Profecia contra os pastores infiéis de Israel
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.”
O cuidado de Deus pelo seu rebanho
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 the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them .
7 ¶ Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; 9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
11 ¶ For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and 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 people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again 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 with judgment.
17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. 18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
20 ¶ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. 21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; 22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. 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 the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it . 25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely 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 his season; there shall be showers of blessing. 27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. 28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. 29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. 30 Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. 31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.