rd

Ezekiel 34

2 Againſt the ſhepherdes that deſpiſed the flocke of Chriſt, & ſeke their owne gain. 7 The Lord ſaith that he wil viſite his diſperſed flocke, and gather them together. 23 He promiſeth the true ſhepherd Chriſt, and with him peace.
1.ANd the worde of the Lord came vnto me, ſaying,
2.Sonne of man, prophecie againſt the ſhepherdes of Iſraél, prophecie and ſay vnto them, Thus ſaith the Lord God vnto the ſhepherdes, Wo be vnto the ſhepherdes of Iſraél, that fede thē ſelues: ſhulde not the ſhepherdes fede the flockes?
3.Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the woll: ye kil them that are fed, but ye fede not the ſhepe.
4.The weake haue ye not ſtrengthened: the ſicke haue ye not healed, nether haue ye bounde vp the broken, nor broght againe that which was driuē away, nether haue ye ſoght that which was loſt, but with crueltie, & with rigour haue ye ruled thē.
5.And they were ſcattred without a ſhepherde: and when thei were diſperſed, thei were deuoured of all the beaſtes of the field.
6.My ſhepe wādred through all the mountaines, and vpon euerie hye hil: yea, my flocke was ſcattred through all the earth, and none did ſeke or ſerche after them.
7.Therefore ye ſhepherdes, heare the worde of the Lord.
8.As I liue, ſaith the Lord God, ſurely becauſe my flocke was ſpoiled, and my ſhepe were deuoured of all ye beaſtes of the field, hauing no ſhepherd, nether did my ſhepherdes ſeke my ſhepe, but the ſhepherdes fed them ſelues, and fed not my ſhepe,
9.Therefore, heare ye the worde of ye Lord, O ye ſhepherdes.
10.Thus ſaith the Lord God, Beholde, I come againſt the ſhepherdes, and wil require my ſhepe at their hands, and cauſe them to ceaſe from feding the ſhepe: nether ſhal the ſhepherds fede them ſelues any more: for I wil deliuer my ſhepe from their mouthes, and thei ſhal nomore deuoure them.
11.For thus ſaith the Lord God, Beholde, I wil ſerche my ſhepe, and ſeke them out.
12.As a ſhepherd ſercheth out his flocke, when he hathe bene among his ſhepe that are ſcattered, ſo wil I ſeke out my ſhepe & wil deliuer them out of all places, where thei haue bene ſcattered in the cloudie & darke daie,
13.And I wil bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countreis, and wil bring them to their owne land, and fede them vpon the mountaines of Iſraél, by the riuers, and in all the inhabited places of the countrey.
14.I wil fede thẽ in a good paſture, and vpon the hie mountaines of Iſraél ſhal their folde be: there ſhal thei lie in a good folde and in fat paſture ſhal thei fede vpon the mountaines of Iſraél.
15.I wil fede my ſhepe, and bring them to their reſt, ſaith the Lord God.
16.I wil ſeke that which was loſt, and bring againe that which was driuen awaie, and wil binde vp that which was broken, and wil ſtrengthen the weake, but I wil deſtroy the fat and the ſtrong, & I wil fede them with iudgement.
17.Alſo you my ſhepe, thus ſaith the Lord God, Beholde, I iudge betwene ſhepe, and ſhepe, betwene the rams & the goates.
18.Semeth it a ſmale thing vnto you to haue eaten vp the good paſture, but ye muſt tread downe with your fete the reſidue of your paſture? & to haue dronke of the depe waters, but ye muſt trouble the reſidue with your fete?
19.And my ſhepe eat that which ye haue troden with your fete, and drinke that w̃ ye haue troubled with your fete.
20.Therefore thus ſaith the Lord God vnto them, Beholde, I, euen I wil iudge betwene the fat ſhepe and the leane ſhepe.
21.Becauſe ye haue thruſt with ſide & with ſhoulder, and puſht all the weake with your hornes, til ye haue ſcattred them abroade,
22.Therefore wil I helpe my ſhepe, and thei ſhal nomore be ſpoiled, and I wil iudge betwene ſhepe and ſhepe.
23.And I wil ſet vp a ſhepherd ouer them, and he ſhal fede them, euen my ſeruant Dauid, he ſhal fede them, and he ſhalbe their ſhepherde.
24.And I the Lord wil be their God, and my ſeruant Dauid ſhalbe the prince amõg them. I the Lord haue ſpoken it.
25.And I wil make with them a couenant of peace, and wil cauſe the euil beaſtes to ceaſe out of the land: and thei ſhal dwell ſafely in the wildernes, and ſlepe in the woods.
26.And I wil make them, as a bleſsing, euen rounde about my mountaine: & I wil cauſe raine to come downe in due ſeaſon, and there ſhalbe raine of bleſsing.
27.And the tre of the field ſhal yelde her frute, & the earth ſhal giue her frute, and thei ſhalbe ſafe in their land, and ſhal knowe that I am the Lord, when I haue broken the cordes of their yoke, and deliuered them out of the hands of thoſe that ſerued them ſelues of them.
28.And thei ſhal nomore be ſpoiled of the heathen, nether ſhal the beaſts of the land deuoure them, but thei ſhal dwell ſafely and none ſhal make them afraied.
29.And I wil raiſe vp for them a plant of renoume, and they ſhalbe no more conſumed with hungre in the land, nether beare the reproche of the heathen anie more.
30.Thus ſhal thei vnderſtand, that I the Lord their God am with them, and that thei, euẽ the houſe of Iſraél, are my people, ſaith the Lord God.
31.And ye my ſhepe, the ſhepe of my paſture are men, & I am your God, ſaith ỹ Lord God.

Notes

2:*.
Ierem. 23. 1.
2:a.
By the ſhepherds he meaneth the King, the magiſtrates, Prieſts, & Prophetes.
3:b.
Ye ſeke to inriche your ſelues by their comodities, & ſo ſpoile their riches & ſubſtance.
4:c.
He deſcribeth the office and duetie of a good paſtor, who oght to loue and ſucor his flocke and not to be cruel toward them.
5:d.
For lacke of good gouernement & doctrine they periſhed.
10:e.
By deſtroying the couetous hirelings and reſtoring true ſhepherdes whereof we haue a figure ſo oft as God ſendeth true preachers who bothe by doctrine and life labour to fede his shepe in the pleaſant paſtures of his worde
12:f.
In the daie of their affliction and miſerie: and this promes is to comfort the Church in all dangers.
16:g.
Meaning ſuch as lift vp them ſelues aboue their brethren, &think thei haue no nede to be gouerned by me
17:h.
That is, by putting difference betwene the good and the bad, and ſo giue to ether as thei deſerue
18:i.
By good paſture and depe waters is mẽt the pure word of God and ỹ adminiſtraciõ of iuſtice, ŵ thei did not diſtribute to ỹ poore til thei had corrupt it.
23:k.
Meaning, Chriſt, of who me Dauid was a figure, Iere 30.9 hoſea 3,5
25:l.
This declareth, that vnder Chriſt the flocke ſhulde be truely deliuered frõ ſinnes, and hel, and ſo be ſafely preſerued in the Church where thei ſhulde neuer periſh.
27:m.
The frutes of Gods graces ſhal appeare in great abundance in his Church.
29:n.
That is, the rod that ſhal come out of ỹ roote of Iſhai, Iſa 11,1