Irresponsible Shepherds

34 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: (A)“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? (B)You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you (C)slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. (D)The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor (E)sought what was lost; but with (F)force and [a]cruelty you have ruled them. (G)So they were (H)scattered because there was no shepherd; (I)and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep (J)wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.

‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock (K)became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, (L)but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”— therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! 10 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am (M)against the shepherds, and (N)I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall (O)feed themselves no more; for I will (P)deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

God, the True Shepherd

11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a (Q)shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on (R)a cloudy and dark day. 13 And (S)I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, [b]in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 (T)I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. (U)There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. 16 (V)“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy (W)the fat and the strong, and feed them (X)in judgment.”

17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: (Y)“Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the [c]residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”

20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: (Z)“Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will establish one (AA)shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—(AB)My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And (AC)I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David (AD)a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

25 (AE)“I will make a covenant of peace with them, and (AF)cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they (AG)will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around (AH)My hill (AI)a blessing; and I will (AJ)cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be (AK)showers of blessing. 27 Then (AL)the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have (AM)broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who (AN)enslaved them. 28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but (AO)they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. 29 I will raise up for them a (AP)garden[d] of renown, and they shall (AQ)no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, (AR)nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. 30 Thus they shall know that (AS)I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are (AT)My people,” says the Lord God.’

31 “You are My (AU)flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.

Judgment on Mount Seir

35 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against (AV)Mount Seir and (AW)prophesy against it, and say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you;
(AX)I will stretch out My hand against you,
And make you [e]most desolate;
I shall lay your cities waste,
And you shall be desolate.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

(AY)“Because you have had an [f]ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, (AZ)when their iniquity came to an end, therefore, as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will prepare you for (BA)blood, and blood shall pursue you; (BB)since you have not hated [g]blood, therefore blood shall pursue you. Thus I will make Mount Seir [h]most desolate, and cut off from it the (BC)one who leaves and the one who returns. And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall. (BD)I will make you [i]perpetually desolate, and your cities shall be uninhabited; (BE)then you shall know that I am the Lord.

10 “Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will (BF)possess them,’ although (BG)the Lord was there, 11 therefore, as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will do (BH)according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. 12 (BI)Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have (BJ)heard all your (BK)blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’ 13 Thus (BL)with your mouth you have [j]boasted against Me and multiplied your (BM)words against Me; I have heard them.

14 ‘Thus says the Lord God: (BN)“The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate. 15 (BO)As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, (BP)so I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of Edom—all of it! Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 34:4 harshness or rigor
  2. Ezekiel 34:13 Or by the streams
  3. Ezekiel 34:18 remainder
  4. Ezekiel 34:29 Lit. planting place
  5. Ezekiel 35:3 Lit. a desolation and a waste
  6. Ezekiel 35:5 Or everlasting
  7. Ezekiel 35:6 Or bloodshed
  8. Ezekiel 35:7 Lit. a waste and a desolation
  9. Ezekiel 35:9 Lit. desolated forever
  10. Ezekiel 35:13 Lit. made yourself great

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