Then the word of the LORD
came
to me saying
,
"Son of man
, prophesy
against
the ashepherds
of Israel
. Prophesy
and say
to 1those shepherds
, `Thus
says
the Lord
2GOD
, "Woe
, shepherds
of Israel
who
have been
3 bfeeding
themselves! Should not the shepherds
3 cfeed
the flock
?
"You aeat the fat
and clothe
yourselves
with the wool
, you bslaughter
the fat
sheep without
1feeding
the flock
.
"Those who are sickly you have not strengthened
, the 1diseased
you have not healed
, athe broken
you have not bound
up, the scattered
you have not brought
back
, nor
have you bsought
for the lost
; but with force
and with severity
you have dominated
them.
"They were ascattered for lack
of a shepherd
, and they became
bfood
for every
beast
of the field
and were scattered
.
"My flock awandered
through all
the mountains
and on every
high
hill
; bMy flock
was scattered
over
all
the surface
of the earth
, and there
was cno
one
to search
or seek
for them.""'
Therefore, you shepherds
, hear
the word
of the LORD
:
"As I live," declares
the Lord
GOD
, "surely
because
My flock
has become
a aprey
, 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
;
therefore, you shepherds
, hear
the word
of the LORD
:
`Thus says
the Lord
GOD
, "Behold
, I am aagainst
the shepherds
, and I will demand
My 1sheep
2from them and make them bcease
from feeding
1sheep
. So the shepherds
will not 3feed
themselves anymore
, but I will cdeliver
My flock
from their mouth
, so that they will not be food
for them.""'
For thus says
the Lord
GOD
, "Behold
, I Myself
will asearch
for My sheep
and seek
them out.
" aAs a shepherd 1cares
for his herd
in the day
when he is among
his scattered
2sheep
, so
I will 1 bcare
for My 2sheep
and will deliver
them from all
the places
to which
they were scattered
on a ccloudy
and gloomy
day
.
"I will bring them out from the peoples
and gather
them from the countries
and bring
them to their own land
; and I will afeed
them on the mountains
of Israel
, by the bstreams
, and in all
the inhabited
places
of the land
.
"I will feed them in a agood
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 1 brich
pasture
on the mountains
of Israel
.
"I will afeed My flock
and I will 1lead
them to rest
," declares
the Lord
GOD
.
"I will seek the lost
, bring
back
the scattered
, bind
up the broken
and strengthen
the sick
; but the afat
and the strong
I will destroy
. I will bfeed
them with judgment
.
"As for you, My flock, thus
says
the Lord
GOD
, `Behold
, I will ajudge
between
one 1sheep
and another
, between the rams
and the male
goats
.
`Is it too aslight
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 1foul
the rest
with your feet
?
`As for My flock, they must eat
what
you tread
down
with your feet
and drink
what
you 1foul
with your feet
!' "
Therefore, thus
says
the Lord
GOD
to them, "Behold
, I, even I, will judge
between
the fat
sheep
and the lean
sheep
.
"Because you push
with side
and with shoulder
, and athrust
at all
the 1weak
with your horns
until
you have scattered
them 2abroad
,
therefore, I will adeliver My flock
, and they will no
longer
be a prey
; and I will judge
between
one sheep
and another
.
"Then I will aset over
them one
bshepherd
, My servant
cDavid
, and he will feed
them; he will feed
them himself
and be their shepherd
.
"And I, the LORD, will be their God
, and My servant
aDavid
will be prince
among
them; I the LORD
have spoken
.
"I will make a acovenant
of peace
with them and beliminate
harmful
beasts
from the land
so that they may clive
securely
in the wilderness
and sleep
in the woods
.
"I will make them and the places
around
My hill
a ablessing
. And I will cause bshowers
to come
down
in their season
; they will be showers
of cblessing
.
"Also the tree of the field
will yield
its fruit
and the earth
will yield
its increase
, and they will be asecure
on their land
. Then they will know
that I am the LORD
, when I have bbroken
the bars
of their yoke
and have delivered
them from the hand
of those who enslaved
them.
"They will no longer
be a prey
to the nations
, and the beasts
of the earth
will not devour
them; but they will alive
securely
, and no
one
will make
them afraid
.
"I will establish for them a arenowned
planting
place
, and they will bnot again
be 1victims
of famine
in the land
, and they will not cendure
the insults
of the nations
anymore
.
"Then they will know that aI, the LORD
their God
, am with them, and that they, the house
of Israel
, are My people
," declares
the Lord
GOD
.
"As for you, My asheep, the bsheep
of My pasture
, you are men
, and I am your God
," declares
the Lord
GOD
.