Ezekiel Chapter 34

Prophecy Against Israel’s Shepherds

¹ A message from Yahveh came to me:

² “Son of man, prophesy against Israel’s shepherds. ‘The Lord Yahveh says, “Misfortune awaits you, shepherds that feed yourselves! Shouldn’t shepherds feed the flock? ³ You eat the healthy and dress with their wool. You slaughter the healthy sheep without feeding the flock. ⁴ You don’t strengthen the sickly, heal the diseased, bandage up the crippled, bring back the scattered, or look for the lost. With force and severity, you bully them. ⁵ They’re scattered all over the world because they didn’t have a shepherd; they became prey for wild animals. ⁶ My flock wandered around in the mountains and tall hills; nobody looked for them.            

Ezek 34:1-6

⁷ ‘So, shepherds, listen to Yahveh, [ ^8-9 ] ¹⁰ “Give me my sheep. You’re fired. I’ll protect my flock so you can’t eat them anymore.”’”

¹¹ The Lord Yahveh says, “I’ll look for my sheep myself. ¹² Like a shepherd does when he’s among them, I’ll bring them back from where they scattered on a cloudy, gloomy day. ^13-14 I’ll gather them from other countries, feed them on good pasture, and graze them on Israel’s high mountains, by its streams, in populated places. ¹⁵ I’ll lead my flock to rest, ¹⁶ bandage up the crippled, doctor the sick, watch over the healthy and strong. I’ll feed them with justice.”  

Ezek 34:7-16

¹⁷ The Lord Yahveh says, “My flock, I’ll decide between one sheep and another, between rams and billy goats. ¹⁸ Do you care so little about feeding on good pasture that you tramp it down? Do you care so little about drinking clean water that you muddy it up with your hooves? ¹⁹ My flock has to eat what you tramp down and drink what you muddy up!”

²⁰ So the Lord Yahveh says, “I’ll decide between healthy sheep and sickly ones. ²¹ You butt and shove with your shoulder and gouge the weak with your horns till you drive them off. ²² I’ll protect my flock so they won’t be prey anymore, and judge one sheep from another. ²³ I’ll set one shepherd over them, my servant David; he’ll feed them. ²⁴ I’ll be their God; he’ll be their prince. I’ve said so.

Ezek 34:17-24

²⁵ “I’ll make a peace treaty with them and get rid of dangerous animals so they can be safe in the countryside and sleep in the woods. ²⁶ I’ll make them and the places around my mountain a blessing. It will rain when it’s supposed to—showers of blessing. ²⁷ The trees in the orchard will bear their fruit; the ground will grow its crops. They’ll know I’m Yahveh when I’ve broken the bars of their yoke and delivered them from those who enslave them. ²⁸ They won’t be prey for other nations anymore, and the animals in the world won’t devour them. Nobody will make them afraid. ²⁹ Their land will be famous for growing crops, and they won’t ever be victims of famine or have to put up with insults from other nations. ³⁰ They’ll know that I, Yahveh their God, am with them, and they’re Israel, my people. ³¹ My ‘sheep’ in my pasture, you’re my people and I’m your God,”      

                                                                        the Lord Yahveh says.

Ezek 34:25-31