English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1The word of the LORD came to me:

1Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,

2“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 those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?

3You 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 fat sheep without feeding the flock.

4The 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"Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.

5So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;

5"They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered.

6they 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 flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them."'"

7“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

7Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

8As 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," declares the Lord GOD, "surely because My flock has become a prey, 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;

9therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

9therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

10Thus 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 demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them."'"

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

11For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

12As 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 cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.

13And 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"I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.

14I 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 a good 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 rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

15I 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 lead them to rest," declares the Lord GOD.

16I 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. I will feed them in justice.

16"I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with 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"As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats.

18Is 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 slight 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 foul the rest with your feet?

19And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

19'As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul 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.

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

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

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

22I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.

22therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another.

23And 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"Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.

24And 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 will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken.

25“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 eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

26And 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 around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing.

27And 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"Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

28They 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"They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid.

29And 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 establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore.

30And 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"Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people," declares the Lord GOD.

31And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD.”

31"As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God," declares the Lord GOD.

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