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) 4} You have not strengthened the weak or healed^(C) the sick or bound up^(D) the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.^{(E) 5} So they were scattered because there was no shepherd,^(F) and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.^{(G) 6} My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.^(H) They were scattered^(I) over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.^(J)

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^(K) and has become food for all the wild animals,^(L) and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,^{(M) 9} therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against^(N) 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^(O) my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.^(P)

The Righteous Branch

23 “Woe to the shepherds^(A) who are destroying and scattering^(B) the sheep of my pasture!”^(C) declares the Lord. ² Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds^(D) who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock^(E) and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil^(F) you have done,” declares the Lord.

¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.^(A) Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

¹² As a shepherd^(A) 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.^(B)

²⁵ There is a conspiracy^(A) of her princes^[a] within her like a roaring lion^(B) tearing its prey; they devour people,^(C) take treasures and precious things and make many widows^(D) within her. ²⁶ Her priests do violence to my law^(E) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;^(F) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;^(G) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned^(H) among them.^{(I) 27} Her officials^(J) within her are like wolves^(K) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people^(L) to make unjust gain.^{(M) 28} Her prophets whitewash^(N) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.^(O) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.^{(P) 29} The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;^(Q) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,^(R) denying them justice.^(S)

³⁰ “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall^(T) and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.^(U)