All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.

凡在我以先来的都是贼，是强盗；羊却不听他们。

凡在我以前来的都是贼，是强盗；羊没有听从他们。

凡在我以前来的都是贼，是强盗；羊没有听从他们。

在我以前来的，都是贼，是强盗，羊不听从他们。

所有在我以先来的，都是贼和强盗；羊却不听从他们。

所有在我以前来的，是贼、是强盗，因此羊没有听从他们。

凡在我以先來的都是賊，是強盜；羊卻不聽他們。

凡在我以前來的都是賊，是強盜；羊沒有聽從他們。

凡在我以前來的都是賊，是強盜；羊沒有聽從他們。

在我以前來的，都是賊，是強盜，羊不聽從他們。

所有在我以先來的，都是賊和強盜；羊卻不聽從他們。

凡在我以先來的是賊，是強盜；羊卻不聽他們。

所有在我以前來的，是賊、是強盜，因此羊沒有聽從他們。

凡先我來者、竊也、盜也、羊弗之聽、

不由門入者、竊也、盜也、羊不之聽、

凡先我來者、賊也、盜也、羊亦不聽之、

凡先予而至者、竊也、盜也、而羊亦不之聽焉。

All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.

All who have come before me are thieves and robbers. But the sheep have not listened to them.

All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.

All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.

All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.

“ Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep?

Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land.Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them.Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money!And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say,‘ My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’ when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them.

“ I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!

Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing.

For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain.“ Come,” they say,“ let’s get some wine and have a party. Let’s all get drunk. Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!”

This illustrates how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for those who are dying, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves.

“ What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people— the shepherds of my sheep— for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.

Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.

This is what the Lord my God says:“ Go and care for the flock that is intended for slaughter.The buyers slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers say,‘ Praise the Lord! Now I’m rich!’ Even the shepherds have no compassion for them.Likewise, I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” says the Lord.“ I will let them fall into each other’s hands and into the hands of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not rescue them.”So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter— the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd’s staffs and named one Favor and the other Union.I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep, and they hated me, too.So I told them,“ I won’t be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And let those who remain devour each other!”

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”