New King James Version

New Living Translation

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

1Then this message came to me from the LORD:

2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep?

3You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.

3You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve.

4The 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 sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.

4You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty.

5So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.

5So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal.

6My sheep 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 searching for them.”

6They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.

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

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

8“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”—

8As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve.

9therefore, O 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 flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

10This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey. The Good Shepherd

11‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

11“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep.

12As a 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 a cloudy and dark day.

12I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.

13And 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, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.

13I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live.

14I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

14Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills.

15I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord GOD.

15I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD.

16“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 the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”

16I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!

17‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.

17“And as for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to his people: I will judge between one animal of the flock and another, separating the sheep from the goats.

18Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet?

18Isn’t it enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Isn’t it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?

19And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”

19Why must my flock eat what you have trampled down and drink water you have fouled?

20‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep.

20“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep.

21Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad,

21For you fat sheep pushed and butted and crowded my sick and hungry flock until you scattered them to distant lands.

22therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

22So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused. I will judge between one animal of the flock and another.

23I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.

23And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them.

24And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.

24And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the LORD, have spoken! The LORD’s Covenant of Peace

25“I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

25“I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear.

26I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.

26I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing.

27Then 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 I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

27The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the LORD.

28And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid.

28They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will frighten them.

29I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore.

29“And I will make their land famous for its crops, so my people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations.

30Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord GOD.’

30In this way, they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign LORD.

31“You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord GOD.

31You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.