Ezekiel 34

Revised Geneva Translation

34 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 kill those that are fat, but you do not feed the sheep.

⁴ “You have not strengthened the weak. You have neither healed the sick nor bound up the broken nor brought back that which was driven away. Nor have you sought that which was lost. But you have ruled them with cruelty and with violence.

⁵ “And they were scattered, without a shepherd. And when they were dispersed, they were devoured by all the beasts of the field.

⁶ “My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill. Yea, My flock was scattered throughout all the Earth and no one sought or searched.”

⁷ ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the Word of the LORD:

⁸ “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock was plundered and My sheep were devoured by all the beasts of the field, having no shepherd— nor did My shepherds seek My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My sheep—

⁹ “therefore, hear the Word of the LORD, O you shepherds.”

¹⁰ ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I come against the shepherds and will require My sheep at their hands and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. Nor shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore. For I will deliver your sheep from their mouths; and they shall no longer devour them.”

¹¹ ‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will search My sheep and seek them out.

¹² “As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered on the cloudy and dark day.

¹³ “And I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries and will bring them to their own land and feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

¹⁴ “I will feed them in a good pasture; and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be. There shall they lie in a good fold; and in fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

¹⁵ “I will feed My sheep and bring them to their rest,” says the Lord GOD.

¹⁶ “I will seek that which was lost and bring back that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen the weak. But I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them with judgment.

¹⁷ “Also, you, My sheep,” thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the goats.

¹⁸ “Does it seem a small thing to you to have eaten up the good pasture, but you must tread down the rest of your pasture with your feet; and to have drunk of the deep waters, but you must foul the rest with your feet?

¹⁹ “And My sheep eat that which you have trodden with your feet and drink that which you have fouled with your feet.”

²⁰ ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: “Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

²¹ “Because you have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad,

²² “I will therefore help My sheep; and they shall no longer be plundered. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.

²³ “And I will set up a shepherd over them. And he shall feed them. My servant, David. He shall feed them; and he shall be their shepherd.

²⁴ “And I, the LORD, will be their God. And my servant, David, shall be the prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken it.

²⁵ “And I will make a covenant of peace with them and will cause the evil beasts to cease from the land. And they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

²⁶ “And I will set them as a blessing all around My mountains. And I will cause rain to come down in due season. And there shall be rain of blessing.

²⁷ “And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit; and the earth shall give her fruit; and they shall be safe in their land and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the cords of their yoke and delivered them out of the hands of those who served themselves with them.

²⁸ “And they shall no longer be plundered by the heathen. Nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. But they shall dwell safely; and no one shall make them afraid.

²⁹ “And I will raise up a plant of renown for them. And they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land or bear the reproach of the heathen anymore.

³⁰ “Thus shall they understand that I, the LORD their God, am with them. And that they, the House of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord GOD.

³¹ “And you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, are man. And I am your God,” says the Lord GOD.’”