1. A message came to me from the Lord. He 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.
3. Instead, you eat the butter. You dress yourselves with the wool. You kill the finest animals. But you do not take care of your flocks.
4. You have not made the weak ones in the flock stronger. You have not healed the sick. You have not bandaged those that are hurt. You have not brought back those that have wandered away. You have not searched for the lost. When you ruled over them, you were mean to them. You treated them badly.
5. " ' "So they were scattered because they did not have a shepherd. They became food for all of the wild animals.
6. My 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.
8. He says, "My flock does not have a shepherd. Many of my sheep have been stolen. They have become food for all of 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.
9. " 'Shepherds, listen to the Lord's message.
10. The Lord and King says, "I am against the shepherds. I will hold them accountable 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." ' "
11. The Lord and King says, "I myself will search for my sheep. I will look after them.
12. A shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them. And I will look after my sheep. I will save them from all of the places where they were scattered on a dark and cloudy day.
13. "I will bring them out from among the nations. I will gather them together from other countries. I will bring them into their own land. They will eat grass on the mountains of Israel. I will also let them eat in the valleys and in all of the places in the land where people live.
14. I will take care of them in the best grasslands. They will eat grass on the high mountains of Israel. There they will lie down in the finest grasslands. They will eat grass in the best places on Israel's mountains.
15. "I myself will take care of my sheep. I will let them lie down in safety," announces the Lord and King.