EzekielChapter 34

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¹Then the LORD gave me this message. He said, ²"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: 'How terrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who only feed themselves! Shouldn't shepherds feed their flock? ³You eat the fat. You wear the wool. You kill the fattest sheep. But you do not feed the flock. ⁴You have not made the weak strong. You have not healed the sick. You have not wrapped up the hurt ones. You have not brought back the ones that wandered off. You have not looked for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them in a harsh and cruel way. ⁵They were scattered because they had no shepherd. When they were scattered, all the wild animals ate them. ⁶My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth. No one went to look for them or search for them.' ⁷So, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. ⁸'As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, my flock has no shepherd. So my sheep have been caught and eaten by every wild animal. My shepherds did not look for my flock. Instead, they fed themselves. ⁹So, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD!' ¹⁰This is what the Lord GOD says: 'Listen, I am against the shepherds. I will hold them responsible for my flock. I will remove them from taking care of the flock. Then they can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths. My sheep will no longer be their food.' ¹¹For this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Listen, I myself will look for my flock. I will search for them. ¹²A shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is with his flock. In the same way, I will look for my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. ¹³I will bring them out from the peoples. I will gather them from the countries. I will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the places where people live in the land. ¹⁴I will feed them in good pasture. The high mountains of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land. They will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵I myself will take care of my flock. I will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. ¹⁶I will look for the lost. I will bring back the ones that wandered off. I will wrap up the hurt ones. I will make the weak ones strong. But I will destroy the fat and strong ones. I will take care of them with justice.' ¹⁷This is what the Lord GOD says to you, my flock: 'I will judge between one sheep and another. I will judge between the rams and the goats. ¹⁸Isn't it enough for you to eat the good grass? Must you also trample the rest of the grass with your feet? Isn't it enough for you to drink the clear water? Must you also make the rest muddy with your feet? ¹⁹Why must my flock eat what your feet have trampled? Why must they drink what your feet have made muddy?' ²⁰So this is what the Lord GOD says to them: 'Listen, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep. ²¹You push with your side and shoulder. You butt all the weak ones with your horns. You do it until you have driven them far away. ²²So I will save my flock. They will no longer be caught and eaten. I will judge between one sheep and another. ²³I will put one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴I, the LORD, will be their God. My servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken. ²⁵I will make a covenant of peace with them. I will get rid of the wild animals in the land. Then they can live safely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest. ²⁶I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will send down rain at the right time. They will be showers of blessing. ²⁷The trees in the field will give their fruit. The land will give its crops. My sheep will be safe in their land. I will break the bars of their yoke. I will rescue them from the hands of those who made them slaves. Then they will know that I am the LORD. ²⁸The nations will no longer catch them like prey. The wild animals will not eat them. They will live safely. No one will make them afraid. ²⁹I will make a famous garden grow for them. They will no longer go hungry in the land. The nations will not make fun of them anymore. ³⁰Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them. They will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people,' declares the Lord GOD. ³¹'You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God,' declares the Lord GOD."