New International Version | NET Bible |
1The word of the LORD came to me: | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
2"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? | 2"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them--to the shepherds: 'This is what the sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? |
3You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. | 3You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! |
4You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. | 4You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them. |
5So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. | 5They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast. |
6My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. | 6My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them. |
7"'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: | 7"'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: |
8As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, | 8As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, my sheep have become prey and have become food for all the wild beasts. There was no shepherd, and my shepherds did not search for my flock, but fed themselves and did not feed my sheep, |
9therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: | 9Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: |
10This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them. | 10This is what the sovereign LORD says: Look, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand my sheep from their hand. I will no longer let them be shepherds; the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore. I will rescue my sheep from their mouth, so that they will no longer be food for them. |
11"'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. | 11"'For this is what the sovereign LORD says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. |
12As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. | 12As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day. |
13I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. | 13I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries; I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and all the inhabited places of the land. |
14I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. | 14In a good pasture I will feed them; the mountain heights of Israel will be their pasture. There they will lie down in a lush pasture, and they will feed on rich grass on the mountains of Israel. |
15I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. | 15I myself will feed my sheep and I myself will make them lie down, declares the sovereign LORD. |
16I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. | 16I will seek the lost and bring back the strays; I will bandage the injured 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, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. | 17"'As for you, my sheep, this is what the sovereign LORD says: Look, I am about to judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. |
18Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? | 18Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must trample the rest of your pastures with your feet? When you drink clean water, must you muddy the rest of the water by trampling it with your feet? |
19Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? | 19As for my sheep, they must eat what you trampled with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet! |
20"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. | 20"'Therefore, this is what the sovereign LORD says to them: Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. |
21Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, | 21Because you push with your side and your shoulder, and thrust your horns at all the weak sheep until you scatter them abroad, |
22I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. | 22I will save my sheep; they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another. |
23I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. | 23I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them--namely, my servant David. He will feed them and will be their shepherd. |
24I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken. | 24I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken! |
25"'I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. | 25"'I will make a covenant of peace with them and will rid the land of wild beasts, so that they can live securely in the wilderness and even sleep in the woods. |
26I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. | 26I will turn them and the regions around my hill into a blessing. I will make showers come down in their season; they will be showers that bring blessing. |
27The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. | 27The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the earth will yield its crops. They will live securely on their land; they will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them. |
28They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. | 28They will no longer be prey for the nations and the wild beasts will not devour them. They will live securely and no one will make them afraid. |
29I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations. | 29I will prepare for them a healthy planting. They will no longer be victims of famine in the land and will no longer bear the insults of the nations. |
30Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. | 30Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they are my people, the house of Israel, declares the sovereign LORD. |
31You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" | 31And you, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are my people, and I am your God, declares the sovereign LORD.'" |
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