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And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
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“Son of man, prophesy concerning shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and you have said to them, Thus said Lord YHWH to the shepherds: Woe [to] the shepherds of Israel, || Who have been feeding themselves! Do the shepherds not feed the flock?
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You eat the fat, and you put on the wool, || You slaughter the fed one, || You do not feed the flock.
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You have not strengthened the weak, || And you have not healed the sick one, || And you have not bound up the broken, || And have not brought back the driven away, || And you have not sought the lost, || And you have ruled them with might and with rigor.
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And they are scattered from want of a shepherd, || And are for food to every beast of the field, || Indeed, they are scattered.
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My flock goes astray on all the mountains, || And on every high hill, || And My flock has been scattered on [the] whole face of the earth, || And there is none inquiring, and none seeking.
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Therefore, shepherds, hear a word of YHWH:
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[As] I live—a declaration of Lord YHWH, || If not, because of My flock being for a prey, || Indeed, My flock is for food to every beast of the field, || Because there is no shepherd, || And My shepherds have not sought My flock, || And the shepherds feed themselves, || And they have not fed My flock.
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Therefore, O shepherds, hear a word of YHWH!
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Thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I [am] against the shepherds, || And have required My flock from their hand, || And caused them to cease from feeding the flock, || And the shepherds feed themselves no more, || And I have delivered My flock from their mouth, || And they are not for food to them.
The Good Shepherd
(Psalm 23:1–6; John 10:1–21)
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For thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I—even I, have required My flock, || And I have sought it out.
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As a shepherd’s searching of his drove, || In the day of his being in the midst of his scattered flock, so I seek My flock, || And have delivered them out of all places, || To where they have been scattered, || In a day of cloud and thick darkness.
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And I have brought them out from the peoples, || And have gathered them from the lands, || And brought them to their own ground, || And have fed them on mountains of Israel, || By streams, and by all dwellings of the land.
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I feed them with good pasture, || And their habitation is on mountains of the high place of Israel, || There they lie down in a good habitation, || And they enjoy fat pastures on mountains of Israel.
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I feed My flock, and cause them to lie down, || A declaration of Lord YHWH.
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I seek the lost, and bring back the driven away, || And I bind up the broken, and I strengthen the sick, || And I destroy the fat and the strong, || I feed it with judgment.
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And you, My flock, thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I am judging between sheep and sheep, || Between rams and male goats.
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Is it a little thing for you—[that] you enjoy the good pasture, || And tread down the remnant of your pasture with your feet, || And drink a depth of waters, || And trample the remainder with your feet,
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And My flock consumes the trodden thing of your feet, || And drinks the trampled thing of your feet?
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Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH to them: Behold, I—even I, have judged between fat sheep and lean sheep.
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Because you thrust away with side and with shoulder, || And push all the diseased with your horns, || Until you have scattered them to the out-place,
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Therefore I have given safety to My flock, || And they are not for prey anymore, || And I have judged between sheep and sheep.
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And have raised up one shepherd over them, || And he has fed them—My servant David, || He feeds them, and he is their shepherd,
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And I, YHWH, I am their God, || And My servant David [is] prince in their midst, || I, YHWH, have spoken.
The Covenant of Peace
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And I have made a covenant of peace with them, || And caused evil beasts to cease out of the land, || And they have dwelt confidently in a wilderness, || And they have slept in forests.
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And I have given them, and the outskirts of My hill, a blessing, || And caused the shower to come down in its season, || They are showers of blessing.
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And the tree of the field has given its fruit, || And the land gives her increase, || And they have been confident on their land, || And they have known that I [am] YHWH, || In My breaking the bands of their yoke, || And I have delivered them from the hand of those laying service on them.
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And they are no longer a prey to nations, || And the beast of the earth does not devour them, || And they have dwelt confidently, || And there is none troubling.
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And I have raised a plantation of renown for them, || And they are no longer consumed by hunger in the land, || And they no longer bear the shame of the nations.
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And they have known that I, YHWH, their God, [am] with them, || And they—the house of Israel—My people, || A declaration of Lord YHWH.
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And you, My flock, the flock of My pasture, || You [are] men [and] I [am] your God, || A declaration of Lord YHWH!”
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