1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying , 2Son 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 ? 3Ye eat the fat , and ye clothe you with the wool , ye kill them that are fed : but ye feed not the flock . 4The 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. 5And they were scattered , because there is no shepherd : and they became meat to all the beasts of the field , when they were scattered . 6My 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 . 7Therefore, ye shepherds , hear the word of the LORD ; 8As 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 ; 9Therefore, O ye shepherds , hear the word of the LORD ; 10Thus 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.
God as the True Shepherd
11For thus saith the Lord GOD ; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep , and seek them out . 12As 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 . 13And 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 . 14I 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 . 15I will feed my flock , and I will cause them to lie down , saith the Lord GOD . 16I 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 .
Judgment and Restoration
17And 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 . 18Seemeth 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 ? 19And 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 . 20Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle . 21Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder , and pushed all the diseased with your horns , till ye have scattered them abroad ; 22Therefore will I save my flock , and they shall no more be a prey ; and I will judge between cattle and cattle . 23And 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 . 24And I the LORD will be their God , and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it . 25And 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 . 26And 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 . 27And 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. 28And 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 . 29And 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. 30Thus 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 . 31And ye my flock , the flock of my pasture , are men , and I am your God , saith the Lord GOD .