1 Jehovah continued to speak to me:2 »Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy to these shepherds. Tell them: ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »How horrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who have been taking care of only themselves. Should shepherds take care of the sheep?3 »‘»You eat the best parts of the sheep, dress in the wool, and butcher the finest sheep. Yet, you do not take care of the sheep.4 »‘»You have not strengthened those that were weak, healed those who were sick, or bandaged those who were injured. You have not brought back those who strayed away or looked for those who were lost. You have ruled them harshly and violently.5 »‘»They were scattered because there was no shepherd. They became food for every wild animal at the time they were scattered.6 »‘»My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered throughout the entire earth. No one searched or looked for them.7 »‘»You shepherds, listen to the word of Jehovah.8 ‘»As I am alive, declares the Lord Jehovah, because there is no shepherd, my sheep have become prey. My sheep have become food for wild animals. My shepherds have not searched for my sheep. They have taken care of only themselves, not my sheep.« ’9 You shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah:10 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I am against the shepherds! I will demand my sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore. I will deliver my flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.’«11 »‘The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will search for my sheep. I will seek them out.12 »As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for my sheep and will deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.13 »I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel. I will feed them by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.14 »I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.«15 »‘»I will feed my flock and I will lead them to rest,« declares the Lord Jehovah.16 »I will seek the lost. I will bring back the scattered. I will bind up the broken and strengthen the sick. The fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.«17 »‘As for you, my sheep, this is what the Lord Jehovah says: »I will judge disputes between one sheep and another, between rams and male goats.18 »‘Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? You drink clean water. Must you muddy the rest of the water with your feet?19 »‘Must my sheep eat what your feet have trampled and drink what your feet have muddied?«20 »‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says to them: I will judge disputes between the fat sheep and the skinny sheep.21 »‘You fat sheep push the skinny sheep with your sides and shoulders. You knock down all the sick sheep with your horns. You have scattered them all over.22 »‘So I will rescue my sheep, and they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.23 »‘I will place one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will take care of them. He will take care of them and be their shepherd.24 »‘I, Jehovah, will be their God, and my servant David will be their prince. I, Jehovah, have spoken!25 »‘»I will promise them peace. I will remove the wild animals from the land so that my sheep can live safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.26 »‘»I will bless them and the places around my hill. I will send rain at the right time. These showers will be a blessing to them.27 »‘»Then the trees in the field will produce fruit, the land will yield crops, and my sheep will live safely in their land. Then they will know that I am Jehovah, because I will break off the bars on their yokes and rescue them from the people who made them slaves.28 »‘»They will no longer be prey to the nations. Wild animals will no longer eat them. They will live safely, and no one will frighten them.29 »‘»I will give them a place that is known for its good crops. They will no longer experience hunger in the land. They will no longer suffer the insults of other nations.30 ‘Then they will know that Jehovah their God is with them. They will know that the people of Israel are my people,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah.« ’31 »‘You are my sheep, the sheep in my pasture. You are mortal, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

