1 Abre, ó Líbano, as tuas portas, e o fogo devore os teus cedros; geme, cipreste, porque o cedro caiu.2 As mais belas árvores foram abatidas! Gemei, carvalhos de Basã, porque foi dizimada a floresta impenetrável.3 Ouve-se o pranto dos pastores porque foram arruinados os seus pastos, o seu orgulho. Ouve-se o rugir dos leõezinhos, porque foram devastadas as florestas do Jordão.4 Eis o que diz o Senhor meu Deus:5 Apascenta estas ovelhas destinadas ao matadouro, que são compradas e degoladas impunemente, cujos vendedores dizem: Bendito seja o Senhor! Eis que estou rico! - sem que nenhum pastor tenha compaixão delas.6 Por minha vez, não pouparei mais os habitantes desta terra - oráculo do Senhor. Entregarei os homens uns aos outros e nas mãos de seu rei; devastarão o país e não livrarei ninguém de sua mão.7 Pus-me então a apascentar as ovelhas destinadas ao matadouro, as mais miseráveis do rebanho. Escolhi dois cajados, aos quais chamei respectivamente Benignidade e Liame, e comecei a apascentar o rebanho.8 Despedi os três pastores desde o primeiro mês: eu estava cansado deles, e eles estavam desgostados de mim.9 Eu declarei: Não quero mais saber do ofício de pastor. Pereça o que perecer, morra o que morrer! Os que restarem, que se devorem uns aos outros.10 Tomando então Benignidade, meu cajado, quebrei-o, rompendo assim o pacto concluído com todos os povos.11 Ele foi quebrado naquele dia e os mercadores de animais que me observavam, perceberam que aquilo indicava um oráculo do Senhor.12 Eu disse-lhes: Dai-me o meu salário, se o julgais bem, ou então retende-o! Eles pagaram-me apenas trinta moedas de prata pelo meu salário.13 O Senhor disse-me: Lança esse dinheiro no tesouro, esta bela soma, na qual estimaram os teus serviços. Tomei as trinta moedas de prata e lancei-as no tesouro da casa do Senhor.14 Depois tomei o meu cajado Liame e quebrei-o, rompendo assim o pacto de fraternidade entre Judá e Israel.15 O Senhor disse-me: Aparelha-te agora como um mau pastor.16 Estou pronto a suscitar nesta terra um pastor que não terá cuidado das ovelhas que perecem, não buscará as que se desgarram, não curará a que for ferida, nem alimentará a sã; mas comerá a carne das melhores e lhes arrancará as unhas.17 Ai do mau pastor que abandona o seu rebanho! Que a espada fira o seu braço e o seu olho direito! Que seque seu braço e seja coberto de trevas o seu olho direito!
1 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, and the fire shall eat on thy cedars.2 Wail, firtree; for fallen is the cedar; those that were mighty are despoiled: wail, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the impervious forest is come down.3 There is the noise of the wailing of the shepherds; for wasted is their glory: there is the noise of the roaring of young lions; for wasted is the pride of the Jordan.4 Thus hath said the Lord my God, Feed the flocks that are destined for the slaughter;5 Whom their buyers slay, and hold themselves guiltless; and whose sellers say, Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich: and none of whose shepherds have pity on them.6 For I will no more have pity on the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into the hand of his neighbor, and into the hand of his king: and they shall beat down the land, and I will not deliver out of their hand.7 And I had fed the flocks that were destined for the slaughter,indeed, the poorest of the flocks; and I had taken unto me two staves; the one I called Mildness Noam, and the other I called Concord Choblim: and I fed the flocks.8 And I removed the three shepherds in one month; and my soul was tired of them, and also their soul abhorred me.9 Then said I, I will not feed you: what is dying may die; and what is to be lost may be lost; and those that are left may eat every one the flesh of the other.10 And I took my staff, namely, Mildness, and cut it to pieces, to annul my covenant which I had made with all the tribes.11 And when it was annulled on that day, then knew they well, truly the poorest of the flocks that waited for me, that it was the word of the Lord.12 And I said unto them, If it be good in your eyes, give me my reward; and if not, forbear. So they weighed out as my reward thirty pieces of silver.13 And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the treasurer, the precious price which I am prized at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them in the house of the Lord unto the treasurer.14 Then I cut in pieces my second staff, namely, Concord, to annul the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.15 And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.16 For, lo, I raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not think of those that are lost, nor seek for that which is gone astray, nor heal that which hath a limb broken; who will not care for that which hath stood still; but who will eat the flesh of the fat, and devour all even to their claws.17 Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall utterly wither, and his right eye shall be completely blinded.