Evil pastors are reproved. Christ the true pastor shall come, and gather
together his flock from all parts of the earth, and preserve it for
ever.
34:1. And the word of the Lord came to me, it saying:
34:2. Son of man, prophesy concerning the shepherds of Israel: prophesy,
and say to the shepherds: Thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds
of Israel, that fed themselves: should not the flocks be fed by the
shepherds?
Shepherds... That is, princes, magistrates, chief priests, and scribes.
34:3. You ate the milk, and you clothed yourselves with the wool, and
you killed that which was fat: but my flock you did not feed.
34:4. The weak you have not strengthened, and that which was sick you
have not healed, that which was broken you have not bound up, and that
which was driven away you have not brought again, neither have you
sought that which was lost: but you ruled over them with rigour, and
with a high hand.
34:5. And my sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd and
they became the prey of all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
34:6. My sheep have wandered in every mountain, and in every high hill:
and my flocks were scattered upon the face of the earth, and there was
none that sought them, there was none, I say, that sought them.
34:7. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:
34:8. As I live, saith the Lord God, forasmuch as my flocks have been
made a spoil, and my sheep are become a prey to all the beasts of the
field, because there was no shepherd: for my shepherds did not seek
after my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flocks:
34:9. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:
34:10. Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself come upon the shepherds,
I will require my flock at their hand, and I will cause them to cease
from feeding the flock any more, neither shall the shepherds feed
themselves any more: and I will deliver my flock from their mouth, and
it shall no more be meat for them.
34:11. For thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself will seek my sheep,
and will visit them.
34:12. As the shepherd visiteth his flock in the day when he shall be in
the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit my sheep,
and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been
scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
34:13. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and will gather them
out of the countries, and will bring them to their own land: and I will
feed them in the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the
habitations of the land.
34:14. I will feed them in the most fruitful pastures, and their
pastures shall be in the high mountains of Israel: there shall they rest
on the green grass, and be fed in fat pastures upon the mountains of
Israel.
34:15. I will feed my sheep: and I will cause them to lie down, saith
the Lord God.
34:16. I will seek that which was lost: and that which was driven away,
I will bring again: and I will bind up that which was broken, and I will
strengthen that which was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will
preserve, and I will feed them in judgment.
34:17. And as for you, O my flocks, thus saith the Lord God: Behold I
judge between cattle and cattle, of rams and of he-goats.
34:18. Was it not enough for you to feed upon good pastures? but you
must also tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures: and
when you drank the clearest water, you troubled the rest with your feet.
34:19. And my sheep were fed with that which you had trodden with your
feet: and they drank what your feet had troubled.
34:20. Therefore thus saith the Lord God to you: Behold, I myself will
judge between the fat cattle and the lean.
34:21. Because you thrusted with sides and shoulders, and struck all the
weak cattle with your horns, till they were scattered abroad:
34:22. I will save my flock, and it shall be no more a spoil, and I will
judge between cattle and cattle.
34:23. And I WILL SET UP ONE SHEPHERD OVER THEM, and he shall feed them,
even my servant David: he shall feed them, and he shall be their
shepherd.
David... Christ, who is of the house of David.
34:24. And I the Lord will be their God: and my servant David the prince
in the midst of them: I the Lord have spoken it.
34:25. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, and will cause the
evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they that dwell in the
wilderness shall sleep secure in the forests.
34:26. And I will make them a blessing round about my hill: and I will
send down the rain in its season, there shall be showers of blessing.
34:27. And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth
shall yield her increase, and they shall be in their land without fear:
and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have broken the
bonds of their yoke, and shall have delivered them out of the hand of
those that rule over them.
34:28. And they shall be no more for a spoil to the nations, neither
shall the beasts of the earth devour them: but they shall dwell securely
without, any terror.
34:29. And I will raise up for them a bud of renown: and they shall be
no more consumed with famine in the land, neither shall they bear any
more the reproach of the Gentiles.
A bud of renown... Germen nominatum. He speaks of Christ our Lord, the
illustrious bud of the house of David, renowned over all the earth. See
Jer. 33.15.
34:30. And they shall know that I the Lord their God am with them, and
that they are my people the house of Israel: saith the Lord God.
34:31. And you my flocks, the flocks of my pasture are men: and I am the
Lord your God, saith the Lord God.