¹The LORD ’s word came to me , saying ,

²“Son of man , prophesy against the shepherds of Israel . Prophesy , and tell them , even the shepherds , ‘The Lord GOD says : “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves ! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep ?

³You eat the fat . You clothe yourself with the wool . You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep .

⁴You haven’t strengthened the diseased . You haven’t healed that which was sick . You haven’t bound up that which was broken . You haven’t brought back that which was driven away . You haven’t sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor.

⁵They were scattered , because there was no shepherd . They became food to all the animals of the field , and were scattered .

⁶My sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill . Yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth. There was no one who searched or sought .”

⁷“‘Therefore , you shepherds , hear the LORD ’s word :

⁸“As I live ,” says the Lord GOD , “surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field , because there was no shepherd , and my shepherds didn’t search for my sheep , but the shepherds fed themselves , and didn’t feed my sheep ,

⁹therefore , you shepherds , hear the LORD ’s word !”

¹⁰The Lord GOD says : “Behold , I am against the shepherds . I will require my sheep at their hand , and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep . The shepherds won’t feed themselves any more . I will deliver my sheep from their mouth , that they may not be food for them .”

¹¹“‘For the Lord GOD says : “Behold , I myself, even I , will search for my sheep , and will seek them out .

¹²As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is amongst his sheep that are scattered abroad , so I will seek out my sheep . I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day .

¹³I will bring them out from the peoples , and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel , by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country .

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

¹⁵I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep , and I will cause them to lie down ,” says the Lord GOD .

¹⁶“I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away , and will bind up that which was broken , and will strengthen that which was sick ; but I will destroy the fat and the strong . I will feed them in justice .”’

¹⁷“As for you, O my flock , the Lord GOD says : ‘Behold , I judge between sheep and sheep , the rams and the male goats .

¹⁸Does it seem a small thing to you to have fed on 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 must you foul the residue with your feet ?

¹⁹As for my sheep , they eat that which you have trodden with your feet , and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet .’

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

²¹Because you thrust with side and with shoulder , and push all the diseased with your horns , until you have scattered them abroad ,

²²therefore I will save my flock , and they will no more be a prey. I will judge between sheep and sheep .

²³I 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 .

²⁴I , the LORD , will be their God , and my servant David prince amongst them . I , the LORD , have spoken it .

²⁵“‘I will make with them a covenant of peace , and will cause evil animals to cease out of the land. They will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods .

²⁶I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing . I will cause the shower to come down in its season . There will be showers of blessing .

²⁷The tree of the field will yield its fruit , and the earth will yield its increase , and they will be secure in their land . Then they will know that I am the LORD , when I have broken the bars of their yoke , and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them .

²⁸They will no more be a prey to the nations , neither will the animals of the earth devour them ; but they will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid .

²⁹I will raise up to them a plantation for renown , and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, and not bear the shame of the nations any more .

³⁰They will know that I , the LORD , their God am with them , and that they , the house of Israel , are my people , says the Lord GOD .

³¹You my sheep , the sheep of my pasture , are men, and I am your God ,’ says the Lord GOD .”