] the house of Israel, [are] my people, saith the Lord GOD.

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

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the LORD GOD; Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that feed themselves! Shall not the shepherds feed the flock?

3 But ye eat the fat, and clothe yourselves with the wool, and slay that which is fattened; but ye will not feed the sheep.

4 The weak ye do not care for, neither do ye heal the sick, neither do ye bind up the wounded, neither do ye heal the lost, neither do ye seek the lost; but ye rule over them sternly and harshly.

5 And my sheep are scattered, as they that have no shepherd, and are become meat for all the wild beasts, and are utterly scattered.

6 And they go astray every now and then in the mountains, and in the high hills, and are scattered abroad in all the land: and there is none that seeketh after them, or regardeth them.

7 Therefore hear, ye shepherds, the word of the LORD.

8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, because ye make my sheep a prey, and my flock meat for all the wild beasts; because they have no shepherd, and my shepherds ask not after my flock, but are such shepherds as feed themselves, but will not feed my sheep,

9 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD.

10 Thus saith the LORD GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds, and will take my flock out of their hand, and will make an end of them, that they shall no more be shepherds, neither shall they feed themselves any more. I will deliver my sheep out of their mouths, and they shall eat them no more.

11 For thus saith the LORD GOD; Behold, I will take unto me my own flock, and will seek them.

12 As a shepherd seeketh his sheep, when they are gone astray from his flock; so will I seek my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places whither they were scattered, in the time of dimness and darkness.

13 I will bring them out from all nations, and gather them from all countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel, and in all the pastures, and in all the coasts of the land.

14 I will lead them into the best pasture, and their hurdles shall be upon the high mountains of Israel: there shall they lie down in soft hurdles, and have fat pasture upon the mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed my sheep myself, and I will feed them, saith the LORD GOD.

16 I will seek that which is lost, and will bring again that which is gone astray, and will bind up that which is wounded, and will take care of that which is weak; and that which is fat and strong will I take care of, and will tend them according to their due.

17 But unto you, my flock, thus saith the LORD GOD; Behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, and between rams and goats.

18 Is it not enough that ye have such good pasture, and so superfluous that ye tread it under foot, and such fair borne to drink, so superfluous that ye tread in it, and make it muddy,

19 That my sheep should eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and drink that which ye have made muddy with your feet?

20 Therefore thus saith the LORD GOD unto them, Behold, I will judge between the fat and the lean sheep,

21 Because ye levy with your feet, and thrust away the weak from you with your horns, until ye scatter them all from among you.

22 And I will help my flock, that they be no more a prey: and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

23 And I will raise up unto them one shepherd to feed them, even David my servant. And he shall feed them, and be their shepherd.

24 And I the LORD will be their God: but David my servant shall be prince among them. Thus say I, the LORD.

25 And I will make a covenant of peace with them, and will cut off all the evil beasts out of the land, and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and shall sleep in the woods.

26 I will bless them, and all my hills round about, and rain upon them in due season. These shall be gracious rains,

27 And the trees of the field shall bring forth their fruit, and the land shall yield her increase: and they shall dwell safely in the land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of them whom they served.

28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall any beast of the earth devour them any more; but they shall dwell safely without all fear.

29 And I will raise up unto them a famous plant, and they shall hunger no more in the land, neither shall they bear their reproach among the heathen any more.

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

31 Ye shall be the flock of my pasture, and I will be your God, saith the Lord GOD.