Yahweh speaks of the leaders of Israel as if they were shepherds who are responsible for protecting and caring for the people, who, implicitly, are spoken of as if they are the sheep. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
This phrase also refers to the leaders of Israel who are responsible to care for the people, who are spoken of as if they were a flock of sheep. AT: "you leaders of the people" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
Usually it is the sheep that are slaughtered, but here Yahweh says that he will slaughter the shepherds. The word "slaughter" can be translated with a verbal phrase. AT: "for the time has come for me to slaughter you" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])
Yahweh speaks of the leaders of Israel being destroyed as if they are pieces of pottery that shatter when they fall to the ground. This can be stated in active form. AT: "you will fall like fine pottery and your shattered pieces will scatter on the ground" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])
Yahweh speaks of the nation in which the leaders think that they live peacefully as if it were the "pastures" in which they care for the sheep (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
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