Add parallel Print Page Options

Prophecy Concerning Israel’s Shepherds and Sheep

34 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying, “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? The fat you eat, and you clothe yourself with the wool; the well-nourished animals you slaughter, but you do not feed the flock. 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. 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. 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] Therefore, hear, O shepherds, the word of Yahweh: 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,’” 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.”

11 “‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I, even I, will seek my flock, and I will look after them, 12 just like the caring of a shepherd for his herd on[r] the day when he is in the midst of his scattered flock. Thus I will look after my flock, and I will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered[s] on the day of storm and stress.[t] 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples, and I will gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their soil, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all of the settlements of the land. 14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their pasture will be on the mountains of the heights of Israel; there they will lie down in good pasture, and on lush pasture they will feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself[u] will feed my flock and I myself[v] will allow them to lie down,” declares[w] the Lord Yahweh. 16 “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the scattered, and I will bind up the one hurt, and I will strengthen the sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed her with justice.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 34:1 Literally “was”
  2. Ezekiel 34:2 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  3. Ezekiel 34:4 Literally “for”
  4. Ezekiel 34:4 Or “wounded”
  5. Ezekiel 34:4 Or “violence”
  6. Ezekiel 34:5 Literally “from not”
  7. Ezekiel 34:5 Or “became”
  8. Ezekiel 34:5 Hebrew “animal”
  9. Ezekiel 34:6 Or “earth”
  10. Ezekiel 34:6 Literally “there was not someone seeking them
  11. Ezekiel 34:6 Literally “there was not someone searching for them
  12. Ezekiel 34:8 Literally “live I”
  13. Ezekiel 34:8 Literally “declaration of”
  14. Ezekiel 34:8 Literally “if not”
  15. Ezekiel 34:8 Or “for”
  16. Ezekiel 34:8 Hebrew “animal”
  17. Ezekiel 34:10 Literally “not any longer”
  18. Ezekiel 34:12 Or “in”
  19. Ezekiel 34:12 Literally “which they were scattered there”
  20. Ezekiel 34:12 Literally “on the day of cloud and deep gloom”
  21. Ezekiel 34:15 Literally “I, I”
  22. Ezekiel 34:15 Literally “I, I”
  23. Ezekiel 34:15 Literally “declaration of”