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34 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

Son of man, prophesy thou of the shepherds of Israel, prophesy thou; and thou shalt say to the shepherds, The Lord God saith these things, Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that fed himself [that fed themselves]; whether flocks be not fed of shepherds? (Son of man, prophesy thou against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy thou; and thou shalt say to the shepherds, The Lord God saith these things, Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves; should not the shepherds feed the flock?)

Ye ate [the] milk, and were covered with [the] wools, and ye killed that that was fat (and ye killed what was fat); but ye fed not my flock.

Ye made not firm that that was unsteadfast, and ye made not whole that that was sick; ye bound not (up) that that was broken, and ye brought not again that that was cast away, and ye sought not that that perished; but ye commanded to them with sternness, and with power.

And my sheep were scattered, for no shepherd was; and they were made into devouring of all beasts of the field, and they were scattered. (And my sheep were scattered, for there was no shepherd; and they were made into food for all the beasts of the field, and they were scattered.)

My flocks erred in all mountains, and in each high hill, and my flocks were scattered on all the face of earth, and none was that sought. (My flock wandered on all the mountains, and on each high hill, yea, my flock was scattered over all the face of the earth, and there was no one who sought them.)

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

I live, saith the Lord God, for why for that that my flocks be made into raven, and my sheep into devouring of all beasts of the field, for that that no shepherd was, for the shepherds sought not my flock(s), but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flocks; (As I live, saith the Lord God, because my flock was made into spoils, and my sheep into food for all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, for the shepherds sought not my flock, but the shepherds fed only themselves, and fed not my flock;)

therefore, shepherds, hear ye the word of the Lord,

10 The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I myself am over [the] shepherds; I shall seek my flock of the hand of them, and I shall make them to cease, that they feed no more my flock, and that the shepherds feed no more themselves. And I shall deliver my flock from the mouth of them, and it shall no more be into meat to them. (The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I am against the shepherds; I shall take my flock out of their hands, and I shall make them cease, that they do not feed my flock, but that these shepherds only feed only themselves. And I shall rescue my flock from their mouths, and they shall no more be their food.)

11 For the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I myself shall seek (out) my sheep, and I shall visit them (and I shall search for them).

12 As a shepherd visiteth his flock, in the day when he is in the midst of his sheep that be scattered, so I shall visit my sheep; and I shall deliver them from all places in which they were scattered, in the day of cloud, and of darkness. (Like a shepherd searcheth for his flock, on the day when he is in the midst of his sheep that be scattered, so I shall search for my sheep; and I shall rescue them from all the places in which they were scattered, on the day of cloud, and of darkness.)

13 And I shall lead them out of peoples, and I shall gather them from lands, and I shall bring them into their land, and I shall feed them in the hills of Israel, in rivers, and in all seats of earth (And I shall lead them out from the nations, and I shall gather them from other lands, and I shall bring them back to their own land, and I shall feed them on the hills of Israel, by the rivers, and on all the green fields.)

14 I shall feed them in most plenteous pastures, and the pastures of them shall be in the high hills of Israel; there they shall rest in green herbs, and in fat pastures they shall be fed on the hills of Israel. (I shall feed them in most plentiful pastures, and their pastures shall be on the high hills of Israel; they shall rest there on green grass, and they shall feed in plentiful pastures, on the hills of Israel.)

15 I shall feed my sheep, and I shall make them to lie (down, or to rest), saith the Lord God.

16 I shall seek that that perished, and I shall bring again that that was cast away; and I shall bind (up) that that was broken, and I shall make strong that that was sick; and I shall keep that that is fat and strong; and I shall feed them in doom (and I shall feed them with justice);

17 forsooth ye be my flocks. The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I deem betwixt beast and beast, and a wether and a buck of goats. (for ye be my flock. The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I judge between beast and beast, and a ram and a goat-buck.)

18 Whether it was not enough to you to devour good pastures? Furthermore and ye defouled with your feet the remnants of your pastures, and when ye drank clearest water, ye disturbed the residue with your feet. (Was it not enough for some of you to devour the good pastures? But furthermore, ye defiled the remnants of your pastures with your feet, and after that ye drank of the clearest water, then ye disturbed the residue with your feet.)

19 And my sheep were fed with these things that were defouled with your feet; and they drank these things, that your feet had troubled.

