1 T he Word of the Lord came to me saying,

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

2 “ Son of man, speak against the shepherds of Israel. Speak in My name and tell those shepherds, ‘The Lord God says, “It is bad for the 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 kill 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 Y ou have not given strength to the weak ones. You have not healed the sick. You have not helped the ones that are hurt. You have not brought back those that have gone away. And you have not looked for the lost. But you have ruled them with power and without pity.

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 went everywhere because they had no shepherd. And they became food for every animal of the field.

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 went many different ways through all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were spread over all the earth, and there was no one looking 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 S o, you shepherds, hear the Word of the Lord.

Therefore, shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

8 “ As I live,” says the Lord God, “My flock has been killed and become food for wild animals because they had no shepherd. My shepherds did not look for My flock. They fed themselves, but have not fed 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 S o, you shepherds, hear the Word of the Lord.

Therefore, O shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

10 T he Lord God says, “I am against the shepherds, and I will ask them for My sheep. I will stop them from feeding the sheep, so they will no longer be able to feed themselves. I will save my sheep from their mouths, so that they will no longer be food for them.” The Good Shepherd

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 the Lord God says, “I Myself will look for My sheep and find them.

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 looks for his sheep when they are not together, so I will look for My sheep. And I will save them from all the places where they were spread out on a day of clouds and darkness.

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 people and gather them from the countries, and bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the places of the land where people live.

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 field. The ground they eat upon will be on the mountains of Israel. There they will lie down in a good field and feed on good grass 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 sheep, and give them rest,” says the Lord God.

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

16 “ I will look for the lost, bring back those that have gone away, help those who have been hurt, and give strength to the sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them with punishment.

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, the Lord God says, ‘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 not enough for you to eat in the good field? Must you crush under foot the rest of your fields? Is it not enough for you to drink of the clear waters? Must your feet fill the rest with mud?

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 M ust My flock eat what you have crushed with your feet, and drink what you have made dirty with your feet?’”

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

20 S o the Lord God says to them, “I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the weak 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 your side and shoulder and run against all the weak with your horns until you have driven them away,

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 I will save My flock. They will no longer be hurt. 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 T hen I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them 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 I , the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be their leader. 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 peace agreement with them and take away wild animals from the land. Then they will be safe as they live in the desert 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 bring good to them and to the places around My hill. I will give them rain when they need it. Good will rain down upon them.

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 T he trees of the field will give their fruit and the earth will give its food. They will be safe in their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the load from their backs and have saved them from those who made servants of 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 under the power of the nations. And the wild animals of the earth will not eat them. But they will be safe, 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 give them a land well known for its fields of food. They will never suffer with hunger again, and will no longer be put to shame by the nations.

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 people of Israel, are My people,” says 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 “ You, My sheep, the sheep of My field, are people, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.

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