1 A palavra do Senhor veio a mim, dizendo:

2 — Filho do homem, profetize contra os pastores de Israel; profetize e diga-lhes: Assim diz o Senhor Deus: "Ai dos pastores de Israel que apascentam a si mesmos! Será que os pastores não deveriam apascentar as ovelhas? 3 Vocês comem a gordura, vestem-se da lã e matam as melhores ovelhas para comer, mas não apascentam o rebanho. 4 Vocês não fortaleceram as fracas, não curaram as doentes, não enfaixaram as quebradas, não trouxeram de volta as desgarradas e não buscaram as perdidas, mas dominam sobre elas com força e tirania. 5 Assim, elas se espalharam, por não haver pastor, e se tornaram pasto para todos os animais selvagens. 6 As minhas ovelhas andam desgarradas por todos os montes e por todas as colinas. As minhas ovelhas andam espalhadas por toda a terra, sem haver quem as procure ou quem as busque."

7 — Por isso, pastores, ouçam a palavra do Senhor: 8 Tão certo como eu vivo, diz o Senhor Deus, visto que as minhas ovelhas foram entregues à rapina e se tornaram pasto para todos os animais selvagens, por não haver pastor, e que os meus pastores não procuram as minhas ovelhas, pois apascentam a si mesmos e não apascentam as minhas ovelhas, 9 por isso, pastores, ouçam a palavra do Senhor: 10 Assim diz o Senhor Deus: Eis que estou contra os pastores e lhes pedirei contas das minhas ovelhas. Farei com que deixem de apascentar ovelhas, e não apascentarão mais a si mesmos. Livrarei as minhas ovelhas da sua boca, para que já não lhes sirvam de comida.

11 — Porque assim diz o Senhor Deus: Eis que eu mesmo procurarei as minhas ovelhas e as buscarei. 12 Como o pastor busca o seu rebanho, no dia em que encontra ovelhas dispersas, assim buscarei as minhas ovelhas. Eu as livrarei de todos os lugares por onde foram espalhadas no dia de nuvens e densas trevas. 13 Vou tirá-las do meio dos povos, e as congregarei dos diversos países, e as trarei de volta à sua terra. Vou apascentá-las nos montes de Israel, junto às correntes de água e em todos os lugares habitados da terra. 14 Deixarei que pastem em bons pastos, e nos altos montes de Israel será a sua pastagem. Ali elas se deitarão em boa pastagem e terão pastos bons nos montes de Israel. 15 Eu mesmo apascentarei as minhas ovelhas e as farei repousar, diz o Senhor Deus. 16 Buscarei as perdidas, trarei de volta as desgarradas, enfaixarei as quebradas e curarei as doentes; mas destruirei as gordas e fortes. Eu as apascentarei com justiça.

17 — Quanto a vocês, minhas ovelhas, assim diz o Senhor Deus: "Eis que julgarei entre ovelhas e ovelhas, entre carneiros e bodes. 18 Será que não lhes basta a boa pastagem? Ainda precisam pisar aos pés o resto do seu pasto? E não lhes basta o fato de terem bebido a água limpa? Ainda precisam turvar o resto com os pés? 19 As minhas ovelhas têm de comer o que vocês pisaram com os pés e beber o que vocês turvaram com os pés."

20 — Por isso, assim lhes diz o Senhor Deus: "Eis que eu mesmo julgarei entre ovelhas gordas e ovelhas magras. 21 Visto que, com o lado e com o ombro, vocês dão empurrões e, com os chifres, rechaçam todas as ovelhas fracas até que as tenham espalhado por toda parte, 22 eu livrarei as minhas ovelhas, para que não mais sirvam de rapina, e julgarei entre ovelhas e ovelhas. 23 Porei sobre elas um só pastor, e ele as apascentará: o meu servo Davi. Ele as apascentará e será o seu pastor. 24 Eu, o Senhor, serei o seu Deus, e o meu servo Davi será príncipe no meio delas. Eu, o Senhor, falei."

25 — Farei uma aliança de paz com as minhas ovelhas. Livrarei a terra de animais selvagens, para que as minhas ovelhas vivam em segurança no deserto e durmam nos bosques. 26 Delas e dos lugares ao redor do meu monte, eu farei uma bênção. Farei descer a chuva a seu tempo; serão chuvas de bênção. 27 As árvores do campo darão o seu fruto, e a terra dará as suas colheitas. As ovelhas estarão seguras na sua terra e saberão que eu sou o Senhor, quando eu quebrar o jugo que pesava sobre elas e as livrar das mãos dos que as escravizavam. 28 Já não servirão de rapina aos gentios, nem serão devoradas por animais selvagens. Viverão em segurança, e não haverá quem as espante. 29 Eu lhes darei plantação memorável, e nunca mais serão vítimas de fome na terra, nem terão de suportar a zombaria das outras nações. 30 Saberão que eu, o Senhor, seu Deus, estou com elas e que elas são o meu povo, a casa de Israel, diz o Senhor Deus.

31 — "Vocês são as minhas ovelhas, ovelhas do meu pasto. Vocês são o meu povo, e eu sou o seu Deus", diz o Senhor Deus.

1 And the word of LORD came to me, saying,2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says lord LORD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the sheep?3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe yourselves with the wool. Ye kill the fatlings, but ye do not feed the sheep.4 Ye have not strengthened the diseased, nor have ye healed that which was sick, nor have ye bound up that which was broken, nor have ye brought back that which was driven away, nor have ye sought that which was lost, but ye have rul5 And they were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill. Yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth, and there was none who searched or sought.7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of LORD:8 As I live, says lord LORD, surely inasmuch as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselve9 therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of LORD.10 Thus says lord LORD: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. Neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more, and I will deliver my sheep f11 For thus says lord LORD: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock, in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep, and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.13 And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the14 I will feed them with good pasture, and their fold shall be upon the mountains of the height of Israel. There they shall lay down in a good fold, and on fat pasture they shall feed upon the mountains of Israel.15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lay down, says lord LORD.16 I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justic17 And as for you, O my flock, thus says lord LORD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the he-goats.18 Does it seem a small thing to you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture, and to have drunk of the clear waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?19 And as for my sheep, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.20 Therefore thus says lord LORD to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.21 Because ye thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad,22 therefore I will save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David. He shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.24 And I, LORD, will be their God, and my servant David ruler among them. I, LORD, have spoken it.25 And I will make a covenant of peace with them, and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, and they shall dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing, and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there shall be showers of blessing.27 And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am LORD when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them28 And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the earth devour them, but they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid.29 And I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they shall no more be consumed with famine in the land, nor bear the shame of the nations any more.30 And they shall know that I, LORD, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says lord LORD.31 And ye my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, says lord LORD.