The Lord Will Be the Shepherd of His People
1A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “How terrible it will be for you shepherds of Israel! You only take care of yourselves. You should take good care of your flocks. 3Instead, you eat the butter. You dress yourselves with the wool. You kill the finest animals. But you do not take care of your flocks. 4You have not made the weak ones in the flock stronger. You have not healed the sick. You have not bandaged those who are hurt. You have not brought back those who have wandered away. You have not searched for the lost. When you ruled over them, you were mean to them. You treated them badly. 5So they were scattered because they did not have a shepherd. They became food for all of the wild animals. 6My sheep wandered all over the mountains and high hills. They were scattered over the whole earth. No one searched for them. No one looked for them.”
7“ ‘Shepherds, listen to the Lord’s message. He says, 8“My flock does not have a shepherd. Many of my sheep have been stolen. They have become food for all the wild animals. My shepherds did not care for my sheep. They did not even search for them. Instead, they only took care of themselves. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the Lord and King. 9Shepherds, listen to the Lord’s message. 10The Lord and King says, “I am against the shepherds. I will hold them responsible for my flock. I will stop them from taking care of the flock. Then they will not be able to feed themselves anymore. I will save my flock from their mouths. My sheep will no longer be food for them.” ’ ”
11The Lord and King says, “I myself will search for my sheep. I will look after them. 12A shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them. And I will look after my sheep. I will save them from all the places where they were scattered on a dark and cloudy day. 13I will bring them out from among the nations. I will gather them together from other countries. I will bring them into their own land. There they will eat grass on the mountains and in the valleys. And they will eat in all the fields of Israel. 14I will take care of them in the best grasslands. They will eat grass on the highest mountains of Israel. There they will lie down in the finest grasslands. They will eat grass in the best places on Israel’s mountains. 15I myself will take care of my sheep. I will let them lie down in safety,” announces the Lord and King. 16“I will search for the lost. I will bring back those who have wandered away. I will bandage the ones who are hurt. I will make the weak ones stronger. But I will destroy those who are fat and strong. I will take good care of my sheep. I will treat them fairly.”
17The Lord and King says, “You are my flock. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will judge between rams and goats. 18You already eat in the best grasslands. Must you also stomp all over the other fields? You already drink clear water. Must you also make the rest of the water muddy with your feet? 19Must my flock have to eat the grass you have stomped on? Must they drink the water you have made muddy?”
20So the Lord and King speaks to them. He says, “I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the skinny sheep. 21You push the other sheep around with your hips and shoulders. You use your horns to butt all the weak sheep. Finally, you drive them away. 22But I will save my sheep. They will not be carried off anymore. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23I will place one shepherd over them. He will belong to the family line of my servant David. He will take good care of them. He will look after them. He will be their shepherd. 24I am the Lord. I will be their God. And my servant from David’s family line will be the prince among them. I have spoken. I am the Lord.
25“I will make a covenant with them. It promises to give them peace. I will get rid of the wild animals in the land. Then my sheep can live safely in the desert. They can sleep in the forests. 26I will make them and the places surrounding my holy mountain of Zion a blessing. I will send down rain at the right time. There will be showers of blessing. 27The trees will bear their fruit. And the ground will produce its crops. The people will be secure in their land. I will break the chains that hold them. I will save them from the power of those who made them slaves. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 28The nations will not carry them off anymore. Wild animals will no longer eat them up. They will live in safety. And no one will make them afraid. 29I will give them a land that is famous for its crops. They will never again be hungry there. The nations will not make fun of them anymore. 30Then they will know that I am with them. I am the Lord their God. And the Israelites will know that they are my people,” announces the Lord and King. 31“You are my sheep. You belong to my flock. And I am your God,” announces the Lord and King.
以色列的牧人
1耶和华对我说： 2“人子啊，你要这样向以色列的牧人发预言，‘主耶和华说，以色列的牧人啊，你们有祸了！你们只顾喂养自己，牧人岂不应该照顾羊群吗？ 3但你们只顾吃羊的脂肪，穿羊毛衣，宰杀肥羊，却不照顾羊群。 4你们没有养壮瘦弱的，没有医治生病的，没有包扎受伤的，没有领回走散的，没有寻找迷失的。你们反以暴力来管辖他们。 5因为没有牧人，羊群便流离失散，成了野兽的食物。 6我的羊在群山和高岗上游荡，分散在各地，没有人寻找他们。
7“‘所以，你们这些牧人啊，要听耶和华的话。 8主耶和华说，我凭我的永恒起誓，我必惩罚你们。因为我的羊没有牧人，以致沦为所有野兽的食物。我的牧人不去寻找我的羊，他们只喂养自己，不喂养我的羊。 9你们这些牧人啊，要听耶和华的话。 10主耶和华说，我要攻击这些牧人，从他们手中讨回我的羊，不再让他们牧放羊群，使他们无法再喂养自己。我要从他们口中夺回我的羊，不再让羊成为他们的食物。
11“‘主耶和华说，看啊，我要亲自寻找我的羊，找到他们。 12牧人怎样寻找他四散的羊，我也照样寻找我的羊，他们在密云幽暗的日子失散到各地，我要把他们从那里救回来。 13我要把他们从各国各族中领出来，带他们回到自己的故土，我要在以色列的山岭上、溪水旁和境内的草场上牧养他们。 14我要在佳美的草场上牧养他们，以色列的山岭必成为他们的草场。他们要在佳美的草场上安卧，在以色列山岭的肥美草场上吃草。 15主耶和华说，“我要亲自喂养我的羊，让他们得到安歇。 16我要寻找迷失的，领回分散的，包扎受伤的，医治患病的，但我要消灭肥壮的。我要凭公义牧养他们。”
17“‘我的羊群啊！至于你们，主耶和华这样说，我要在你们中间施行审判，在公绵羊和公山羊之间进行审判。 18你们肥壮的羊在茂盛的草场上吃还不够吗？你们非要用蹄子践踏吃剩的草吗？你们喝清水还不够吗？你们非要用蹄子搅浑剩下的水吗？ 19我其余的羊只得吃你们践踏的草，喝你们搅浑的水。
20“‘所以主耶和华对他们说，看啊，我要亲自在肥羊和瘦羊之间施行审判。 21你们肥羊用胁和肩拱，用角抵瘦弱的，使他们四散。 22因此我要拯救我的羊，使他们不再成为猎物，我要在羊与羊之间施行审判。 23我要立我的仆人大卫做他们的牧人，他将牧养他们，做他们的牧人。 24我耶和华要做他们的上帝，我的仆人大卫要在他们当中做王，这是耶和华说的。
25“‘我要跟他们立平安的约，除去地上的恶兽，让他们在旷野安居，在丛林安睡。 26我要赐福他们，也要赐福我圣山的周围，我要按季节降雨给他们，使恩福如雨降下。 27田间的树木必结果子，土地必长出庄稼，他们要在故乡安居。我要折断他们所负的轭，从奴役他们的人手中把他们拯救出来，他们便知道我是耶和华。 28他们必不再成为列国的猎物，也不会被地上的野兽吞吃。他们必安居乐业，不再受人惊吓。 29我要把沃土赐给他们，使他们不再受饥荒之苦，也不再受各国的侮辱。 30这样，以色列人就知道我耶和华——他们的上帝与他们同在，他们是我的子民，这是主耶和华说的。 31你们是我草场上的羊，你们是我的子民，我是你们的上帝。这是主耶和华说的。’”
