Ezekiel 34:1-10

Lexham English Bible

Prophecy Concerning Israel’s Shepherds and Sheep

34 And the word of Yahweh came^[a] to me, saying, ² “Son of man,^[b] 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^[c] the hurt^[d] 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^[e] and with ruthlessness. ⁵ And they were scattered without^[f] a shepherd, and they were^[g] as food for all the animals^[h] 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^[i] my flock were scattered, and there was no one seeking them,^[j] and there was no one searching for them.”^{[k] 7} Therefore, hear, O shepherds, the word of Yahweh: ⁸ “As I live,”^[l] declares^[m] the Lord Yahweh, “Surely^[n] because my flock have become as plunder, and my flock became as food to^[o] all the animals^[p] 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^[q] feed themselves, and I will deliver my flocks from their mouth, so that they will not be as food for them.”