The Lord Will Be Israel’s Shepherd

34 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?^{(A) 3} You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.^(B)

¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep^(A) and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd^(B) looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.^{(C) 13} I will bring them out from the nations and gather^(D) them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.^(E) I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.^{(F) 14} I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel^(G) will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture^(H) on the mountains of Israel.^{(I) 15} I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,^(J) declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(K) 16} I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up^(L) the injured and strengthen the weak,^(M) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.^(N) I will shepherd the flock with justice.^(O)