The Bible

 

Ezekiel 34

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1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

2 `Son of man, prophesy concerning shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and thou hast said unto them: To the shepherds, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Wo [to] the shepherds of Israel, Who have been feeding themselves! The flock do not the shepherds feed?

3 The fat ye do eat, and the wool ye put on, The fed one ye slaughter, the flock ye feed not.

4 The weak ye have not strengthened, And the sick one ye have not healed, And the broken ye have not bound up, And the driven away have not brought back, And the lost ye have not sought, And with might ye have ruled them and with rigour.

5 And they are scattered from want of a shepherd, And are for food to every beast of the field, Yea, they are scattered.

6 Go astray do My flock on all the mountains, And on every high hill, And on all the face of the land have My flock been scattered, And there is none inquiring, and none seeking.

7 Therefore, shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

8 I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, If not, because of My flock being for a prey, Yea, My flock is for food to every beast of the field, Because there is no shepherd, And My shepherds have not sought My flock, And the shepherds do feed themselves, And My flock they have not fed.

9 Therefore, O shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

10 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I [am] against the shepherds, And have required My flock from their hand, And caused them to cease from feeding the flock, And no more do the shepherds feed themselves, And I have delivered My flock from their mouth, And they are not to them for food.

11 For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I -- even I, have required My flock, And I have sought it out.

12 As a shepherd's searching of his drove, In the day of his being in the midst of his scattered flock, so I do seek My flock, And have delivered them out of all places, Whither they have been scattered, In a day of cloud and thick darkness.

13 And brought them out from the peoples, And have gathered them from the lands, And brought them unto their own ground, And have fed them on mountains of Israel, By streams, and by all dwellings of the land.

14 With good pasture I do feed them, And on mountains of the high place of Israel is their habitation, There do they lie down in a good habitation, And fat pastures they enjoy on mountains of Israel.

15 I feed My flock, and cause them to lie down, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

16 The lost I seek, and the driven away bring back, And the broken I bind up, and the sick I strengthen, And the fat and the strong I destroy, I feed it with judgment.

17 And you, My flock, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am judging between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goats.

18 Is it a little thing for you -- the good pasture ye enjoy, And the remnant of your pasture ye tread down with your feet, And a depth of waters ye do drink, And the remainder with your feet ye trample,

19 And My flock the trodden thing of your feet consumeth, And the trampled thing of your feet drinketh?

20 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah to them: Lo, I -- even I, have judged between fat sheep and lean sheep.

21 Because with side and with shoulder ye thrust away, And with your horns push all the diseased, Till ye have scattered them to the out-place,

22 And I have given safety to My flock, And they are not any more for prey, And I have judged between sheep and sheep.

23 And have raised up over them one shepherd, And he hath fed them -- my servant David, He doth feed them, and he is their shepherd,

24 And I, Jehovah, I am their God, And My servant David prince in their midst, I, Jehovah, have spoken.

25 And I have made for them a covenant of peace, And caused evil beasts to cease out of the land, And they have dwelt in a wilderness confidently, And they have slept in forests.

26 And I have given them, and the suburbs of my hill, a blessing, And caused the shower to come down in its season, Showers of blessing they are.

27 And given hath the tree of the field its fruit, And the land doth give her increase, And they have been on their land confident, And they have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My breaking the bands of their yoke, And I have delivered them from the hand of those laying service on them.

28 And they are no more a prey to nations, And the beast of the earth devoureth them not, And they have dwelt confidently, And there is none troubling.

29 And I have raised for them a plant for renown, And they are no more consumed by hunger in the land, And they bear no more the shame of the nations.

30 And they have known that I, Jehovah, their God, [am] with them, And they -- the house of Israel -- My people, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

31 And ye, My flock, the flock of My pasture, Men ye [are] -- I [am] your God, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Scriptural Confirmations #53

  
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53. 25. A day of cloud and thick darkness (Ezekiel 34:12).

(I will make Mount Seir and the cities thereof into a waste and devastation, into a waste of eternity (Ezekiel 35:3-4, 7, 9, 12, 14-15).

Then the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built (Ezekiel 36:10).

When I shall sanctify Myself among you, then I will give you a new heart, and I will give a new spirit in the midst of you and I will take away the heart of stone, and will give you a heart of flesh, and I will give a new spirit in your midst, and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God (Ezekiel 36:23, 26-28).

In the day that I have cleansed you from all your iniquities, I will make you to dwell in cities, and the waste places shall be built; they shall say, This land that was devastated is become as the garden of Eden, and the desolate and devastated cities are fortified and inhabited (Ezekiel 36:33-38).

Behold I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people, and I will lead you upon the land of Israel, and I will put my spirit in you that ye may live (Ezekiel 37:12-14). Concerning the dry bones: by the inflowing of the breath among them, and their living again, regeneration is described.

After many days thou shalt be visited, and in the latter days they shall come upon the land that was made a waste (Ezekiel 38:8, 16).

They shall bury Gog in the day in which I shall be glorified (Ezekiel 39:11-12, 13). Gog is one who is in external worship, but not in internal.

Of the great sacrifices upon the mountains of Israel, and that thus He will set His glory among the nations that they may know that Jehovah is their God from that day, and hence-forward (Ezekiel 39:17-22).

Of the New Church which is described by many things in Ezekiel 40-48: of the city which is the New Jerusalem, and of its gates (40): of the temple, etc. (41): of the court and of the chambers there (42): of the eastern gate where the glory of the God of Israel is seen, and of His worship (43): next of His worship and of ministration (44): of the statutes for the prince (45, 46): of waters from the house (47) of the allotment of the land according to tribes (47, 48). That the name of the city is, Jehovah there (48:35).

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.