Ezekiel 34

Irresponsible Shepherds

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them. 7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:8  As I live, says the Lord God, surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord!10 Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.

God, the True Shepherd

11 For thus says the Lord God: Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God.16 I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.17 And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastureand to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet?19 And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.20 Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep.21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad,22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.25 I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid.29 I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore.30 Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people, says the Lord God.31 You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God, says the Lord God.

EZEKIEL 34

Israel's Leaders //Are Worthless Shepherds

1  t 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 t 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.t 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 slaughtert 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  t 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 t 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: