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Then the word of the LORD came to me:
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“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them, to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the sheep?
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You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.
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The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them.
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So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts of the field. My sheep were scattered
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and wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; yes, over all the face of the earth My sheep were scattered, with none to care for them or to seek them.
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Therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
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As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because My sheep have become a prey and have become food for all the wild beasts of the field, since there was no shepherd, and because My shepherds did not care for My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My sheep —
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therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
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Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My sheep from them and put a stop to their feeding My sheep. The shepherds shall no longer feed themselves; I will deliver My sheep from their mouth, so that they may no longer be food for them.
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For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I Myself will care for My sheep and will seek them out.
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As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered, so will I seek out My sheep, and I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
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I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the land.
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I will feed them with good pasture, and on the high mountains of Israel shall be their grazing place; there they shall lie down in a good grazing place, and rich pasture shall be their food on the mountains of Israel.
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I Myself will shepherd My sheep, and I will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.
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The lost I will seek, the strayed I will bring back, the wounded I will bind up, the sick I will strengthen, and the fat and the strong I will protect; I will shepherd them as they ought to be shepherded.
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And as for you, My sheep, thus says the Lord GOD: Truly, I will judge between sheep and sheep, and between rams and goats.
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Is it not enough for you that you feed on the best pasture? Must you also trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? Is it not enough that you drink clear water? Must you also muddy what remains with your feet?
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Should My sheep eat what your feet have trampled and drink what your feet have muddied?
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Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD concerning them: Surely I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep;
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because you push with your side and shoulder all the weak ones, and butt them with your horns, until you drive them out of the fold,
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I will help My sheep, so that they shall no longer be prey, and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
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I will set over them one shepherd, who will shepherd them, even My servant David; he will shepherd them and be their shepherd.
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And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David shall be king among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.
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I will make a covenant of peace with them and remove wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the forests.
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I will make them and all that are around My hill a blessing; I will send down the rain in its season; it will be a rain of blessing.
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The trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the land shall yield its produce. They shall dwell securely in their land. They shall know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them.
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They shall no longer be plunder for the nations, and wild beasts shall not devour them, so that they may dwell securely, with nothing to frighten them.
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I will establish for them a garden of delight, so that in that land no one shall die of hunger, and they shall no longer bear the disgrace caused by the nations.
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And they shall know that I, the LORD, their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people, declares the Lord GOD.
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You are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD.”
🐑👑🛡️ Summary of Ezekiel 34 – The Evil Shepherd and the True Shepherd
Ezekiel 34 is a sharp rebuke from God against the leaders of Israel (called shepherds), who abused their power, exploited the sheep, and did not care for the weak, the lost, or the wounded. God declares that He will take away their charge, and Himself will become the true Shepherd of His people. This is a messianic prophecy about the coming of the Great Shepherd, who will care for, seek, and restore His people.
📌 1. Rebuke of the Evil Shepherds (verses 1–10)
➡️ The leaders of Israel were only concerned for themselves, not the sheep (the people)
➡️ They did not strengthen the weak, did not seek the lost, and did not bind up the wounded
➡️ God will take back His flock and end the leadership of these shepherds
🎯 Selfish spiritual leaders not only fail, but become a danger to the people.
📌 2. God Himself Will Become the Shepherd (verses 11–16)
➡️ God says: “I Myself will seek out My sheep…”
➡️ He will gather the scattered, bind up the wounded, and strengthen the weak
➡️ This is a picture of God’s personal and restoring love
🎯 Only God can shepherd His people perfectly.
📌 3. Judgment against the Fat and Strong Sheep (verses 17–22)
➡️ The large sheep (strong and proud) trample the grass and muddy the water after eating it
➡️ The Lord will judge between the sheep: those who oppress and those who are oppressed
🎯 Not only leaders, but also socially powerful people are responsible for injustice.
📌 4. The Promise of a Shepherd from David’s Line (verses 23–31)
➡️ The Lord will raise up one true Shepherd: “My servant David” (a prophecy about the Messiah, Jesus Christ)
➡️ The people will live in safety, and the Lord will establish a “covenant of peace”
➡️ There will be no more fear, hunger, or slavery
🎯 Jesus is the true Shepherd sent by God to save and care for His sheep.
📖 Main Teaching
- Spiritual leaders must not abuse power, but shepherd with love
- God cares directly for His people and intervenes when leaders fail
- God does not judge only the leaders, but also the people who oppress one another
- Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy about the true Shepherd from David’s line
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
📖 John 10:11
“I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives his life for his sheep.”
➡️ Jesus fulfills Ezekiel 34 directly.
📖 Matthew 9:36
“When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.”
➡️ Jesus came to replace Israel’s failed spiritual leaders.
📖 1 Peter 5:2–3
“Shepherd the flock of God… not by compulsion… and not for gain.”
➡️ An instruction for church leaders so that they do not become like false shepherds.
📖 Hebrews 13:20
“…the Great Shepherd of all the sheep…”
➡️ Affirming Jesus as the one true shepherd of God’s people.
🕊️ “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves!” – Ezekiel 34:2
🕊️ “I myself will shepherd my sheep.” – Ezekiel 34:15
🕊️ “I will save my sheep…” – Ezekiel 34:22
🕊️ “I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David.” – Ezekiel 34:23
