Ezekiel 34
I Myself Will Search for My Sheep
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Against the Shepherds of Israel
34:1The Lord’s word came to me, saying,
34:2“Son of man, prophesy against Israel’s shepherds. Prophesy and say to the shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord, the Lord: O shepherds of Israel, surely shepherds do not feed themselves? Do shepherds not feed the sheep?
34:3Behold, you consume the milk, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the fattened animal, but you do not feed My sheep.
34:4You have not strengthened the weak, restored the sick to health, bound up the broken, brought back the wandering or sought the lost. You have worn down the strong with toil.
34:5My sheep scattered because there were no shepherds and became food for all the field’s beasts.
34:6My sheep scattered on every mountain and upon every high hill, and scattered over the whole face of the earth. There was no one seeking them out or turning them back.
34:7Therefore, shepherds, hear the Lord’s word:
34:8I live, says the Lord, the Lord: surely because My sheep became plunder and My sheep became food for all the plain’s beasts for lack of shepherds, and the shepherds did not seek out My sheep but fed themselves and did not feed My sheep—
34:9because of this, shepherds,
I Will Seek Out My Sheep
34:10thus says the Lord, the Lord: Behold, I am against the shepherds. I will require My sheep from their hands and turn them aside from shepherding My sheep. The shepherds will no longer feed them. I will rescue My sheep from their mouth, and they will no longer be food for them.
34:11For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will seek out My sheep and visit them.
34:12As a shepherd seeks his flock on a day when there is gloom and cloud among separated sheep, so I will seek out My sheep and drive them away from every place where they scattered on a day of cloud and gloom.
34:13I will bring them out from the nations, gather them from the countries and bring them into their own land. I will feed them upon Israel’s mountains, in the ravines and in every dwelling place of the land.
34:14I will feed them in good pasture, and their folds will be upon Israel’s high mountain. There they will lie down, there rest in good delight, and graze in rich pasture upon Israel’s mountains.
34:15I Myself will feed My sheep and give them rest, and they will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord, the Lord:
34:16I will seek the lost, bring back the wandering, bind up the broken, strengthen the failing and guard the strong. I will feed them with judgment.
34:17And you, sheep, thus says the Lord, the Lord: Behold, I will distinguish between sheep and sheep, rams and male goats.
34:18Was it not enough for you that you grazed the good pasture, yet trampled the rest of your pasture with your feet, drank the settled water and troubled the rest with your feet?
34:19My sheep grazed the tramplings of your feet and drank the water troubled by your feet.
I Will Judge Between Sheep and Sheep
34:20Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord: Behold, I will distinguish between the strong sheep and the weak sheep.
34:21You shove with your sides and shoulders, butt with your horns and press out every failing one.
34:22I will save My sheep, and they certainly will no longer be plunder. I will judge between ram and ram.
34:23I will raise up one shepherd over them, My servant David, and he will shepherd them and be their shepherd.
34:24I, the Lord, will be their God, and David a ruler among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.
34:25I will make a covenant of peace with David and remove harmful beasts from the land. They will dwell in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
34:26I will place them around My mountain and give you rain, rain of blessing.
34:27The trees in the plain will give their fruit, and the land will give its strength. They will dwell upon their land in hope of peace and know that I am the Lord when I shatter their yoke. I will rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them.
34:28They will no longer be plunder for the nations, and the land’s beasts certainly will no longer eat them. They will dwell in hope, and no one will terrify them.
34:29I will raise up a plant of peace for them. They will no longer perish by famine upon the land or bear the nations’ reproach.
34:30They will know that I am the Lord their God, and they, Israel’s house, are My people, says the Lord.
34:31You are My sheep and the sheep of My flock, and I am the Lord your God, says the Lord, the Lord.’”
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.