Ezekiel

Contains visions and prophecies of judgment and restoration for Israel and the nations.

Chapter 34

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

*And God spoke to me through his message.

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

*Son of man, speak against the leaders of Israel's sheep, and say to them, The Lord God says this to the leaders: Sad times are coming for the leaders of Israel who only care about themselves! Shouldn't the leaders take care of the sheep?

3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

*You eat the fat part and wear the wool, you kill those who are nourished: but you don't feed the sheep.

4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

*You didn't help the sick, you didn't heal the injured, you didn't fix what was broken, you didn't bring back what was taken, and you didn't look for what was lost. Instead, you ruled with force and cruelty.

5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

*They ran away since there was no leader, and they became food for wild animals when they separated.

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 none did search or seek after them.

*My sheep went everywhere in the mountains and high hills. They were scattered all over the world, and nobody looked for them.

7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

*So, shepherds, listen to what God is saying.

8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

*"I swear by my life, says the Lord God," - because my sheep were attacked and eaten by wild animals, as there was no one to protect them. My shepherds didn't look for the sheep or care for them. Instead, they only looked after themselves."

9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

*So, shepherds, listen to what God is saying.

10 Thus saith 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 the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

*So says the Lord God: I am against the shepherds who are not taking care of their sheep. I will take the sheep away from them and stop them from feeding the sheep. The shepherds won't feed themselves anymore. I will save the sheep from the shepherds so they won't be eaten by them.

11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

*So says the Lord God: Look, I myself will look for my sheep and find them.

12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

*Just like a shepherd looks for his sheep when they're scattered during the day, I will search for my sheep too, and bring them back from everywhere they were lost in the gloomy, dark time.

13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

*I will take them from different groups and places, then bring them back to their land. There they'll have food in the mountains, near rivers, and everywhere people live in the country.

14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

*I will provide food in a great area, and their home will be on the tall mountains of Israel. They will rest in a safe place and eat in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

*I will nourish my sheep and make them rest, says the Lord.

16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again 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 with judgment.

*I will find what's lost and bring back what was taken away. I'll heal the broken and make the sick strong again. But I'll destroy the arrogant and those who are too powerful. I'll teach them a lesson through punishment.

17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.

*And for you, my sheep, says the Lord God, know that I judge between different animals, like big male sheep and smaller ones.

18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

*Does it seem insignificant to you to have consumed the good grass, but now you also need to trample the remaining grass with your feet? And, after drinking from the deep waters, do you also have to dirty the leftover water with your feet?

19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

*My sheep eat the food you've stepped on and drink water you've made dirty with your feet.

20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.

*So, God says, "I will personally decide between the healthy cows and the thin ones."

21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;

*Because you have shoved and pushed with your sides and shoulders, using your "horns" to forcefully move all the sick people away until they are spread far apart.

22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

*So, I'll rescue my sheep and they won't be easy targets anymore. I'll also settle disputes between different animals.

23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

*I will appoint one shepherd for them, and he will take care of them. This is my servant David, who will look after them and be their shepherd.

24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

*I am the Lord, and I will be their God. My servant David will be a leader among them. I, the Lord, have said this.

25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

*I will create a peace agreement with them, stop dangerous animals from the land, and they can live securely in the desert areas, even sleeping in the forests.

26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

*I will turn my hill and the surrounding areas into a blessing, and bring rain at the right time. It will be a time of blessings with plenty of rain.

27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe 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 that served themselves of them.

*The plants will produce fruits, the land will give its harvest, people will be secure in their home, and they will understand that I'm the LORD, when I free them from their oppressors' control.

28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

*They won't be attacked by non-believers or eaten by wild animals; instead, they will live peacefully and no one will scare them.

29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

*I will give them a famous plant, so they won't be hungry anymore in the land, and they won't feel embarrassed by the ways of other people.

30 Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.

*In this way, they will understand that I, the LORD their God, am by their side, and that they, the people of Israel, belong to me, says the Lord God.

31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

*"And you, my sheep from my pasture, are people, and I am your God," says the Lord Almighty.

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