Ezekiel 33; Ezekiel 34; 1 Peter 5

1 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

2 "Human, speak to your people and say to them: 'Suppose I bring a war against a land. The people of the land may choose one of their men and make him their watchman.

3 When he sees the enemy coming to attack the land, he will blow the trumpet and warn the people.

4 If they hear the sound of the trumpet but do nothing, the enemy will come and kill them. They will be responsible for their own deaths.

5 They heard the sound of the trumpet but didn't do anything. So they are to blame for their own deaths. If they had done something, they would have saved their own lives.

6 But if the watchman sees the enemy coming to attack and does not blow the trumpet, the people will not be warned. Then if the enemy comes and kills any of them, they have died because of their own sin. But I will punish the watchman for their deaths.'

7 "You, human, are the one I have made a watchman for Israel. If you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them for me.

8 Suppose I say to the wicked: 'Wicked people, you will surely die,' but you don't speak to warn the wicked to stop doing evil. Then they will die because they were sinners, but I will punish you for their deaths.

9 But if you warn the wicked to stop doing evil and they do not stop, they will die because they were sinners. But you have saved your life.

10 "So you, human, say to Israel: 'You have said: Surely our law-breaking and sins are hurting us. They will kill us. What can we do so we will live?'

11 Say to them: 'The Lord God says: As surely as I live, I do not want any who are wicked to die. I want them to stop doing evil and live. Stop! Stop your wicked ways! You don't want to die, do you, people of Israel?'

12 "Human, say to your people: 'The goodness of those who do right will not save them when they sin. The evil of wicked people will not cause them to be punished if they stop doing it. If good people sin, they will not be able to live by the good they did earlier.'

13 If I tell good people, 'You will surely live,' they might think they have done enough good and then do evil. Then none of the good things they did will be remembered. They will die because of the evil they have done.

14 Or, if I say to the wicked people, 'You will surely die,' they may stop sinning and do what is right and honest.

15 For example, they may return what somebody gave them as a promise to repay a loan, or pay back what they stole. If they live by the rules that give life and do not sin, then they will surely live, and they will not die.

16 They will not be punished for any of their sins. They now do what is right and fair, so they will surely live.

17 "Your people say: 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' But it is their own ways that are not fair.

18 When the good people stop doing good and do evil, they will die for their evil.

19 But when the wicked stop doing evil and do what is right and fair, they will live.

20 You still say: 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Israel, I will judge all of you by your own ways."

21 It was in the twelfth year of our captivity, on the fifth day of the tenth month. A person who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, "Jerusalem has been captured."

22 Now I had felt the power of the Lord on me the evening before. He had made me able to talk again before this person came to me. I could speak; I was not without speech anymore.

23 Then the Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

24 "Human, people who live in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying: 'Abraham was only one person, yet he was given the land as his own. Surely the land has been given to us, who are many, as our very own.'

25 So say to them: 'This is what the Lord God says: You eat meat with the blood still in it, you ask your idols for help, and you murder people. Should you then have the land as your very own?

26 You depend on your sword and do terrible things which I hate. Each of you has sexual relations with his neighbor's wife. So should you have the land?'

27 "Say to them: 'This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, those who are among the city ruins in Israel will be killed in war. I will cause those who live in the country to be eaten by wild animals. People hiding in the strongholds and caves will die of disease.

28 I will make the land an empty desert. The people's pride in the land's power will end. The mountains of Israel will become empty so that no one will pass through them.

29 They will know that I am the Lord when I make the land an empty desert because of the things they have done that I hate.'

30 "But as for you, human, your people are talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to each other: 'Come now, and hear the message from the Lord.'

31 So they come to you in crowds as if they were really ready to listen. They sit in front of you as if they were my people and hear your words, but they will not obey them. With their mouths they tell me they love me, but their hearts desire their selfish profits.

32 To your people you are nothing more than a singer who sings love songs and has a beautiful voice and plays a musical instrument well. They hear your words, but they will not obey them.

33 "When this comes true, and it surely will happen, then the people will know that a prophet has been among them."

1 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

2 "Human, prophesy against the leaders of Israel, who are like shepherds. Prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who feed only themselves! Why don't the shepherds feed the flock?

3 You eat the milk curds, and you clothe yourselves with the wool. You kill the fat sheep, but you do not feed the flock.

4 You have not made the weak strong. You have not healed the sick or put bandages on those that were hurt. You have not brought back those who strayed away or searched for the lost. But you have ruled the sheep with cruel force.

5 The sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for every wild animal.

6 My flock wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered all over the face of the earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

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 and eaten by all the wild animals, 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 and will not let them tend the flock anymore. Then the shepherds will stop feeding themselves, and I will take my flock from their mouths so they will no longer be their food.

11 "'This is what the Lord God says: I, myself, will search for my sheep and take care of them.

12 As a shepherd takes care of his scattered flock when it is found, I will take care of my sheep. I will save them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.

13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries. I will bring them to their own land and pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the places where people live in the land.

14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and they will eat grass on the high mountains of Israel. They will lie down on good ground where they eat grass, and 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, bring back those that strayed away, put bandages on those that were hurt, and make the weak strong. But 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: As for you, my flock, I will judge between one sheep and another, 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, and you knock down all the weak sheep with your horns 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 over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and tend them and 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 "'I will make an agreement of peace with my sheep and will remove harmful animals from the land. Then the sheep will live safely in the desert and sleep in the woods.

26 I will bless them and let them live around my hill. I will cause the rains to come when it is time; there will be showers to bless them.

27 Also the trees in the countryside will give their fruit, and the land will give its harvest. And the sheep will be safe on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their captivity and save them from the power of those who made them slaves.

28 They will not be led captive by the nations again. The wild animals will not eat them, but they will live safely, and no one will make them afraid.

29 I will give them a place famous for its good crops, so they will no longer suffer from hunger in the land. They will not suffer the insults of other nations anymore.

30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. The nation of Israel will know that they are my people, says the Lord God.

31 You, my human sheep, are the sheep I care for, and I am your God, says the Lord God.'"

1 Now I have something to say to the elders in your group. I also am an elder. I have seen Christ's sufferings, and I will share in the glory that will be shown to us. I beg you to

2 shepherd God's flock, for whom you are responsible. Watch over them because you want to, not because you are forced. That is how God wants it. Do it because you are happy to serve, not because you want money.

3 Do not be like a ruler over people you are responsible for, but be good examples to them.

4 Then when Christ, the Chief Shepherd, comes, you will get a glorious crown that will never lose its beauty.

5 In the same way, younger people should be willing to be under older people. And all of you should be very humble with each other. "God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble."

6 Be humble under God's powerful hand so he will lift you up when the right time comes.

7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.

8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat.

9 Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith. You know that your Christian family all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering.

10 And after you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever.

11 All power is his forever and ever. Amen.

12 I wrote this short letter with the help of Silas, who I know is a faithful brother in Christ. I wrote to encourage you and to tell you that this is the true grace of God. Stand strong in that grace.

13 The church in Babylon, who was chosen like you, sends you greetings. Mark, my son in Christ, also greets you.

14 Give each other a kiss of Christian love when you meet. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.