Ezekiel 34:1–10

Prophecy Concerning Israel’s Shepherds and Sheep

34 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man,a prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and you must say to them, to the shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves! Must not the shepherds feed the flock? 3 The fat you eat, and you clothe yourself with the wool; the well-nourished animals you slaughter, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, and the sick you have not healed, and ⌊with respect to⌋b the hurtc you have not bound them up, and you have not brought back the scattered, and you have not sought the lost, but rather you ruled over them with forced and with ruthlessness. 5 And they were scattered ⌊without⌋e a shepherd, and they weref as food for all the animalsg of the field when they were scattered. 6 My flock went astray upon all of the mountains and on every high hill, and so upon all the surface of the worldh my flock were scattered, and ⌊there was no one seeking them⌋,i and ⌊there was no one searching for them⌋.”j 7 Therefore, hear, O shepherds, the word of Yahweh: 8 “⌊As I live⌋,”k ⌊declares⌋l the Lord Yahweh, “⌊Surely⌋m because my flock have become as plunder, and my flock became as food ton all the animalso of the field, since there was not a shepherd, since my shepherds have not sought my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and they fed not my flock,’ ” 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh, 10 ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am against the shepherds, and I will seek my flock from their hand, and I will put an end to them from shepherding flocks, and the shepherds will ⌊no longer⌋p feed themselves, and I will deliver my flocks from their mouth, so that they will not be as food for them.”