All who have come before me(A) are thieves and robbers,(B) but the sheep have not listened to them.

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All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

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“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)

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Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

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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)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 22:25 Septuagint; Hebrew prophets

25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken.

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36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.

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36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

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The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.(A)

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10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

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10 Israel’s watchmen(A) are blind,
    they all lack knowledge;(B)
they are all mute dogs,
    they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
    they love to sleep.(C)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
    they never have enough.
They are shepherds(D) who lack understanding;(E)
    they all turn to their own way,(F)
    they seek their own gain.(G)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(H)
    Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
    or even far better.”(I)

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10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

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27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,(A) and they follow me.(B)

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27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

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But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

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And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

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16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.

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16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

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Two Shepherds

This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.(A) Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.(B) For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors(C) and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”(D)

So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter,(E) particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.

The flock detested(F) me, and I grew weary of them and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish.(G) Let those who are left eat(H) one another’s flesh.”

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Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.

And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.

Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.

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Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;(A)
her rulers are evening wolves,(B)
    who leave nothing for the morning.(C)

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Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

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The Righteous Branch

23 “Woe to the shepherds(A) who are destroying and scattering(B) the sheep of my pasture!”(C) declares the Lord.

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23 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.

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