The Lord Will Be Israel’s Shepherd

34 The 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?s 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.t 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healedu the sick or bound upv the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.w 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd,x and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.y 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.z They were scattereda over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.b

7 “ ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plunderedc and has become food for all the wild animals,d and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,e 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am againstf 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 rescueg my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.h

11 “ ‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheepi and look after them. 12 As a shepherdj 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.k 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gatherl them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.m I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.n 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israelo will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasturep on the mountains of Israel.q 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,r declares the Sovereign Lord.s 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind upt the injured and strengthen the weak,u but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.v I will shepherd the flock with justice.w

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.x 18 Is it not enoughy for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet?z Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled 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.a 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your hornsb until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.c 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tendd them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.e 24 I the Lord will be their God,f and my servant Davidg will be prince among them.h I the Lord have spoken.i

25 “ ‘I will make a covenantj of peacek with them and rid the land of savage beastsl so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.m 26 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.a n I will send down showers in season;o there will be showers of blessing.p 27 The trees will yield their fruitq and the ground will yield its crops;r the people will be secures in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoket and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.u 28 They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety,v and no one will make them afraid.w 29 I will provide for them a land renownedx for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of faminey in the land or bear the scornz of the nations.a 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.b 31 You are my sheep,c the sheep of my pasture,d and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

A Prophecy Against Edom

35 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir;e prophesy against it 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my handf against you and make you a desolate waste.g 4 I will turn your towns into ruinsh and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.i

5 “ ‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the swordj at the time of their calamity,k the time their punishment reached its climax,l 6 therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshedm and it will pursue you.n Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. 7 I will make Mount Seir a desolate wasteo and cut off from it all who come and go.p 8 I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines.q 9 I will make you desolate forever;r your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.s

10 “ ‘Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possessiont of them,” even though I the Lord was there, 11 therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the angeru and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.v 12 Then you will know that I the Lord have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour.w” 13 You boastedx against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it.y 14 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.z 15 Because you rejoiceda when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir,b you and all of Edom.c Then they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Hope for the Mountains of Israel

36 “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israeld and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. 2 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:e The enemy said of you, “Aha!f The ancient heightsg have become our possession.h” ’ 3 Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because they ravagedi and crushed you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people’s malicious talk and slander,j 4 therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys,k to the desolate ruinsl and the desertedm towns that have been plundered and ridiculedn by the rest of the nations around youo—5 this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my burningp zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.’q 6 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations.r 7 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hands that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.t

8 “ ‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruitu for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. 9 I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,v 10 and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruinsw rebuilt.x 11 I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitfuly and become numerous. I will settle peoplez on you as in the pasta and will make you prosper more than before.b Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance;c you will never again deprive them of their children.

13 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because some say to you, “You devour peopled and deprive your nation of its children,” 14 therefore you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign Lord. 15 No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign Lord.e’ ”

Israel’s Restoration Assured

16 Again the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman’s monthly uncleannessf in my sight.g 18 So I poured outh my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scatteredi through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.j 20 And wherever they went among the nations they profanedk my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’l 21 I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.m

22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,n which you have profanedo among the nations where you have gone.p 23 I will show the holiness of my great name,q which has been profanedr among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,s declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holyt through you before their eyes.u

24 “ ‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.v 25 I will sprinklew clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleansex you from all your impuritiesy and from all your idols.z 26 I will give you a new hearta and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stoneb and give you a heart of flesh.c 27 And I will put my Spiritd in you and move you to follow my decreese and be careful to keep my laws.f 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,g and I will be your God.h 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring faminei upon you. 30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.j 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.k 32 I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamedl and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!m

33 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleansen you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruinso will be rebuilt.p 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden;q the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.r” 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’s

37 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to Israel’s pleat and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,u 38 as numerous as the flocks for offeringsv at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.w”

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,x and he brought me out by the Spirity of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley;z it was full of bones.a 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.b”

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!c 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breatha enter you, and you will come to life.d 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.e’ ”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath;f prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four windsg and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” 10 So I prophesied as he commandedh me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.i

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’j 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.k 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord,l when I open your graves and bring you up from them.m 14 I will put my Spiritn in you and you will live, and I will settleo you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.p’ ”

One Nation Under One King

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelitesq associated with him.r’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17 Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.s

18 “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’t 19 say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’u 20 Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21 and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.v 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.w There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.x 23 They will no longer defiley themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,b z and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.a

24 “ ‘My servant Davidb will be kingc over them, and they will all have one shepherd.d They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.e 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.f They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever,g and David my servant will be their prince forever.h 26 I will make a covenant of peacei with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.j I will establish them and increase their numbers,k and I will put my sanctuary among theml forever.m 27 My dwelling placen will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.o 28 Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy,p when my sanctuary is among them forever.q’ ”

The Lord’s Great Victory Over the Nations

38 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog,r of the land of Magog,s the chief prince ofa Meshek and Tubal;t prophesy against him 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince ofb Meshek and Tubal.u 4 I will turn you around, put hooksv in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.w 5 Persia, Cushc x and Puty will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomerz with all its troops, and Beth Togarmaha from the far northb with all its troops—the many nations with you.

7 “ ‘Get ready; be prepared,c you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. 8 After many daysd you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nationse to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.f 9 You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm;g you will be like a cloudh covering the land.i

10 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mindj and you will devise an evil scheme.k 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting peoplel—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.m 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.d” 13 Sheban and Dedano and the merchants of Tarshishp and all her villagese will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?q” ’

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety,r will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the far north,s you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army.t 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloudu that covers the land.v In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holyw through you before their eyes.x

17 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. 18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquakey in the land of Israel.z 20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremblea at my presence. The mountains will be overturned,b the cliffs will crumblec and every wall will fall to the ground.d 21 I will summon a sworde against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.f 22 I will execute judgmentg on him with plague and bloodshed;h I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstonesi and burning sulfurj on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.k 23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.l’