Israel's Leaders Are Worthless Shepherds
1 The Lord God said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, Israel's leaders are like shepherds taking care of my sheep, the people of Israel. But I want you to condemn these leaders and tell them:
I, the Lord God, say you shepherds of Israel are doomed! You take care of yourselves while ignoring my sheep. 3 You drink their milk and use their wool to make your clothes. Then you butcher the best ones for food. But you don't take care of the flock! 4 You have never protected the weak ones or healed the sick ones or bandaged those that get hurt. You let them wander off and never look for those that get lost. You are cruel and mean to my sheep. 5 They strayed in every direction, and because there was no shepherd to watch them, they were attacked and eaten by wild animals. 6 So my sheep were scattered across the earth. They roamed on hills and mountains, without anyone even bothering to look for them.
7-8 Now listen to what I, the living Lord God, am saying to you shepherds. My sheep have been attacked and eaten by wild animals, because you refused to watch them. You never went looking for the lost ones, and you fed yourselves without feeding my sheep. 9-10 So I, the Lord, will punish you! I will rescue my sheep from you and never let you be their shepherd again or butcher them for food. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Is the Good Shepherd
11 The Lord God then said:
I will look for my sheep and take care of them myself, 12 just as a shepherd looks for lost sheep. My sheep have been lost since that dark and miserable day when they were scattered throughout the nations. But I will rescue them 13 and bring them back from the foreign nations where they now live. I will be their shepherd and will let them graze on Israel's mountains and in the valleys and fertile fields. 14 They will be safe as they feed on grassy meadows and green hills. 15 I promise to take care of them and keep them safe, 16 to look for those that are lost and bring back the ones that wander off, to bandage those that are hurt and protect the ones that are weak. I will also slaughter those that are fat and strong, because I always do right.
Judgment on the Strong Sheep
17 The Lord God said to his sheep, the people of Israel:
I will carefully watch each one of you to decide which ones are the strong sheep and which ones are weak. 18 Some of you eat the greenest grass, then trample down what's left when you finish. Others drink clean water, then step in the water to make the rest of it muddy. 19 That means my other sheep have nothing fit to eat or drink.
20 So I, the Lord God, will separate you strong sheep from the weak. 21 You strong ones have used your powerful horns to chase off those that are weak, 22 but I will rescue them and no longer let them be mistreated. I will separate the good from the bad.
23 After that, I will give you a shepherd from the family of my servant King David. All of you, both strong and weak, will have the same shepherd, and he will take good care of you. 24 He will be your leader, and I will be your God. I, the Lord, have spoken.
A Bright Future for the Lord's Sheep
The Lord God said:
25 The people of Israel are my sheep, and I solemnly promise that they will live in peace. I will chase away every wild animal from the desert and the forest, so my sheep will not be afraid. 26 They will live around my holy mountain, and I will bless them by sending more than enough rain 27 to make their trees produce fruit and their crops to grow. I will set them free from slavery and let them live safely in their own land. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 28 Foreign nations will never again rob them, and wild animals will no longer kill and eat them. They will have nothing to fear. 29 I will make their fields produce large amounts of crops, so they will never again go hungry or be laughed at by foreigners. 30 Then everyone will know that I protect my people Israel. I, the Lord, make this promise. 31 They are my sheep; I am their God, and I take care of them.
1 And the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, prophesie against the shepherdes of Israel, prophesie and say vnto them, Thus saieth the Lord God vnto the shepherds, Wo be vnto the shepherds of Israel, that feede them selues: should not the shepherds feede the flockes? 3 Yee eate the fat, and yee clothe you with the wooll: yee kill them that are fed, but ye feede not the sheepe. 4 The weake haue ye not strengthened: the sicke haue ye not healed, neither haue ye bounde vp the broken, nor brought againe that which was driuen away, neither haue yee sought that which was lost, but with crueltie, and with rigour haue yee ruled them. 5 And they were scattered without a shepherde: and when they were dispersed, they were deuoured of all the beastes of the fielde. 6 My sheepe wandred through all the mountaines, and vpon euery hie hill: yea, my flocke was scattered through al the earth, and none did seeke or search after them. 7 Therefore ye shepherds, heare the woorde of the Lord. 8 As I liue, sayeth the Lord God, surely because my flocke was spoyled, and my sheepe were deuoured of all the beasts of the fielde, hauing no shepherde, neither did my shepherdes seeke my sheepe, but the shepherdes fedde them selues, and fedde not my sheepe, 9 Therefore, heare ye the word of the Lord, O ye shepherds. 10 Thus saieth the Lord God, Behold, I come against the shepherds, and will require my sheepe at their hands, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheepe: neither shall the shepherds feede them selues any more: for I wil deliuer my sheepe from their mouthes, and they shall no more deuoure them. 11 For thus sayeth the Lord God, Beholde, I will search my sheepe, and seeke them out. 12 As a shepherd searcheth out his flocke, when he hath bene among his sheepe that are scattered, so wil I seeke out my sheepe and wil deliuer them out of all places, where they haue beene scattered in the cloudie and darke day, 13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countreis, and will bring them to their owne lande, and feede them vpon the mountaines of Israel, by the riuers, and in all the inhabited places of the countrey. 14 I will feede them in a good pasture, and vpon the hie mountaines of Israel shall their folde be: there shall they lie in a good folde and in fat pasture shall they feede vpon the mountaines of Israel. 15 I will feede my sheepe, and bring them to their rest, sayth the Lord God. 16 I will seeke that which was lost, and bring againe that which was driue away, and will binde vp that which was broken, and will strengthen the weake but I wil destroy the fat and the strong, and I will feede them with iudgement. 17 Also you my sheepe, Thus saieth the Lord God, behold, I iudge betweene sheepe, and sheepe, betweene the rammes and the goates. 18 Seemeth it a small thing vnto you to haue eaten vp the good pasture, but yee must treade downe with your feete the residue of your pasture? and to haue drunke of the deepe waters, but yee must trouble the residue with your feete? 19 And my sheepe eate that which yee haue troden with your feete, and drinke that which ye haue troubled with your feete. 20 Therefore thus sayth the Lord God vnto them, behold, I, euen I wil iudge betweene the fat sheepe and the leane sheepe. 21 Because ye haue thrust with side and with shoulder, and pusht al the weake with your hornes, till ye haue scattered them abroade, 22 Therefore wil I helpe my sheepe, and they shall no more be spoyled, and I wil iudge betweene sheepe and sheepe. 23 And I wil set vp a shepherd ouer them, and he shall feede them, euen my seruant Dauid, he shall feede them, and he shalbe their shepherd. 24 And I the Lord will be their God, and my seruant Dauid shalbe the prince amog them. I the Lord haue spoken it. 25 And I will make with them a couenant of peace, and will cause the euil beastes to cease out of the land: and they shall dwel safely in the wildernesse, and sleepe in the woods. 26 And I wil set them, as a blessing, euen roud about my mountaine: and I will cause rayne to come downe in due season, and there shalbe raine of blessing. 27 And the tree of the fielde shall yeeld her fruite, and the earth shall giue her fruite, and they shalbe safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I haue broken the cordes of their yoke, and deliuered them out of the hands of those that serued themselues of them. 28 And they shall no more be spoyled of the heathen, neither shall the beastes of the land deuoure them, but they shall dwell safely and none shall make them afrayd. 29 And I will rayse vp for them a plant of renoume, and they shalbe no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither beare the reproche of the heathen any more. 30 Thus shall they vnderstande, that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, euen the house of Israel, are my people, sayth the Lord God. 31 And yee my sheepe, the sheepe of my pasture are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.