1 Veio a mim a palavra do Senhor, dizendo:2 Filho do homem, profetiza contra os pastores de Israel; profetiza, e dize aos pastores: Assim diz o Senhor Deus: Ai dos pastores de Israel que se apascentam a si mesmos! Não devem os pastores apascentar as ovelhas?3 Comeis a gordura, e vos vestis da lã; matais o cevado; mas não apascentais as ovelhas.4 A fraca não fortalecestes, a doente não curastes, a quebrada não ligastes, a desgarrada não tornastes a trazer, e a perdida não buscastes; mas dominais sobre elas com rigor e dureza.5 Assim se espalharam, por não haver pastor; e tornaram-se pasto a todas as feras do campo, porquanto se espalharam.6 As minhas ovelhas andaram desgarradas por todos os montes, e por todo alto outeiro; sim, as minhas ovelhas andaram espalhadas por toda a face da terra, sem haver quem as procurasse, ou as buscasse.7 Portanto, ó pastores, ouvi a palavra do Senhor:8 Vivo eu, diz o Senhor Deus, que porquanto as minhas ovelhas foram entregues à rapina, e as minhas ovelhas vieram a servir de pasto a todas as feras do campo, por falta de pastor, e os meus pastores não procuraram as minhas ovelhas, pois se apascentaram a si mesmos, e não apascentaram as minhas ovelhas;9 portanto, ó pastores, ouvi a palavra do Senhor:10 Assim diz o Senhor Deus: Eis que eu estou contra os pastores; das suas mãos requererei as minhas ovelhas, e farei que eles deixem de apascentar as ovelhas, de sorte que não se apascentarão mais a si mesmos. Livrarei as minhas ovelhas da sua boca, para que não lhes sirvam mais de pasto.11 Porque assim diz o Senhor Deus: Eis que eu, eu mesmo, procurarei as minhas ovelhas, e as buscarei.12 Como o pastor busca o seu rebanho, no dia em que está no meio das suas ovelhas dispersas, assim buscarei as minhas ovelhas. Livrá-las-ei de todos os lugares por onde foram espalhadas, no dia de nuvens e de escuridão.13 Sim, tirá-las-ei para fora dos povos, e as congregarei dos países, e as introduzirei na sua terra, e as apascentarei sobre os montes de Israel, junto às correntes d'água, e em todos os lugares habitados da terra.14 Em bons pastos as apascentarei, e nos altos montes de Israel será o seu curral; deitar-se-ão ali num bom curral, e pastarão em pastos gordos nos montes de Israel.15 Eu mesmo apascentarei as minhas ovelhas, e eu as farei repousar, diz o Senhor Deus.16 A perdida buscarei, e a desgarrada tornarei a trazer; a quebrada ligarei, e a enferma fortalecerei; e a gorda e a forte vigiarei. Apascentá-las-ei com justiça.17 Quanto a vós, ó ovelhas minhas, assim diz o Senhor Deus: Eis que eu julgarei entre ovelhas e ovelhas, entre carneiros e bodes.18 Acaso não vos basta fartar-vos do bom pasto, senão que pisais o resto de vossos pastos aos vossos pés? e beber as águas limpas, senão que sujais o resto com os vossos pés?19 E as minhas ovelhas hão de comer o que haveis pisado, e beber o que haveis sujado com os vossos pés.20 Por isso o Senhor Deus assim lhes diz: Eis que eu, eu mesmo, julgarei entre a ovelha gorda e a ovelha magra.21 Porquanto com o lado e com o ombro dais empurrões, e com as vossas pontas escorneais todas as fracas, até que as espalhais para fora,22 portanto salvarei as minhas ovelhas, e não servirão mais de presa; e julgarei entre ovelhas e ovelhas.23 E suscitarei sobre elas um só pastor para as apascentar, o meu servo Davi. Ele as apascentará, e lhes servirá de pastor.24 E eu, o Senhor, serei o seu Deus, e o meu servo Davi será príncipe no meio delas; eu, o Senhor, o disse.25 Farei com elas um pacto de paz; e removerei da terra os animais ruins, de sorte que elas habitarão em segurança no deserto, e dormirão nos bosques.26 E delas e dos lugares ao redor do meu outeiro farei uma bênção; e farei descer a chuva a seu tempo; chuvas de bênçãos serão.27 E as árvores do campo darão o seu fruto, e a terra dará a sua novidade, e estarão seguras na sua terra; saberão que eu sou o Senhor, quando eu quebrar os canzis do seu jugo e as livrar da mão dos que se serviam delas.28 Pois não servirão mais de presa aos gentios, nem as devorarão mais os animais da terra; mas habitarão seguramente, e ninguém haverá que as espante.29 Também lhes levantarei uma plantação de renome, e nunca mais serão consumidas pela fome na terra, nem mais levarão sobre si o opróbrio das nações.30 Saberão, porém, 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 Vós, ovelhas minhas, ovelhas do meu pasto, sois homens, e eu sou o vosso Deus, diz o Senhor Deus.