Ezekiel 34:1-31 - Prophecy Concerning Israel's Shepherds And Sheep

¹ And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying}, ² "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and you must say to them, to the shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Woe [to] the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves! Must not the shepherds feed the flock? ³ The fat you eat, and you clothe [yourself] [with] the wool; the well-nourished [animals] you slaughter, [but] you do not feed the flock. ⁴ The weak you [have] not strengthened, and the sick you [have] not healed, and {with respect to} the hurt you have not bound [them up], and you [have] not brought back the scattered, and you [have] not sought the lost, but [rather] you ruled over them with force and with ruthlessness. ⁵ And they were scattered {without} a shepherd, and they were as food for all the animals of the field [when] they were scattered. ⁶ My flock went astray upon all of the mountains and on every high hill, and [so] upon all the surface of the world my flock were scattered, and {there was no one seeking them}, and {there was no one searching for them}."

⁷ Therefore, hear, shepherds, the word of Yahweh: ⁸ "{As I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "{Surely} because my flock have become as plunder, and my flock became as food to all the animals of the field, since there was not a shepherd, [since] my shepherds [have] not sought my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and they fed not my flock,'" ⁹ therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh,

¹⁰ 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I [am] against the shepherds, and I will seek my flock from their hand, and I will put an end to them from shepherding flocks, and the shepherds will {no longer} feed themselves, and I will deliver my flocks from their mouth, so that they will not be as food for them."

¹¹ " 'For thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I, even I, will seek my flock, and I will look after them, ¹² [just] like [the] caring of a shepherd [for] his herd on the day when he is in the midst of his scattered flock. Thus I will look after my flock, and I will deliver them from all the places {to which they were scattered} on [the] day {of storm and stress}. ¹³ And I will bring them out from the peoples, and I will gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their soil, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all of the settlements of the land. ¹⁴ I will feed them in good pasture, and their pasture will be on the mountains of the heights of Israel; there they will lie down in good pasture, and [on] lush pasture they will feed on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ {I myself} will feed my flock and {I myself} will allow them to lie down," {declares} the Lord Yahweh. ¹⁶ "I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the scattered, and I will bind [up] the one hurt, and I will strengthen the sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed her with justice."

¹⁷ " 'And you, my flock, thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I [am] judging between {one sheep and another}, between the rams and between the he-goats. ¹⁸ {Is it not enough for you} [that] you feed on the good pasture? And [still] you must trample the remainder of your pasture with your feet, and {clear water} you drink, and the {leftover water} you must make muddy with your feet. ¹⁹ And my flock must graze the [pasture] treaded upon by your feet, and must drink the mud puddle [stirred up] by your feet."

²⁰ " 'Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: "Look! I, even I will judge between fat sheep and between lean sheep, ²¹ because with [your] flank and with [your] shoulder you shoved, and with your horns you pushed all of the sick [animals] {until} you scattered it to the outside. ²² And [so] I will save my flock, and {they will no longer be} for plunder, and I will judge between {one sheep and another}. ²³ And I will set up over them one shepherd, and he will feed them; [that is], my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be for them as a shepherd. ²⁴ And I, Yahweh, I will be for them {as God}, and my servant David [will be] a leader in the midst of them. I, Yahweh, I have spoken.

²⁵ And I will make them a covenant of peace, and I will put an end to wild animals from the land, and they will dwell in the desert {safely}, and they will sleep in the forest. ²⁶ And I will make them and [the area] all around my hill a blessing, and I will let the rain go down {at its appointed time}; they will be rains of blessing. ²⁷ And the tree of the field will give its fruit, and the land will give its produce, and they will be on their land {safely}, and they will know that I [am] Yahweh when I break their yoke, and I will deliver them from the hand of the ones enslaving them. ²⁸ And they will not be [any] longer plunder to the nations, and the animals of the land will not eat them, and they will dwell {in safety}, and [there will] not [be anyone] frightening [them]. ²⁹ And I will raise for them a garden plot of renown, and they will {no longer} be victims of famine in the land, and they will not bear any more the insult of the nations. ³⁰ And they will know that I, Yahweh their God, [am] with them and they [are] my people, the house of Israel," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, ³¹ "and you [are] my flock, the flock of my pasture. You [are] {my people}; I [am] your God," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.'"