1 ARST Yahweh gave me another message. He said, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 ARST “Son of man, speak my message against the leaders of Israel. They should be taking care of my people, like shepherds take care of their flocks. Say to them that this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, have to tell them:‘You shepherds of Israel, terrible things will happen to you because you take care only of yourselves. You should certainly take care of my sheep. BSB BSB: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed their flock?
3 ARST But you are like shepherds who eat the fat sheep, who slaughter the best animals for their wool. You are not real shepherds at all. BSB BSB: You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened sheep, but you do not feed the flock.
4 ARST You have not taken care of the sick sheep; you have paid no attention to those who are wounded. You have not looked for the sheep who have wandered off. You rule over them with force and violence. BSB BSB: You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.
5 ARST Because you did not take care of them, my people have wandered away like sheep. And while they are scattered, wild animals attack and kill them, and then eat their flesh. BSB BSB: They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild beasts.
6 ARST My people wander like sheep all over the high hills and mountains. They are scattered all over the earth, and no one is searching for them. BSB BSB: My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. They were scattered over the face of all the earth, with no one to search for them or seek them out.’
7 ARST Therefore, you who should be acting like shepherds, listen to what I, Yahweh the Lord, have to say to you. BSB BSB: Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
8 ARST As surely as I am alive, my people are like a flock of sheep without any shepherd, and as a result it is as though wild animals have attacked my people and eaten them. You shepherds did not search for them; instead, you only wanted to provide food for yourselves. BSB BSB: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because My flock lacks a shepherd and has become prey and food for every wild beast, and because My shepherds did not search for My flock but fed themselves instead,
9 ARST Therefore, you who should be shepherds of my people, listen to me. BSB BSB: therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD!’
10 ARST I am opposed to you leaders. I will punish you for mistreating my people. I will remove you from taking care of my people; you will no longer feed yourselves while ignoring them. I will rescue my people from you, and you will no longer be able to butcher them and eat them. BSB BSB: This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand from them My flock and remove them from tending the flock, so that they can no longer feed themselves. For I will deliver My flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.’
11 ARST I, the Lord Yahweh, tell you leaders that I myself will search for my sheep and take care of them. BSB BSB: For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out.
12 ARST As a shepherd takes care of his sheep, I will rescue my people from all the places to which you scattered them, when disasters struck them and they were afraid. BSB BSB: As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
13 ARST I will bring them back from those countries and gather them together again in their own land. I will lead my sheep to good pastureland on the hills of Israel, in the ravines, and in the villages of Israel. BSB BSB: I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the settlements of the land.
14 ARST My sheep will graze in good pastures on the mountaintops. They will lie down in good grazing areas. BSB BSB: I will feed them in good pasture, and the lofty mountains of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in a good grazing land; they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
15 ARST I myself will take care of my people and allow them to lie down and rest. This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, promise. BSB BSB: I will tend My flock and make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.
16 ARST I will search for those who are lost; I will bring back the ones who have strayed away. I will bandage those who have been injured and strengthen those who are weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will act fairly toward my sheep, my people. BSB BSB: I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’
17 ARST And as for you, my people, my sheep, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say:“I will judge between each of you; I will separate those who are peaceful from those who are cruel and powerful. BSB BSB: This is what the Lord GOD says to you, My flock: ‘I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the goats.
18 ARST You leaders, you who are like strong sheep who do evil to the others: It is bad that you keep the best pastures for yourselves. It is even worse that you trample the good grass with your feet. It is bad that you yourselves drink the clear water. It is even worse that with your feet you cause the rest of the water to become muddy. BSB BSB: Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink the clear waters? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?
19 ARST You are forcing my flock to eat the grass that you have trampled and to drink the water that you have caused to become muddy!” BSB BSB: Why must My flock feed on what your feet have trampled, and drink what your feet have muddied?’
20 ARST Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say to you:“I myself will judge between those of you who are like the fat sheep and the rest of my people, those who are like the thin sheep. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says to them: ‘Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
21 ARST You who are like strong sheep, with your shoulders and buttocks you have shoved the others away. You butted them with your horns, until you chased them all away from the good pastureland. BSB BSB: Since you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak ones with your horns until you have scattered them abroad,
22 ARST But I will rescue my people, and you will no longer steal from them. I will judge between one person and another. BSB BSB: I will save My flock, and they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.
23 ARST And I will appoint one leader for them, someone who will be like King David, who served me very well. That leader will take care of them and be like their shepherd. BSB BSB: I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
24 ARST I, Yahweh, will be their God, and the one who is like King David will be their king. That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it.” BSB BSB: I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.
25 ARST I will make a covenant with the people of Israel. I will promise to give them peace. I will promise to get rid of all the wild animals in Israel, in order that my people may live safely, even in the wilderness and in the forests. BSB BSB: I will make with them a covenant of peace and rid the land of wild animals, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.
26 ARST I will bless them, and I will bless all the region close to Mount Zion, where they will worship me in my temple. I will bless them by sending them rain showers at the right season; they will be showers to bless them. BSB BSB: I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season—showers of blessing.
27 ARST The fruit trees will produce fruit, and the ground will produce crops. And my people will live safely in their land. When I rescue them from people who made them slaves, they will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. BSB BSB: The trees of the field will give their fruit, and the land will yield its produce; My flock 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 delivered them from the hands that enslaved them.
28 ARST Soldiers from other nations will no longer take away their valuable possessions, and wild animals will no longer attack them. They will live safely, and no one will make them afraid. BSB BSB: They will no longer be prey for the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not consume them. They will dwell securely, and no one will frighten them.
29 ARST I will cause their land to be peaceful and to produce good crops. There will no longer be famines in the land, and people in other nations will no longer mock them. BSB BSB: And I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations.
30 ARST Then they will know that I, Yahweh their God, am helping them, and they will know that they, the Israelite people, are my people. BSB BSB: Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ declares the Lord GOD.
31 ARST It is as though you, my people, are my sheep whom I take care of, and I am your God. That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, declare.’” BSB BSB: ‘You are My flock, the sheep of My pasture, My people, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord GOD.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.