The Babylonian Exile

And they come in unto thee as the coming in of a people, And they sit before thee--My people, And have heard thy words, and they do them not, For doting loves with their mouth they are making, After their dishonest gain their heart is going.

And lo, thou art to them as a singer of doting loves, A pleasant voice, and playing well on an instrument, And they have heard thy words, and they are not doing them.

And in its coming in--lo, it hath come, And they have known that a prophet hath been in their midst!'

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

`Son of man, prophesy concerning shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and thou hast said unto them: To the shepherds, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, Who have been feeding themselves! The flock do not the shepherds feed?

The fat ye do eat, and the wool ye put on, The fed one ye slaughter, the flock ye feed not.

The weak ye have not strengthened, And the sick one ye have not healed, And the broken ye have not bound up, And the driven away have not brought back, And the lost ye have not sought, And with might ye have ruled them and with rigour.

And they are scattered from want of a shepherd, And are for food to every beast of the field, Yea, they are scattered.

Go astray do My flock on all the mountains, And on every high hill, And on all the face of the land have My flock been scattered, And there is none inquiring, and none seeking.

Therefore, shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

I live--an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, If not, because of My flock being for a prey, Yea, 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 do feed themselves, And My flock they have not fed.

Therefore, O shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am against the shepherds, And have required My flock from their hand, And caused them to cease from feeding the flock, And no more do the shepherds feed themselves, And I have delivered My flock from their mouth, And they are not to them for food.

For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I--even I, have required My flock, And I have sought it out.

As a shepherd's searching of his drove, In the day of his being in the midst of his scattered flock, so I do seek My flock, And have delivered them out of all places, Whither they have been scattered, In a day of cloud and thick darkness.

And brought them out from the peoples, And have gathered them from the lands, And brought them unto their own ground, And have fed them on mountains of Israel, By streams, and by all dwellings of the land.

With good pasture I do feed them, And on mountains of the high place of Israel is their habitation, There do they lie down in a good habitation, And fat pastures they enjoy on mountains of Israel.

I feed My flock, and cause them to lie down, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

The lost I seek, and the driven away bring back, And the broken I bind up, and the sick I strengthen, And the fat and the strong I destroy, I feed it with judgment.

And you, My flock, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am judging between sheep and sheep, Between rams and he-goats.

Is it a little thing for you--the good pasture ye enjoy, And the remnant of your pasture ye tread down with your feet, And a depth of waters ye do drink, And the remainder with your feet ye trample,

And My flock the trodden thing of your feet consumeth, And the trampled thing of your feet drinketh?

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah to them: Lo, I--even I, have judged between fat sheep and lean sheep.

Because with side and with shoulder ye thrust away, And with your horns push all the diseased, Till ye have scattered them to the out-place,

And I have given safety to My flock, And they are not any more for prey, And I have judged between sheep and sheep.