THE LORD AND HIS SHEEP

23 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!”j This is the Lord’s declaration. 2 “Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend my people: You have scattered my flock,k banished them, and have not attended to them.l I am about to attend to you because of your evil acts”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 3 “I will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands where I have banished them,m and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous.n 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them.o They will no longer be afraid or discouraged, nor will any be missing.”p This is the Lord’s declaration.