'Themselves' in the Bible

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?

“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock;

‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’”

therefore thus says the Lord God, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.”

Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘I have sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults.

They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.

Linen turbans shall be on their heads and linen undergarments shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything which makes them sweat.

They shall not go to a dead person to defile themselves; however, for father, for mother, for son, for daughter, for brother, or for a sister who has not had a husband, they may defile themselves.

‘Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant,And in it was food for all.The beasts of the field found shade under it,And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches,And all living creatures fed themselves from it.

Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves.

“Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down.

And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together,And they will appoint for themselves one leader,And they will go up from the land,For great will be the day of Jezreel.

I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlotOr your brides when they commit adultery,For the men themselves go apart with harlotsAnd offer sacrifices with temple prostitutes;So the people without understanding are ruined.

And they do not cry to Me from their heartWhen they wail on their beds;For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves,They turn away from Me.

They have set up kings, but not by Me;They have appointed princes, but I did not know it.With their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves,That they might be cut off.

They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the Lord,Their sacrifices will not please Him.Their bread will be like mourners’ bread;All who eat of it will be defiled,For their bread will be for themselves alone;It will not enter the house of the Lord.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness;I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season.But they came to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame,And they became as detestable as that which they loved.

And now they sin more and more,And make for themselves molten images,Idols skillfully made from their silver,All of them the work of craftsmen.They say of them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!”

Who improvise to the sound of the harp,And like David have composed songs for themselves,

Who drink wine from sacrificial bowlsWhile they anoint themselves with the finest of oils,Yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.

“Though they hide on the summit of Carmel,I will search them out and take them from there;And though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea,From there I will command the serpent and it will bite them.

“They are dreaded and feared;Their justice and authority originate with themselves.

“Then it will come about on the day of the Lord’s sacrificeThat I will punish the princes, the king’s sonsAnd all who clothe themselves with foreign garments.

“Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.

And I answered the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?”

The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves;

the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves;

all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves.