1   And the word of our Lord was made to me, saying:

2   Sonne of man prophecie of the pastours of Israel: prophecie, and thou shalt say to the pastours: Thus sayth our Lord God: Wo to the pastours of Israel, which fed themselues: are not the flockes fed of the pastours? ^note

3   You did eate the milke, and were couered with the wool, and that which was fatte ye killed: but my flocke you fed not.

4   That which was weake, you strengthened not: and that which was sicke, you healed not: that which was broken, you bound not vp: and that which was cast away, you brought not againe: and that which was lost, you sought not: but with austeritie you did rule ouer them, and with might.

5   And my sheepe were dispersed, because there was ^note no pastour: and they came to be deuoured of al the beasts of the filde, and were dispersed.

6   My flockes haue wandered in al mountaines, and in euerie high hil: and vpon al the face of the earth were my flockes dispersed, and there was none that sought them, there was none, I say, that sought them.

7   Therfore ye sheepheards heare the word of our Lord:

8   Liue I, saith our Lord God: that for as much as my flockes haue bene made a spoile: & my sheepe to be deuoured of al the beasts of the filde, because there was no pastour (for my pastours did not seeke my flocke but the pastours fed themselues, & my flockes they fed not:)

9   therfore ye pastours heare the word of our Lord:

10   Thus sayth our Lord God: Behold I my self vpon the shepheards, I wil require my flocke of their hand, and I wil make them cease, that they fede my flocke no more, and that the pastours feede no more themselues: and I wil deliuer my flocke out of their mouth, and it shal no more be meate for them.

11   Because thus saith our Lord God: Behold I my self wil seeke my sheepe, and wil visite them.

12   As the pastour visiteth his flocke in the day when he shal be in the middes of his sheepe which were scattered: so wil I visite my sheepe, and wil deliuer them out of al places, wherein they had bene dispersed in the day of the cloude and of darkenes.

13   And I wil bring them out of the peoples, and wil gather them out of

the landes, and wil bring them into their owne land: and I wil feede them in the mountaines of Israel, in the riuers, and in al the seates of the land.

14   In the most plentiful pastures wil I feede them, and in the high mountaines of Israel shal be their pastures: there shal they rest on the greene grasse, and in fatte pastures they shal be fed vpon the mountaines of Israel.

15   I wil fede my sheepe: & I wil make them lie, saith our Lord God.

16    ^noteThat which was lost, I wil seke: & that which was cast away, I wil bring againe: and that which was broken I wil binde vp: and that which was weake, I wil strengthen: and that which was fatte & strong, I wil kepe: & wil feede them in iudgment.

17   And you my flockes, thus saith our Lord God: Behold I iudge betwen beast and beast, of rammes, and of bucke goates.

18   Was it not ynough for you to feede vpon good pastures? you haue besides also troden downe with your fete the residue of your pastures: and when you dranke most pure water, the rest you trubled with your feete.

19   And my sheepe were fed with those thinges, which were troden with your feete: and what your feete had trubled, that did they drinke.

20   Therfore thus saith our Lord God to you: Behold, I myself doe iudge betwen the fat beast and the leane.

21   For that you with sides and shoulders did thrust, and with your hornes stroke al the weake beastes, til they were dispersed abrode:

22   I wil saue my flocke, & it shal be no more into spoile, & I wil iudge betwen beast and beast.

23   And I wil raise vp over them one pastovr: who shal fede them, my seruant ^note Dauid: he shal fede them, and he shal be their Pastour.

24   And I the Lord wil be their God: & my seruant Dauid the prince in the middes of them: I the Lord haue spoken.

25   And I wil make a couenant of peace with them, and wil make the most cruel beastes to cease out of the land: and they that dwel in the desert, shal sleepe secure in the forrests.

26   And I wil put them round about my hil a blessing: and I wil bring downe the showere in his time, there shal be raynes of blessing.

27   And the tree of the filde shal geue his fruite, and the earth shal geue her spring, and they shal be in their land without feare: and they shal know that I am the Lord, when I shal haue broken the cheynes of their yoke, and shal haue deliuered them out of the hand of those that rule ouer them.

28   And they shal be no more for a spoile in the Gentiles, neither shal the beastes of the earth deuoure them: but they shal dwel confidently without any

terrour.

29   And I wil raise vp vnto them a bud of name: and they shal be no more diminished for famine in the land, neither shal they beare anie more the reproch of the Gentiles.

30   And they shal know that I the Lord their God with them, and they my people the house of Israel: saith our Lord God.

31   And you my flockes, the flockes of my pasture are men: and I the Lord your God, saith our Lord God.

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