Ezekiel, 34

1. Thus the word of the LORD came to me:

1. The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

2. Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, in these words prophesy to them (to the shepherds): Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?

2. 'Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them, "Shepherds, the Lord Yahweh says this: Disaster is in store for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Are not shepherds meant to feed a flock?

3. You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured.

3. Yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock.

4. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.

4. You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the injured ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and harshly.

5. So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered

5. For lack of a shepherd they have been scattered, to become the prey of all the wild animals; they have been scattered.

6. and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; my sheep were scattered over the whole earth, with no one to look after them or to search for them.

6. My flock is astray on every mountain and on every high hill; my flock has been scattered all over the world; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.

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

7. "Very well, shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:

8. As I live, says the Lord GOD, because my sheep have been given over to pillage, and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast, for lack of a shepherd; because my shepherds did not look after my sheep, but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;

8. As I live, I swear it -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- since my flock has been pillaged and for lack of a shepherd is now the prey of every wild animal, since my shepherds have ceased to bother about my flock, since my shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock,

9. because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

9. very well, shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:

10. Thus says the Lord GOD: I swear I am coming against these shepherds. I will claim my sheep from them and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep so that they may no longer pasture themselves. I will save my sheep, that they may no longer be food for their mouths.

10. The Lord Yahweh says this: Look, I am against the shepherds. I shall take my flock out of their charge and henceforth not allow them to feed my flock. And the shepherds will stop feeding themselves, because I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths to stop them from being food for them.

11. For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

11. "For the Lord Yahweh says this: Look, I myself shall take care of my flock and look after it.

12. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark.

12. As a shepherd looks after his flock when he is with his scattered sheep, so shall I look after my sheep. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered on the day of clouds and darkness.

13. I will lead them out from among the peoples and gather them from the foreign lands; I will bring them back to their own country and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel (in the land's ravines and all its inhabited places).

13. I shall bring them back from the peoples where they are; I shall gather them back from the countries and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the inhabited parts of the country.

14. In good pastures will I pasture them, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing ground. There they shall lie down on good grazing ground, and in rich pastures shall they be pastured on the mountains of Israel.

14. I shall feed them in good pasturage; the highest mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing grounds; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel.

15. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.

15. I myself shall pasture my sheep, I myself shall give them rest -- declares the Lord Yahweh.

16. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal (but the sleek and the strong I will destroy), shepherding them rightly.

16. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the injured and make the sick strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.

17. As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.

17. "As for you, my sheep, the Lord Yahweh says this: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goats.

18. Was it not enough for you to graze on the best pasture, that you had to trample the rest of your pastures with your feet? Was it not enough for you to drink the clearest water, that you had to foul the remainder with your feet?

18. Not content to drink the clearest of the water, you foul the rest with your feet.

19. Thus my sheep had to graze on what your feet had trampled and drink what your feet had fouled.

19. And my sheep must graze on what your feet have trampled and drink what your feet have fouled.

20. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now will I judge between the fat and the lean sheep.

20. Very well, the Lord Yahweh says this: I myself shall judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep.

21. Because you push with side and shoulder, and butt all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them out,

21. Since you have jostled with flank and shoulder and butted all the ailing sheep with your horns, until you have scattered them outside,

22. I will save my sheep so that they may no longer be despoiled, and I will judge between one sheep and another.

22. I shall come and save my sheep and stop them from being victimised. I shall judge between sheep and sheep.

23. I will appoint one shepherd over them to pasture them, my servant David; he shall pasture them and be their shepherd.

23. "I shall raise up one shepherd, my servant David, and put him in charge of them to pasture them; he will pasture them and be their shepherd.

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

24. I, Yahweh, shall be their God, and my servant David will be ruler among them. I, Yahweh, have spoken.

25. I will make a covenant of peace with them, and rid the country of ravenous beasts, that they may dwell securely in the desert and sleep in the forests.

25. I shall make a covenant of peace with them; I shall rid the country of wild animals. They will be able to live secure in the desert and go to sleep in the woods.

26. I will place them about my hill, sending rain in due season, rains that shall be a blessing to them.

26. I shall settle them round my hill; I shall send rain at the proper time; it will be a rain of blessings.

27. The trees of the field shall bear their fruits, and the land its crops, and they shall dwell securely on their own soil. Thus they shall know that I am the LORD when I break the bonds of their yoke and free them from the power of those who enslaved them.

27. The trees of the countryside will yield their fruit and the soil will yield its produce; they will be secure on their soil. And they will know that I am Yahweh when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the clutches of their slave-masters.

28. They shall no longer be despoiled by the nations or devoured by beasts of the earth, but shall dwell secure, with no one to frighten them.

28. No more will they be a prey to the nations, no more will the wild animals of the country devour them. They will live secure, with no one to frighten them.

29. I will prepare for them peaceful fields for planting; they shall no longer be carried off by famine in the land, or bear the reproaches of the nations.

29. I shall make splendid vegetation grow for them; no more will they suffer from famine in the country; no more will they have to bear the insults of other nations.

30. Thus they shall know that I, the LORD, am their God, and they are my people, the house of Israel, says the Lord GOD.

30. So they will know that I, their God, am with them and that they, the House of Israel, are my people -- declares the Lord Yahweh.

31. (You, my sheep, you are the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord GOD.)

31. And you, my sheep, are the flock of my human pasture, and I am your God -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '