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 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and tell them, even the shepherds, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep. 4 You haven’t strengthened the diseased. You haven’t healed that which was sick. You haven’t bound up that which was broken. You haven’t brought back that which was driven away. You haven’t sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor. 5 They were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth. There was no one who searched or sought."

7 "‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear Yahweh’s word: 8 "As I live," says the Lord Yahweh, "surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd, and my shepherds didn’t search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn’t feed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear Yahweh’s word!" 10 The Lord Yahweh says: "Behold, I am against the shepherds. I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. The shepherds won’t feed themselves any more. I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them."

11 "‘For the Lord Yahweh says: "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. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and their fold will be on the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold. They will feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down," says the Lord Yahweh. 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 justice."’

17 "As for you, O my flock, the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male goats. 18 Does it seem a small thing to you to have fed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? And to have drunk of the clear waters, but must you foul the residue with your feet? 19 As for my sheep, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet.’

20 "Therefore the Lord Yahweh says to them: ‘Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save my flock, and they will no more be a prey. I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be their shepherd. 24 I, Yahweh, will be their God, and my servant David prince among them. I, Yahweh, have spoken it.

25 "‘I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil animals to cease out of the land. They will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will cause the shower to come down in its season. There will be showers of blessing. 27 The tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them. 28 They will no more be a prey to the nations, neither will the animals of the earth devour them; but they will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, and not bear the shame of the nations any more. 30 They will know that I, Yahweh, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord Yahweh. 31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,’ says the Lord Yahweh."