7. “‘So, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says:
8. As surely as I live, my flock has been caught. It has become food for all the wild animals. This is because the flock has no shepherd. The shepherds did not search for my flock. No, they fed themselves instead of my flock.
9. So, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.
10. This is what the Lord God says: I am against the shepherds. I will blame them for what has happened to my sheep. I will not let them tend the flock anymore. Then the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. And I will take my flock from their mouths. My sheep will no longer be their food.
11. “‘This is what the Lord God says: I, myself, will search for my sheep. I will take care of them.
12. A shepherd will take care of his scattered flock when it is found. In the same way I will take care of my sheep. I will save them from all the places where they are scattered. I will do this on a cloudy and dark day.
13. I will bring them out from the nations. I will gather them from the countries. I will bring them to their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains and in the ravines of Israel. And I will feed them in all the places where people live in the land.
14. I will feed them in a good pasture. They will eat grass on the high mountains of Israel. They will lie down on good ground where they eat grass. They will eat in rich grassland on the mountains of Israel.
15. I will feed my flock and lead them to rest, says the Lord God.
16. I will search for the lost. I will bring back those that were scattered. I will put bandages on those that were hurt. I will make the weak strong. I will destroy those sheep that are fat and strong. I will tend the sheep with fairness.
17. “‘This is what the Lord God says: And as for you, my flock, I will judge between one sheep and another. I will judge between the male sheep and the male goats.
18. Is it not enough for you to eat grass in the good land? Must you crush the rest of the grass with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you make the rest of the water muddy with your feet?
19. Must my flock eat what you crush? And must they drink what you make muddy with your feet?
20. “‘So this is what the Lord God says to them: I, myself, will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep.
21. You push with your side and with your shoulder. You knock down all the weak sheep with your horns. You do this until you have forced them away.
22. So I will save my flock. They will not be hurt anymore. I will judge between one sheep and another.
23. Then I will put one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will feed them. He will tend them and will be their shepherd.
24. Then I, the Lord, will be their God. And my servant David will be a ruler among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.
25. “‘And I will make an agreement of peace with my sheep. I will remove harmful animals from the land. Then the sheep will live safely in the desert. And they will sleep in the woods without danger.