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¹ AND the word of the LORD came to me, saying,² Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, O shepherds, thus says the LORD God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed them! These shepherds do not feed the flock.³ You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool and sacrifice the fat ones; but you do not feed the flock.⁴ The weak you have not strengthened, and that which was sick you have not healed, and that which was injured you have not bound up, and that which had gone astray you have not brought back, neither have you sought that which was lost; but with violence and with cruelty you have ruled them.⁵ And my sheep were scattered because they had no shepherd; and they became food for all the wild beasts of the field.⁶ My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill; yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and there is no one to search after them nor is there any one to gather them.

⁷ Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:⁸ As I live, says the LORD God, because my flock became a prey and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd; neither did the shepherds feed my flocks, but the shepherds fed themselves and have not fed my flock;⁹ Therefore, O you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:¹⁰ Thus says the LORD God: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding my flock again; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them any more.¹¹ For thus says the LORD God: Behold, I, even I, will search for my sheep and seek them out.¹² As the shepherd seeks out his flock on the day of violent rain with wind, so will I seek out my sheep, and will gather them from all countries where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.¹³ And I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all the inhabited places of the country.¹⁴ I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall be their fold; there shall they lie in a good fold, and on a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.¹⁵ I myself will feed my sheep and I will cause them to lie down, says the LORD God.¹⁶ I will seek that which was lost and bring back that which was gone astray and bind up that which was injured and strengthen that which was sick; and I will protect the fat and the strong; and I will feed them with justice.

¹⁷ And as for you, O my flock, thus says the LORD God: Behold, I will judge between ewe and ewe, and between ram and ram.¹⁸ Is it not enough for you, O shepherds, to feed on good pastures, but you must tread down under your feet the rest of your pasture? And to have drunk water, but you must foul with your feet that which is left?¹⁹ And as for my flock, they feed on that which you have trodden; and they drink that which you have fouled.²⁰ Therefore thus says the LORD God to them: Behold, I myself will judge between the fat ewe and the lean ewe.²¹ Because they have thrust with their sides and shoulders, and pushed all the weak with their horns, till they have scattered them abroad;²² Therefore I will save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey for them; and I will judge between ewe and ewe and between ram and ram.²³ And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them and shall be their shepherd.²⁴ And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David shall be a prince among them;²⁵ And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil beasts to cease from the land; and they shall dwell safely in the desert and sleep in the forest.²⁶ And I will give them my blessing round about my hill; and I will send down the rain in its season; and it shall be a shower of blessing.²⁷ And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall dwell securely in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them out of the hand of those who had subjugated them.²⁸ And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, neither shall the wild beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely and none shall harm them.²⁹ And I will raise up for them a plantation of peace; and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the nations any more.³⁰ And they shall know that I am the LORD their God and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the LORD God.³¹ And you are my sheep, the flock of my pasture; you are men, and I am your God, says the LORD.