Judah’s bad shepherd-rulers
1The LORD gave me a message. He said:2Human, condemn the national leaders of Israel. Tell them the LORD has this message for Israel’s shepherds leading the people of the nation. I’ve got bad news for you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your sheep. 3You wear your sheep’s wool. You fatten calves for slaughter and then you eat the best of the meat. [1] But you feed your sheep nothing.
4Here’s what else you haven’t done:
- Build up the strength of the weak ones
- Heal the sick
- Bandage the wounded
- Round up the strays
What you have done is abuse and exploit them. 5So, they ran away. They scattered and became warm meals for wild animals. 6My sheep wandered aimlessly over the hills and into distant lands. And you sent no one to look for them.
7So, shepherds, I have something to say about that. 8As sure as I, the Lord God, live, you abandoned my sheep and left them helpless—food for wild animals. You didn’t even bother to send someone out to look for them. Instead, you sat around feeding yourself and starving your flock.
9So, here’s what the LORD has to say about that. 10I, the Lord God, declare war on you shepherds. I am your enemy now. I’m going to take sheep off the menu. And I’m giving you the bill for what you’ve eaten. As for the future, I’ll stop you from slaughtering my sheep and eating them. I’m coming to their rescue.
God fires bad shepherds and takes over
11Shepherds, you’re fired. I, the Lord God, will take care of the sheep myself. I’ll get everything back in order, working as it should.12When my sheep get themselves in tough and dangerous situations, I’ll rescue them. And when the dark clouds and storms roll in and the sheep scatter, I’ll round them up. 13I’ll find them in distant countries and bring them home. They’ll graze in their fields and on their hillsides where people live. They’ll drink from their rivers and brooks.
14I’ll take them to the best grazing pastures, from the hills to the open fields. They’ll rest at night on good pastures, with food all around. 15I will be their personal shepherd. I will tell them when it’s time to get some sleep.
16I will look for lost sheep. I will round up the strays. I will bandage their injuries. I will nurse the weak. And when it comes to you strong bullies in the flock itself, I’ll serve you a meal of justice. [2]
17I’ll settle disputes among the flock. I’ll rule over cases involving sheep, between the strong rams and the weaker bucks. 18Some of you stronger sheep push your way into the sweeter grazing fields. And you butt your way to the water, getting there first. Then you walk around in it and muddy it up for everyone else. 19Do the rest of my sheep need to eat in crushed fields and drink mud because you always have to be first in line?
20So, here’s what I’ll do. I’ll take a good look at you and decide who’s too big and who’s too lean. 21You big, strong creatures have butted and horned your way through the flock so much that you’ve scattered them all over the territory.
22Well, I’m going to find them, save them, and protect them. Then I’ll deal with what led to the problem, which was you. 23I’m going to give my sheep a new shepherd, my dependable servant David. [3] He’ll feed them. He’ll be their shepherd.
24And I, the LORD, will be their God. David will be my servant, but their prince. I’ve said it, I mean it, and I’m the LORD.
God will send the peace
25I’m going to make them a promise and guarantee it with my name. Here’s the promise: I’m going to let them live in peace. I’ll drive out the predators, those wild animals. My sheep can sleep without being afraid of attack.26I’m going to bless their land—every hill of it. I’ll give them rain in the rainy seasons. 27I’ll put fruit on their trees—lots of fruit, enough that they’ll know I’m the one who freed them from captivity and brought them home to these blessings. 28Nations won’t raid them anymore. Wild animals won’t kill them and feed on them. Instead, they’ll live in peace, in a fear-free land. No one will scare them anymore.
29I’ll fill their gardens with so many crops that they’ll have all the food they need. No one will have to be hungry again. With that, insults from other nations will end.
30My sheep will know that I am the LORD their God, that I am with them, and that they are mine. 31You are my sheep. This is my pasture. I am your God. I promise.
