1 T hen the word of the Lord came to me saying,

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

2 “ Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?

`Son of man, prophesy concerning shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and thou hast said unto them: To the shepherds, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Wo the shepherds of Israel, Who have been feeding themselves! The flock do not the shepherds feed?

3 Y ou eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock.

The fat ye do eat, and the wool ye put on, The fed one ye slaughter, the flock ye feed not.

4 T hose who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.

The weak ye have not strengthened, And the sick one ye have not healed, And the broken ye have not bound up, And the driven away have not brought back, And the lost ye have not sought, And with might ye have ruled them and with rigour.

5 T hey were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered.

And they are scattered from want of a shepherd, And are for food to every beast of the field, Yea, they are scattered.

6 M y flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”’”

Go astray do My flock on all the mountains, And on every high hill, And on all the face of the land have My flock been scattered, And there is none inquiring, and none seeking.

7 T herefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

Therefore, shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

8 “ As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts 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;

I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, If not, because of My flock being for a prey, Yea, My flock is for food to every beast of the field, Because there is no shepherd, And My shepherds have not sought My flock, And the shepherds do feed themselves, And My flock they have not fed.

9 t herefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

Therefore, O shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

10 ‘ Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’” The Restoration of Israel

Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I against the shepherds, And have required My flock from their hand, And caused them to cease from feeding the flock, And no more do the shepherds feed themselves, And I have delivered My flock from their mouth, And they are not to them for food.

11 F or thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I -- even I, have required My flock, And I have sought it out.

12 A s a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.

As a shepherd's searching of his drove, In the day of his being in the midst of his scattered flock, so I do seek My flock, And have delivered them out of all places, Whither they have been scattered, In a day of cloud and thick darkness.

13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.

And brought them out from the peoples, And have gathered them from the lands, And brought them unto their own ground, And have fed them on mountains of Israel, By streams, and by all dwellings of the land.

14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

With good pasture I do feed them, And on mountains of the high place of Israel is their habitation, There do they lie down in a good habitation, And fat pastures they enjoy on mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God.

I feed My flock, and cause them to lie down, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

16 “ I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.

The lost I seek, and the driven away bring back, And the broken I bind up, and the sick I strengthen, And the fat and the strong I destroy, I feed it with judgment.

17 “ As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats.

And you, My flock, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am judging between sheep and sheep, Between rams and he-goats.

18 I s it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet?

Is it a little thing for you -- the good pasture ye enjoy, And the remnant of your pasture ye tread down with your feet, And a depth of waters ye do drink, And the remainder with your feet ye trample,

19 A s for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul with your feet!’”

And My flock the trodden thing of your feet consumeth, And the trampled thing of your feet drinketh?

20 T herefore, thus says the Lord God to them, “Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah to them: Lo, I -- even I, have judged between fat sheep and lean sheep.

21 B ecause you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad,

Because with side and with shoulder ye thrust away, And with your horns push all the diseased, Till ye have scattered them to the out-place,

22 t herefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another.

And I have given safety to My flock, And they are not any more for prey, And I have judged between sheep and sheep.

23 “ Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.

And have raised up over them one shepherd, And he hath fed them -- my servant David, He doth feed them, and he is their shepherd,

24 A nd I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.

And I, Jehovah, I am their God, And My servant David prince in their midst, I, Jehovah, have spoken.

25 “ I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

And I have made for them a covenant of peace, And caused evil beasts to cease out of the land, And they have dwelt in a wilderness confidently, And they have slept in forests.

26 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing.

And I have given them, and the suburbs of my hill, a blessing, And caused the shower to come down in its season, Showers of blessing they are.

27 A lso the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

And given hath the tree of the field its fruit, And the land doth give her increase, And they have been on their land confident, And they have known that I Jehovah, In My breaking the bands of their yoke, And I have delivered them from the hand of those laying service on them.

28 T hey will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid.

And they are no more a prey to nations, And the beast of the earth devoureth them not, And they have dwelt confidently, And there is none troubling.

29 I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore.

And I have raised for them a plant for renown, And they are no more consumed by hunger in the land, And they bear no more the shame of the nations.

30 T hen they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares the Lord God.

And they have known that I, Jehovah, their God, with them, And they -- the house of Israel -- My people, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

31 “ As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God.

And ye, My flock, the flock of My pasture, Men ye -- I your God, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'