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The Lord Is the Good Shepherd

11 The Lord God then said:

I will look for my sheep and take care of them myself, 12 just as a shepherd looks for lost sheep. My sheep have been lost since that dark and miserable day when they were scattered throughout the nations.[a] But I will rescue them 13 and bring them back from the foreign nations where they now live. I will be their shepherd and will let them graze on Israel's mountains and in the valleys and fertile fields. 14 They will be safe as they feed on grassy meadows and green hills. 15 I promise to take care of them and keep them safe, 16 to look for those that are lost and bring back the ones that wander off, to bandage those that are hurt and protect the ones that are weak. I will also slaughter[b] those that are fat and strong, because I always do right.

Judgment on the Strong Sheep

17 The Lord God said to his sheep, the people of Israel:

I will carefully watch each one of you to decide which ones are the strong sheep and which ones are weak.

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Footnotes

  1. 34.12 dark and miserable day … nations: That is, the day the Babylonians defeated Jerusalem and led its people away as prisoners.
  2. 34.16 slaughter: Hebrew; three ancient translations “take care of.”

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep(A) and look after them. 12 As a shepherd(B) looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.(C) 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather(D) them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.(E) I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.(F) 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel(G) will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture(H) on the mountains of Israel.(I) 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,(J) declares the Sovereign Lord.(K) 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up(L) the injured and strengthen the weak,(M) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.(N) I will shepherd the flock with justice.(O)

17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.(P)

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