English Standard Version

New King James Version

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

The word of the Lord came to me:

Irresponsible Shepherds

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?

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, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.

3

You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.

4

The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.

4

The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and [a]cruelty you have ruled them.

5

So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;

5

So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.

6

they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

6

My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”

7

“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

7

‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

8

As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep,

8

“As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock” —

9

therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

9

therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord!

10

Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

10

Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

11

The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.

11

God, the True Shepherd

‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

12

As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.

12

As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.

13

And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

13

And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, [b]in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.

14

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

14

I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

15

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.

15

I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God.

16

I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy.a I will feed them in justice.

16

“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”

17

“As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats.

17

‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.

18

Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet?

18

Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the [c]residue of your pasture — and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet?

19

And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

19

And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”

20

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

20

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

21

Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad,

21

Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad,

22

I will rescueb my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.

22

therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

23

And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.

23

I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them — My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.

24

And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.

24

And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

25

The Lord’s Covenant of Peace

“I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

25

“I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

26

And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.

26

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

27

And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

27

Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

28

They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid.

28

And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid.

29

And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations.

29

I will raise up for them a garden[d] of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore.

30

And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God.

30

Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord God.’

31

And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”

31

“You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.

Parallel

English Standard Version

New King James Version

Ezekiel 34

Ezekiel 34