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 Yahweh came unto me, saying:

2 Son of man, Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,- Prophesy, and thou shalt say unto them, even to the shepherds Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh Alas! for the shepherds of Israel who have been tending, themselves, Is it not the flock that the shepherds should tend?

3 The milk, ye do eat And with the wool, ye do clothe your- selves, The well-fed, ye do sacrifice, The flock, ye do not tend

4 The weak, have ye not strengthened And, the sick, have ye not healed. And the torn, have ye not hound up, And that which was driven out, have ye not brought back, And that which was straying, have ye not sought out; But with force, have ye ruled them and with rigour.

5 And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; And they became food for every wild beast of the field. So were they scattered.

6 My sheep did wander through all the mountains, And over every high hl,- And over all the face of the and, were my sheep scattered, And there was none to inquire And none to seek out.

7 Wherefore ye shepherds, hear ye the word of Yahweh:

8 As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely because my flock became a prey. And my flock became food for every wild beast of the field, through having no shepherd, Neither did my shepherds inquire after the flock, But the shepherds tended themselves. And my flock, they tended not

9 Therefore ye shepherds, hear ye the word of Yahweh:

10 Thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh, Behold me! against the shepherds So then I will require my flock at their hand And will cause them to cease tending the fleck, Neither shall the shepherds any longer tend themselves, But I will deliver my flock out of their mouth, that they may not be their food.

11 For Thus saith My Lord. Yahweh,- Here am I myself Therefore will I inquire after my flock and seek them out:

12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day he is in the midst of his sheep that are scattered, So! will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they were scattered in the day of cloud and thick darkness;

13 And I will bring them out from among the peoples And will gather them out of the lands, And will bring them upon their own soil, And will tend them Upon the mountains of Israel, In the ravines. And in all the habitable places of the land:

14 In good pastures, will I feed them, And on the mountains of the height of Israel, shall be their fold, There, shall they lie down in a fold that is good, And on pasture that is fat, shall they feed. among the mountains of Israel.

15 myself will tend my flock. And, I, myself will cause them to lie down, Declareth My Lord Yahweh:

16 That which is straying, will I seek out. And that which hath been driven away, will I bring back, And that width is tern, will I bind up, And the weak, will I strengthen,- But the fat and the strong, will I watch I will feed them with justice.

17 And as for you O my flock, Thus saith My Lord. Yahweh: Behold me! judging between one kind of small cattle and another as well the rams as the he-goats.

18 Is it too small a thing for you that on the good pasture, ye feed, But the remainder of your pastures, ye must also trample down with your feet? Or that of the pure waters, ye drink But the waters left remainingwith your feet, ye must needs foul?

19 And my flock On what hath been trampled down by your feet, may feed, And of what hath been fouled by your feet, may drink? O

20 Therefore Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, unto them: Here am I myself. Therefore will I judge between fat sheep and lean sheep,

21 Because with the side and with the shoulder, ye do thrust, And with your horns, ye do push all the sick, Until you have scattered them abroad

22 Therefore will I bring salvation to my flock, and they shall be no longer a prey,but I will judge between one sheep and another,

23 And I will raise up over them one shepherd And he shall tend them, Even my servant David, he will tend them, And libel will become to them a shepherd;

24 And, I, Yahweh will become to them a God. My servant David being a prince in their midst; I, Yahweh, have spoken;

25 And I will solemnise for them a covenant of prosperity, And will cause to cease the mischievous wild-beast out of the land, And they shall dwell in the wilderness, securely, And shall sleep in the forests;

26 And I, will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing,- And I will cause the abundant rain to come down in its season abundant rains of blessing, shall they be;

27 And the tree of the field shall yield his fruit And The land, shall yield her increase, And they shall remain on their own sell in security,- So shall they know that I, am Yahweh, When I have broken a the bars of their yoke, And shall deliver them out of the hand of them who have been using them as slaves.

28 And they shall be no longer a prey for the nations, Nor shall the wild beast of the earth! devour them, But they shall dwell securely with none to put them in terror.

29 And I will raise up unto them a plantation for fame,- And there shall be no longer the destroyed of hunger in the land, Neither shall they bear any longer the reproach of the nations.

30 So shall they know that, I, Yahweh their God am with them,- And that they are my people the house of Israel, Declareth My Lord. Yahweh.

31 Ye, therefore my flock the flock of my pasture are men, am your God, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.