Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

34 The word of the Lord came to me: (A)“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: (B)Ah, shepherds of Israel (C)who have been feeding yourselves! (D)Should not shepherds feed the sheep? (E)You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, (F)you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. (G)The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, (H)the injured you have not bound up, (I)the strayed you have not brought back, (J)the lost you have not sought, and with force and (K)harshness you have ruled them. (L)So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and (M)they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, (N)with none to search or seek for them.

“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: (O)As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because (P)my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God, (Q)Behold, I am against the shepherds, and (R)I will require my sheep at their hand and (S)put a stop to their feeding the sheep. (T)No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. (U)I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

Read full chapter

Prophecy against the Shepherds of Israel

34 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the (A)shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to [a]those shepherds, ‘This is what the Lord [b]God says: “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been [c](B)feeding themselves! Should the shepherds not [d](C)feed the flock? You (D)eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you (E)slaughter the fat sheep [e]without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, (F)the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you (G)searched for the lost; but with force and with violence you have [f]dominated them. They (H)scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became (I)food for every animal of the field and scattered. My flock (J)strayed through all the mountains and on every high hill; (K)My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was (L)no one to search or seek for them.”’”

Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “certainly, because My flock has become (M)plunder, and My flock has become food for all the animals of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am (N)against the shepherds, and I will demand My [g]sheep [h]from them and make them (O)stop tending sheep. So the shepherds will not [i]feed themselves anymore, but I will (P)save My sheep from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 34:2 Lit them, the shepherds
  2. Ezekiel 34:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  3. Ezekiel 34:2 Lit pasturing, pasture
  4. Ezekiel 34:2 Lit pasturing, pasture
  5. Ezekiel 34:3 Lit you do not pasture
  6. Ezekiel 34:4 Or ruled
  7. Ezekiel 34:10 Or flock
  8. Ezekiel 34:10 Lit from their hand
  9. Ezekiel 34:10 Lit pasture, and so throughout the ch