Ezekiel 34
New King James Version

Irresponsible Shepherds

34 And the word of theLordcame to me, saying,²“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the LordGodto the shepherds:^(A)“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?³^(B)You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you^(C)slaughter the fatlings,butyou do not feed the flock.⁴^(D)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^(E)sought what was lost; but with^(F)force and^[a]cruelty you have ruled them.⁵^(G)So they were^(H)scattered becausethere wasno shepherd;^(I)and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.⁶My sheep^(J)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 searchingfor them.”

⁷‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of theLord:⁸“AsI live,” says the LordGod, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock^(K)became food for every beast of the field, becausethere wasno shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock,^(L)but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”—⁹therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of theLord!¹⁰Thus says the LordGod: “Behold, Iam^(M)against the shepherds, and^(N)I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall^(O)feed themselves no more; for I will^(P)deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

God, the True Shepherd

¹¹‘For thus says the LordGod: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.¹²As a^(Q)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^(R)a cloudy and dark day.¹³And^(S)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^(T)I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel.^(U)There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.¹⁵I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the LordGod.¹⁶^(V)“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^(W)the fat and the strong, and feed them^(X)in judgment.”

¹⁷‘Andas foryou, O My flock, thus says the LordGod:^(Y)“Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.¹⁸Is ittoo 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?¹⁹Andas forMy 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 LordGodto them:^(Z)“Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep.²¹Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad,²²therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.²³I will establish one^(AA)shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—^(AB)My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.²⁴And^(AC)I, theLord, will be their God, and My servant David^(AD)a prince among them; I, theLord, have spoken.

²⁵^(AE)“I will make a covenant of peace with them, and^(AF)cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they^(AG)will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.²⁶I will make them and the places all around^(AH)My hill^(AI)a blessing; and I will^(AJ)cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be^(AK)showers of blessing.²⁷Then^(AL)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 IamtheLord, when I have^(AM)broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who^(AN)enslaved them.²⁸And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but^(AO)they shall dwell safely, and no one shall makethemafraid.²⁹I will raise up for them a^(AP)garden^[d]of renown, and they shall^(AQ)no longer be consumed with hunger in the land,^(AR)nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore.³⁰Thus they shall know that^(AS)I, theLordtheir God,amwith them, and they, the house of Israel,are^(AT)My people,” says the LordGod.’