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Thursday, September 11th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Bible in Basic English

Ezekiel 34:5

And they were wandering in every direction because there was no keeper: and they became food for all the beasts of the field.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Levites;   Minister, Christian;   The Topic Concordance - Israel/jews;   Shepherds/pastors;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Shepherd;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Destroy, Destruction;   Lamb, Lamb of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Micaiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Flock;   Pastor;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ezekiel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Shepherd;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Pastor;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Sheep;   Shepherd;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered.
Hebrew Names Version
They were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.
King James Version
And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
English Standard Version
So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;
New American Standard Bible
"They scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every animal of the field and scattered.
New Century Version
The sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for every wild animal.
Amplified Bible
"They were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the predators of the field.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they were scattered without a shepherde: and when they were dispersed, they were deuoured of all the beastes of the fielde.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered.
Legacy Standard Bible
They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered.
Berean Standard Bible
They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the wild beasts.
Contemporary English Version
They strayed in every direction, and because there was no shepherd to watch them, they were attacked and eaten by wild animals.
Complete Jewish Bible
So they were scattered, without a shepherd, and became food for every wild animal — they were scattered.
Darby Translation
And they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
Easy-to-Read Version
"‘And now the sheep are scattered because there was no shepherd. They became food for every wild animal, so they were scattered.
George Lamsa Translation
And my sheep were scattered because they had no shepherd; and they became food for all the wild beasts of the field.
Good News Translation
Because the sheep had no shepherd, they were scattered, and wild animals killed and ate them.
Lexham English Bible
And they were scattered without a shepherd, and they were as food for all the animals of the field when they were scattered.
Literal Translation
And they were scattered for lack of a shepherd. And they became food to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus are they scatred here and there without a shepherde: yee all the beastes off the felde deuoure them, and they go astraye.
American Standard Version
And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So were they scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
King James Version (1611)
And they were scattered because there is no shepheard: and they became meate to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They are scattered without a shephearde, yea all the beastes of the fielde deuour them, and they go astray.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And my sheep were scattered, because there were no shepherds: and they became meat to all the wild beasts of the field.
English Revised Version
And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
World English Bible
They were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And my scheep weren scaterid, for no sheepherde was; and thei weren maad in to deuouryng of alle beestis of the feeld, and thei weren scaterid.
Update Bible Version
And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they were scattered, because [there is] no shepherd: and they became food to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
New English Translation
They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast.
New King James Version
So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
New Living Translation
So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal.
New Life Bible
They went everywhere because they had no shepherd. And they became food for every animal of the field.
New Revised Standard
So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; And they became food for every wild beast of the field. So were they scattered.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And my sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd and they became the prey of all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
Revised Standard Version
So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the wild beasts.
Young's Literal Translation
And they are scattered from want of a shepherd, And are for food to every beast of the field, Yea, they are scattered.

Contextual Overview

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, be a prophet against the keepers of the flock of Israel, and say to them, O keepers of the sheep! this is the word of the Lord: A curse is on the keepers of the flock of Israel who take the food for themselves! is it not right for the keepers to give the food to the sheep? 3 You take the milk and are clothed with the wool, you put the fat beasts to death, but you give the sheep no food. 4 You have not made the diseased ones strong or made well that which was ill; you have not put bands on the broken or got back that which had been sent away or made search for the wandering ones; and the strong you have been ruling cruelly. 5 And they were wandering in every direction because there was no keeper: and they became food for all the beasts of the field. 6 And my sheep went out of the way, wandering through all the mountains and on every high hill: my sheep went here and there over all the face of the earth; and no one was troubled about them or went in search of them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they were: Ezekiel 34:6, Ezekiel 33:21, Ezekiel 33:28, 1 Kings 22:17, 2 Chronicles 18:16, Jeremiah 23:2, Jeremiah 50:6, Jeremiah 50:17, Zechariah 13:7, Matthew 9:36

because there is no shepherd: or, without a shepherd, and so Ezekiel 34:8, Zechariah 10:2, Zechariah 10:3

and they became: Ezekiel 34:8, Isaiah 56:9, Jeremiah 12:9-12, John 10:2, Acts 20:29-31

Reciprocal: Numbers 27:17 - as sheep Jeremiah 10:21 - their Matthew 15:24 - I am not Matthew 26:31 - and the

Cross-References

Genesis 30:35
So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;
Genesis 34:13
But the sons of Jacob gave a false answer to Shechem and Hamor his father, because of what had been done to Dinah their sister.
Genesis 34:14
And they said, It is not possible for us to give our sister to one who is without circumcision, for that would be a cause of shame to us:
Leviticus 10:3
Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord said, I will be holy in the eyes of all those who come near to me, and I will be honoured before all the people. And Aaron said nothing.
1 Samuel 10:27
But certain good-for-nothing persons said, How is this man to be our saviour? And having no respect for him, they gave him no offering.
1 Samuel 16:11
Then Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your children here? And he said, There is still the youngest, and he is looking after the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and make him come here: for we will not take our seats till he is here.
1 Samuel 17:15
Now David went to and from Saul, looking after his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.
2 Samuel 13:22
But Absalom said nothing to his brother Amnon, good or bad: for he was full of hate for him, because he had taken his sister Tamar by force.
Psalms 39:9
I was quiet, and kept my mouth shut; because you had done it.
Luke 15:25
Now the older son was in the field: and when he came near the house, the sounds of music and dancing came to his ears.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they were scattered because there is no shepherd,.... No good one; there were shepherds, but they were idol shepherds, good for nothing, and it was all one as if there were none: so, in Christ's time, there were the Scribes and Pharisees; yet, since these did not feed the people with wholesome doctrine, they are said to be as sheep without a shepherd, and scattered abroad, as here from the fold, and from one another; dispersed here and there, seeking food, and none, which moved his compassion, Matthew 9:36, in the political sense it may refer to their captivity, and their dispersion among the nations, having no king: So the Targum,

"and they were scattered without a governor.''

And they became meat to all beasts of the field when they were scattered; the Targum is,

"and they were delivered to all the kingdoms of the people to be consumed;''

such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Ammonites, Moabites, and others; and may be applied to false teachers, those grievous wolves, which spare not the flock, into whose hands members of churches, professors of religion, fall, when neglected by their shepherds.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 34:5. And they were scattered — There was no discipline kept up; and the flock, the Church, became disorganized, and separated from each other, both in affection and fellowship. And the consequence was, the grievous wolves, false and worldly interested teachers, seized on and made a prey of them. Of the communion of saints such shepherds know nothing, farther than that it makes a part of the common creed.


 
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