Shepherds
and Sheep
The
Word of the Lord came to me:
2
'Son of man, Prophesy against the Shepherds of Israel;
Prophesy
and say to them:
'THIS
IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
WOE
TO THE SHEPHERDS OF ISRAEL
WHO
ONLY TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES!
SHOULD
NOT SHEPHERDS TAKE CARE OF THE FLOCK?
3
You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool
And
slaughter the choice animals,
BUT
YOU DO NOT TAKE CARE OF THE FLOCK.
4
YOU HAVE NOT STRENGTHENED THE WEAK
OR
HEALD THE SICK OR BOND UP THE INJURED.
YOU
HAVE NOT BROUGHT BACK THE STRAYS
OR
SEARCHED FOR THE LOST.
YOU
HAVE RULED THEM HARSHLY AND BRUTALLY.
5
SO THEY WERE SCATTERED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SHEPHERD,
And
they became food for all the wild animals.
6
My Sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.
They
were Scattered over the Whole Earth,
And
no one searched or looked for them.
7
'THEREFORE YOU SHEPHERDS, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD:
8
AS SURELY AS I LIVE, DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD,
Because
My Flock lacks a Shepherd
And
so has been Plundered
And
has become food for all the wild animals,
And
because My Shepherds did not search for My Flock
But
cared for themselves rather than for My Flock,
9
THEREFORE, O SHEPHERDS, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD:
'THIS
IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
I
AM AGAINST THE SHEPHERDS
AND
WILL HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR MY FLOCK.
I
WILL REMOVE THEM FROM TENDING THE FLOCK
SO
THE SHEPHERDS CAN NO LONGER FEED THEMSELVES.
I
WILL RESCUE MY FLOCK FROM THEIR MOUTHS,
AND
IT WILL NO LONGER BE FOOD FOR THEM.
11
'FOR THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
I
Myself will search for My Sheep and look after them.
12
As a Shepherd looks after his Scattered Flock
When
he is with them,
So
will I look after My Sheep.
I
will Rescue them
From
all the places where they were Scattered
ON
A DAY OF CLOUDS AND DARKNESS.
13
I WILL BRING THEM OUT FROM THE NATIONS
AND
GATHER THEM FROM THE COUNTRIES,
AND
I WILL BRING THEM INTO THEIR OWN LAND.
I
will Pasture them on the mountains of Israel,
In
the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.
14
I will tend them in a Good Pasture,
And
the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land.
THERE
THEY WILL LIE DOWN IN GOOD GRAZING LAND,
AND
THERE THEY WILL FEED IN A RICH PASTURE
ON
THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL.
15
I MYSELF WILL TEND MY SHEEP AND HAVE THEM LIE DOWN,
DECLARES
THE SOVEREIGN LORD.
16
I WILL SEARCH FOR THE LOST AND BRING BACK THE STRAYS.
I
WILL BIND UP THE INJURED AND STRENGTHEN THE WEAK,
BUT
THE SLEEK AND THE STRONG I WILL DESTROY.
I
WILL SHEPHERD THE FLOCK WITH JUSTICE.
17
'AS FOR YOU, MY FLOCK,
THIS
IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
I
WILL JUDGE BETWEEN ONE SHEEP AND ANOTHER,
AND
BETWEEN RAMS AND GOATS.
18
Is it not enough for you to feed on the Good Pasture?
MUST
YOU TRAMPLE THE REST OF YOUR PASTURE WITH YOUR FEET?
Is
it not enough for you to drink clear water?
MUST
MY FLOCK FEED ON WHAT YOU HAVE TRAMPLED
AND
DRINK WHAT YOU HAVE MUDDIED WITH YOUR FEET?
20
'THEREFORE THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS TO THEM:
SEE,
I WILL JUDGE BETWEEN THE FAT SHEEP AND THE LEAN SHEEP.
21
BECAUSE YOU SHOVE WITH FLANK AND SHOULDER,
BUTTING
ALL THE WEAK SHEEP WITH YOUR HORNS
UNTIL
YOU HAVE DRIVEN THEM AWAY,
22
I WILL SAVE MY FLOCK,
AND
THEY WILL NO LONGER BE PLUNDERED.
I
WILL JUDGE BETWEEN ONE SHEEP AND ANOTHER.
23
I WILL PLACE OVER THEM ONE SHEPHERD,
MY
SERVANT DAVID, AND HE WILL TEND THEM
AND
BE THEIR SHEPHERD.
24
I THE LORD WILL BE THEIR GOD,
AND
MY SERVANT DAVID WILL BE PRINCE AMONG THEM.
I
THE LORD HAVE SPOKEN.
25
'I WILL MAKE A COVENANT OF PEACE WITH THEM
AND
RID THE LAND OF WILD BEASTS
SO
THAT THEY MAY LIVE IN THE DESERT
AND
SLEEP IN THE FOREST IN SAFETY.
26
I WILL BLESS THEM AND THE PLACES SURROUNDING MY HILL.
I
will send down showers in season;
There
will be Showers of Blessing.
27
The trees of the field will yield their fruit
And
the ground will yield its crops;
THE
PEOPLE WILL BE SECURE IN THEIR LAND.
THEY
WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD,
WHEN
I BREAK THE BARS OF THEIR YOKE
AND
RESCUE THEM FROM THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO ENSLAVED THEM.
28
THEY WILL NO LONGER BE PLUNDERED BY THE NATIONS,
NOR
WILL WILD ANIMALS DEVOUR THEM.
THEY
WILL LIVE IN SAFETY,
AND
NO ONE WILL MAKE THEM AFRAID.
29
I WILL PROVIDE FOR THEM A LAND RENOWNED FOR ITS CROPS,
AND
THEY WILL NO LONGER BE VICTIMS OF FAMINE IN THE LAND
OR
BEAR THE SCORN OF THE NATIONS.
30
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 SOVEREIGN LORD.
31
YOU MY SHEEP, THE SHEEP OF MY PASTURE,
ARE
PEOPLE, AND I AM YOUR GOD,
DECLARES
THE SOVEREIGN LORD.'
(Ezekiel
34)
This
Chapter has almost entirely to do with the End of Time.
Has
the Church, in this the Last Day of Time,
Taken
what the Lord says here to heart?
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