YHWH Will Be Israel’s Shepherd

1The word of YHWH came to me, saying, 2“Son of humanity, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and tell them, even the shepherds, ‘Lord YHWH says: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep? 3Y’all eat the fat. Y’all clothe yourselves with the wool. Y’all kill the fatlings, but y’all don’t feed the sheep. 4Y’all haven’t strengthened the diseased or healed the sick. Y’all haven’t bound up what was broken and haven’t brought back what was driven away. Y’all haven’t sought that which was lost, but y’all have ruled over them with violence and cruelty. 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, shepherds, y’all must listen to the word of YHWH: 8“As I live,” says Lord YHWH, “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, shepherds, y’all are to listen the word of YHWH!” 10This is what Lord YHWH says: “Look, 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 Lord YHWH says: “See, I myself, will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among 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 Lord YHWH. 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 y’all, O my flock, Lord YHWH says: ‘Look, I will judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male goats. 18Is grazing on the good pasture too little for y’all? Do y’all also have to trample with your* feet on the rest of y’all’s pasture? And to have drunk of the clear waters, but must y’all foul the residue with your* feet? 19As for my sheep, they eat what y’all have trampled with your* feet, and they drink what y’all have fouled with your* feet.’

20“Therefore Lord YHWH says to them: ‘Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21Because y’all push with side and with shoulder, and butt all the diseased with your* horns until y’all have scattered them abroad, 22therefore I will save my flock, and they will no more be 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, YHWH, will be their God, and my servant David prince among them. I, YHWH, 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 YHWH, 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, YHWH, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says Lord YHWH. 31Y’all my sheep, the human sheep of my pasture, I am y’all’s God,’ says Lord YHWH.”