MLV(i)
1 And the word of Jehovah 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 Jehovah: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the sheep?
3 You* eat the fat and you* clothe yourselves with the wool. You* kill the fattened-ones, but you* do not feed the sheep. 4 You* have not strengthened the diseased, nor have you* healed what was sick, nor have you* bound up what was broken, nor have you* brought back what was driven away, nor have you* sought what was lost, but you* have ruled over them with force and with rigor.
5 And they were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became food to all the beasts of the field and were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth and there was none who searched or sought.
7 Therefore, you* shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: 8 As I live, says the lord Jehovah, surely inasmuch as my sheep became a prey and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my sheep, 9 therefore, you* shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah.
10 The lord Jehovah says thus: Behold, I am against the shepherds and I will require my sheep at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. Neither will the shepherds feed themselves any more and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
11 For thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock, in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the 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 upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture and their fold will be upon the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold and on fat pasture they will feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep and I will cause them to lie down, says the lord Jehovah. 16 I will seek what was lost and will bring back what was driven away and will bind up what was broken and will strengthen what was sick, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.
17 And as for you*, O my flock, thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male-goats.
18 Does it seem a small thing to you* to have fed upon the good pasture, but you* must tread down with your* feet the residue of your* pasture and to have drunk of the clear waters, but you* must foul the residue with your* feet? 19 And as for my sheep, they eat what you* have trodden with your* feet and they drink what you* have fouled with your* feet.
20 Therefore thus says the lord Jehovah to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you* thrust with side and with shoulder and push all the diseased with your* horns, till you* have scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save my flock and they will no more be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them and he will be their shepherd. 24 And I, Jehovah, will be their God and my servant David ruler among them. I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
25 And I will make a covenant of peace with them and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land and they will dwell securely 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 cause the shower to come down in its season; there will be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase and they will be secure in their land. And they will know that I am Jehovah when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made bondmen of them.
28 And they will no more be a prey to the nations, nor will the beasts of the earth devour them, but they will dwell securely and none will make them afraid. 29 And I will raise up to them a plantation for renown and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, nor bear the shame of the nations any more.
30 And they will know that I, Jehovah, their God am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the lord Jehovah. 31 And you* my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men and I am your* God, says the lord Jehovah.
3 You* eat the fat and you* clothe yourselves with the wool. You* kill the fattened-ones, but you* do not feed the sheep. 4 You* have not strengthened the diseased, nor have you* healed what was sick, nor have you* bound up what was broken, nor have you* brought back what was driven away, nor have you* sought what was lost, but you* have ruled over them with force and with rigor.
5 And they were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became food to all the beasts of the field and were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth and there was none who searched or sought.
7 Therefore, you* shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: 8 As I live, says the lord Jehovah, surely inasmuch as my sheep became a prey and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my sheep, 9 therefore, you* shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah.
10 The lord Jehovah says thus: Behold, I am against the shepherds and I will require my sheep at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. Neither will the shepherds feed themselves any more and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
11 For thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock, in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the 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 upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture and their fold will be upon the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold and on fat pasture they will feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep and I will cause them to lie down, says the lord Jehovah. 16 I will seek what was lost and will bring back what was driven away and will bind up what was broken and will strengthen what was sick, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.
17 And as for you*, O my flock, thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male-goats.
18 Does it seem a small thing to you* to have fed upon the good pasture, but you* must tread down with your* feet the residue of your* pasture and to have drunk of the clear waters, but you* must foul the residue with your* feet? 19 And as for my sheep, they eat what you* have trodden with your* feet and they drink what you* have fouled with your* feet.
20 Therefore thus says the lord Jehovah to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you* thrust with side and with shoulder and push all the diseased with your* horns, till you* have scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save my flock and they will no more be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them and he will be their shepherd. 24 And I, Jehovah, will be their God and my servant David ruler among them. I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
25 And I will make a covenant of peace with them and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land and they will dwell securely 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 cause the shower to come down in its season; there will be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase and they will be secure in their land. And they will know that I am Jehovah when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made bondmen of them.
28 And they will no more be a prey to the nations, nor will the beasts of the earth devour them, but they will dwell securely and none will make them afraid. 29 And I will raise up to them a plantation for renown and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, nor bear the shame of the nations any more.
30 And they will know that I, Jehovah, their God am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the lord Jehovah. 31 And you* my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men and I am your* God, says the lord Jehovah.