20 Therefore the Lord God saith these things to you, Lo! I myself deem betwixt a fat beast and a lean beast.

21 For that that ye hurled with (your) sides, and shoulders, and winnowed with your horns all sick beasts (and winnowed all the sick, or all the weak, beasts with your horns), till those were scattered withoutforth,

22 I shall save my flock, and it shall no more be into raven. And I shall deem betwixt beast and beast; (I shall save my flock, and they shall no more be spoils. And I shall judge between beast and beast;)

23 and I shall raise on those one shepherd, my servant David, that shall feed those; he shall feed them, and he shall be a shepherd to them. (and I shall raise upon them one shepherd, my servant David, who shall feed them; yea, he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.)

24 Forsooth I the Lord shall be into God to them, and my servant David shall be prince in the midst of them; I the Lord spake. (And I the Lord shall be their God, and my servant David shall be their leader in their midst; I the Lord spoke.)

25 And I shall make with them a covenant of peace, and I shall make [the] worst beasts to cease from [the] earth; and they that dwell in desert, shall sleep secure in forests. (And I shall make a covenant of peace with them, and I shall make evil, or wild, beasts to cease to exist in the land; and then my sheep shall live with security in the field, and shall sleep with peace in the forests.)

26 And I shall set them [a] blessing in the compass of my little hill, and I shall lead down rain in his time. And rains of blessing shall be, (And I shall place them all around my little hill for a blessing, and I shall lead down rain in its time. Yea, there shall be blessed rains/Yea, there shall be rains of blessing,)

27 and the tree of the field shall give his fruit, and the earth shall give his seed. And they shall be in their land without dread; and they shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall all-break the chains of their yoke, and shall deliver them from the hand of them that command to them. (and the tree of the field shall give its fruit, and the earth shall give its seed. And they shall live in their land without any fear; and they shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall all-break the chains of their yoke, and shall rescue them from the hands, or from the power, of those who commanded to them.)

28 And they shall no more be into raven into heathen men, neither the beasts of [the] earth shall devour them, but they shall dwell trustily without any dread. (And they shall no more be spoils for the heathen, nor shall the beasts of the field devour them, but they shall live with trust, and without any fear.)

29 And I shall raise to them a just burgeoning named; and they shall no more be made less for hunger in earth, and they shall no more bear the shame of heathen men. (And I shall raise up for them a burgeoning justly named; and they shall no more be made less because of famine in the land, and they shall no more bear the shame of the heathen.)

30 And they shall know, that I am their Lord God with them, and they be my people, the house of Israel, saith the Lord God. (And they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, be my people, saith the Lord God.)

31 Forsooth ye my flocks be men, the flocks of my pasture; and I am your Lord God, saith the Lord God. (For ye people be my flock, the flock of my pasture; and I am the Lord your God, saith the Lord God.)

The Lord Will Be Israel’s Shepherd

34 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?(A) You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.(B) You have not strengthened the weak or healed(C) the sick or bound up(D) the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.(E) So they were scattered because there was no shepherd,(F) and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.(G) My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.(H) They were scattered(I) over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.(J)

“‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered(K) and has become food for all the wild animals,(L) and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,(M) therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against(N) the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue(O) my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.(P)

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep(Q) and look after them. 12 As a shepherd(R) looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.(S) 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather(T) them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.(U) I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.(V) 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel(W) will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture(X) on the mountains of Israel.(Y) 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,(Z) declares the Sovereign Lord.(AA) 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up(AB) the injured and strengthen the weak,(AC) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.(AD) I will shepherd the flock with justice.(AE)

17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.(AF) 18 Is it not enough(AG) for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet?(AH) Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.(AI) 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns(AJ) until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.(AK) 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend(AL) them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.(AM) 24 I the Lord will be their God,(AN) and my servant David(AO) will be prince among them.(AP) I the Lord have spoken.(AQ)

25 “‘I will make a covenant(AR) of peace(AS) with them and rid the land of savage beasts(AT) so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.(AU) 26 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.[a](AV) I will send down showers in season;(AW) there will be showers of blessing.(AX) 27 The trees will yield their fruit(AY) and the ground will yield its crops;(AZ) the people will be secure(BA) in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke(BB) and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.(BC) 28 They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety,(BD) and no one will make them afraid.(BE) 29 I will provide for them a land renowned(BF) for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine(BG) in the land or bear the scorn(BH) of the nations.(BI) 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BJ) 31 You are my sheep,(BK) the sheep of my pasture,(BL) and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 34:26 Or I will cause them and the places surrounding my hill to be named in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or I will cause them and the places surrounding my hill to be seen as blessed