God

So if, after I tell the righteous person that he will surely live, he begins trusting in his own [former] righteousness and starts committing crimes; then none of his [former] righteous actions will be remembered; on the contrary, he will die for the evil deeds he has committed.

Likewise, if, after I tell the wicked person, "You must die," he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right -

"Now your people say, 'Adonai's way isn't fair!' But it is their way, theirs, that isn't fair!

Yet you say, 'Adonai's way isn't fair!' House of Isra'el, I will judge each of you according to his ways."

Now the hand of ADONAI had been on me that evening, before the fugitive arrived - he had opened my mouth prior to his coming to me in the morning, so my mouth was open, and I was no longer mute.

Then the word of ADONAI came to me:

Therefore, tell them that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'You eat [flesh] with the blood, you raise your eyes to your idols, and you shed blood - and you still expect to possess the land?

Tell them that Adonai ELOHIM swears, 'As I live, those living in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the countryside I will give to the wild animals to eat, and those in the fortresses and caves will die of the plague.

Moreover, I will utterly desolate the land; it will cease taking pride in its power; and the mountains of Isra'el will be so desolate that no one will pass through.'

Then they will know that I am ADONAI, when I have made the land utterly desolate, because of all the disgusting practices they have committed.

"Now you, human being, your people are gathering and talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of houses. They're saying to each other, each one telling his brother, 'Come, let's go and hear the latest word coming from ADONAI.'

So then they come to you, as people do, sit in front of you as my people, and hear your words; but they don't act on them. For with their mouths they flatter you, but their hearts are set on their own self-interest;

The word of ADONAI came to me:

"Human being, prophesy against the shepherds of Isra'el. Prophesy! Tell them, the shepherds, that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'Woe to the shepherds of Isra'el who feed themselves! Shouldn't the shepherds feed the sheep?

My sheep wandered around aimlessly on every mountain and hill; yes, my sheep were scattered all over the land, with no one to search for them or look after them.

"'Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of ADONAI:

"As I live," Adonai ELOHIM swears, "because my sheep have become prey, my sheep have become food for every wild animal, since there was no shepherd, since my shepherds didn't look for my sheep, and instead my shepherds fed themselves but not my sheep,"

therefore, shepherds, hear the word of ADONAI!

Adonai ELOHIM says, "I am against the shepherds. I demand that they hand my sheep back to me. I will not allow them to feed the sheep, and they won't feed themselves either. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will be food for them no longer."

"'For here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "I am taking over! I will search for my sheep and look after them, myself.

Just as a shepherd looks after his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark.

I will bring them back from those peoples, gather them from those countries and return them to their own land. Then I will let them feed on the mountains of Isra'el, by the streams and in all the livable places of the land.

I will have them feed in good pastures; their grazing ground will be on the high mountains of Isra'el. They will rest in good grazing grounds and feed in rich pastures on Isra'el's mountains.

Yes, I will pasture my sheep; and I will let them rest" says Adonai ELOHIM.

"I will seek the lost, bring back the outcasts, bandage the broken, and strengthen the sick. But the fat and the strong I will destroy - I will feed them with judgment."