Ezekiel 34:17-31

Easy-to-Read Version

¹⁷This is what the Lord God says: “And you, my flock, I will judge between one sheep and another. I will judge between the male sheep and the male goats. ¹⁸You can eat the grass growing on the good land. So why do you also crush the grass that other sheep want to eat? You can drink plenty of clear water. So why do you also stir the water that other sheep want to drink? ¹⁹My flock must eat the grass you crushed with your feet, and they must drink the water you stir with your feet!”

²⁰So the Lord God says to them: “I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep! ²¹You push with your side and shoulder. You knock down all the weak sheep with your horns. You push until you have forced them away, ²²so I will save my flock. They will not be caught by wild animals anymore. I will judge between one sheep and another. ²³Then I will put one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴Then I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be the ruler living among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.

²⁵“And I will make a peace agreement with my sheep. I will take harmful animals away from the land. Then the sheep can be safe in the desert and sleep in the woods. ²⁶I will bless the sheep and the places around my hill. I will cause the rains to fall at the right time and will shower them with blessings. ²⁷And the trees growing in the field will produce their fruit. The earth will give its harvest, so the sheep will be safe on their land. I will break the yokes on them and save them from the power of the people who made them slaves. Then they will know that I am the Lord. ²⁸They will not be caught like an animal by the nations anymore. Those animals will not eat them anymore. No, they will live safely. No one will make them afraid. ²⁹I will give them some land that will make a good garden. Then they will not suffer from hunger in that land or suffer the insults from the nations anymore. ³⁰Then they will know that I am the Lord their God. The family of Israel will know that I am with them and that they are my people.” This is what the Lord God said!