⁶ My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.^(A) They were scattered^(B) over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.^(C)

⁷ “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸ As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered^(D) and has become food for all the wild animals,^(E) and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,^{(F) 9} therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against^(G) the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue^(H) my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.^(I)

¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep^(J) and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd^(K) 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.^{(L) 13} I will bring them out from the nations and gather^(M) them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.^(N) I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.^{(O) 14} I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel^(P) will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture^(Q) on the mountains of Israel.^{(R) 15} I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,^(S) declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(T) 16} I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up^(U) the injured and strengthen the weak,^(V) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.^(W) I will shepherd the flock with justice.^(X)

⁸ “‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit^(A) for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. ⁹ I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,^{(B) 10} and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins^(C) rebuilt.^{(D) 11} I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful^(E) and become numerous. I will settle people^(F) on you as in the past^(G) and will make you prosper more than before.^(H) Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹² I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance;^(I) you will never again deprive them of their children.

²⁴ “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.^(A)

²⁰ Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on ²¹ and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.^(A)

⁸ After many days^(A) you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations^(B) to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.^(C)