17. “Now then, my flock, I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I will judge each of you and separate the good from the bad, the sheep from the goats.
18. Some of you are not satisfied with eating the best grass; you even trample down what you don't eat! You drink the clear water and muddy what you don't drink!
19. My other sheep have to eat the grass you trample down and drink the water you muddy.
20. “So now, I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I will judge between you strong sheep and the weak sheep.
21. You pushed the sick ones aside and butted them away from the flock.
22. But I will rescue my sheep and not let them be ill-treated any more. I will judge each of my sheep and separate the good from the bad.
23. I will give them a king like my servant David to be their one shepherd, and he will take care of them.
24. I, the Lord, will be their God, and a king like my servant David will be their ruler. I have spoken.
25. I will make a covenant with them that guarantees their security. I will get rid of all the dangerous animals in the land, so that my sheep can live safely in the fields and sleep in the forests.
26. “I will bless them and let them live round my sacred hill. There I will bless them with showers of rain when they need it.
27. The trees will bear fruit, the fields will produce crops, and everyone will live in safety on his own land. When I break my people's chains and set them free from those who made them slaves, then they will know that I am the Lord.