In verses 18-19 God addresses the rams and billy goats, that is, the more powerful members of the community. God accuses them of selfishly taking the best of everything for themselves and deliberately spoiling what is left over, so that the other sheep and goats get nothing.

Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture…?: This is a rhetorical question expecting the answer “No!” Translators may keep the question form by beginning with “Isn’t it bad enough that you…?” or they may use a statement, such as “It is bad enough that you…” or “It is not right that you….” In most languages it is better to render such rhetorical questions as statements (so Good News Translation). To feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture means the male sheep and goats eat the best grass, but they walk all over the rest of the grass.

To drink of clear water, that you must foul the rest with your feet: They also drink the clean water, and make the rest of the water muddy with their feet (compare 32.2).

One model for this verse is:

• You rams and billy goats, what you do is not right. You are not satisfied with eating the best grass, and so you also walk over the rest of the grass. You are not satisfied to drink the clean water, for you then make the rest of the water muddy with your feet.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .