Israel's Leaders Are Worthless Shepherds
1 The Lord God said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, Israel's leaders are like shepherds taking care of my sheep, the people of Israel. But I want you to condemn these leaders and tell them:
I, the Lord God, say you shepherds of Israel are doomed! You take care of yourselves while ignoring my sheep. 3 You drink their milk and use their wool to make your clothes. Then you butcher the best ones for food. But you don't take care of the flock! 4 You have never protected the weak ones or healed the sick ones or bandaged those that get hurt. You let them wander off and never look for those that get lost. You are cruel and mean to my sheep. 5 They strayed in every direction, and because there was no shepherd to watch them, they were attacked and eaten by wild animals. 6 So my sheep were scattered across the earth. They roamed on hills and mountains, without anyone even bothering to look for them.
7-8 Now listen to what I, the living Lord God, am saying to you shepherds. My sheep have been attacked and eaten by wild animals, because you refused to watch them. You never went looking for the lost ones, and you fed yourselves without feeding my sheep. 9-10 So I, the Lord, will punish you! I will rescue my sheep from you and never let you be their shepherd again or butcher them for food. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Is the Good Shepherd
11 The Lord God then said:
I will look for my sheep and take care of them myself, 12 just as a shepherd looks for lost sheep. My sheep have been lost since that dark and miserable day when they were scattered throughout the nations. But I will rescue them 13 and bring them back from the foreign nations where they now live. I will be their shepherd and will let them graze on Israel's mountains and in the valleys and fertile fields. 14 They will be safe as they feed on grassy meadows and green hills. 15 I promise to take care of them and keep them safe, 16 to look for those that are lost and bring back the ones that wander off, to bandage those that are hurt and protect the ones that are weak. I will also slaughter those that are fat and strong, because I always do right.
Judgment on the Strong Sheep
17 The Lord God said to his sheep, the people of Israel:
I will carefully watch each one of you to decide which ones are the strong sheep and which ones are weak. 18 Some of you eat the greenest grass, then trample down what's left when you finish. Others drink clean water, then step in the water to make the rest of it muddy. 19 That means my other sheep have nothing fit to eat or drink.
20 So I, the Lord God, will separate you strong sheep from the weak. 21 You strong ones have used your powerful horns to chase off those that are weak, 22 but I will rescue them and no longer let them be mistreated. I will separate the good from the bad.
23 After that, I will give you a shepherd from the family of my servant King David. All of you, both strong and weak, will have the same shepherd, and he will take good care of you. 24 He will be your leader, and I will be your God. I, the Lord, have spoken.
A Bright Future for the Lord's Sheep
The Lord God said:
25 The people of Israel are my sheep, and I solemnly promise that they will live in peace. I will chase away every wild animal from the desert and the forest, so my sheep will not be afraid. 26 They will live around my holy mountain, and I will bless them by sending more than enough rain 27 to make their trees produce fruit and their crops to grow. I will set them free from slavery and let them live safely in their own land. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 28 Foreign nations will never again rob them, and wild animals will no longer kill and eat them. They will have nothing to fear. 29 I will make their fields produce large amounts of crops, so they will never again go hungry or be laughed at by foreigners. 30 Then everyone will know that I protect my people Israel. I, the Lord, make this promise. 31 They are my sheep; I am their God, and I take care of them.
Ovarise va Israel
1 Muhona wa hungira ku ami 2 a tja: “Muatje womundu, vera ovanane va Israel. Ve ukira nu u ve raere kutja ami ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi me tja nai ku wo: Owee ku eṋe, varise va Israel! Eṋe mu ririsa oveni, nungwari kamu risa ozonḓu. 3 Mu nwa omaihi, mu zara ozombanda, nḓa ungurwa pomainya wozonḓu, nu mu zepa namu ri ozonḓu inḓa ozombwa ozonḓune tjinene. Nungwari kamu risa ozonḓu. 4 Eṋe kamu zeuparisire inḓa nḓa ngundipara, kamu verukisire inḓa nḓa vera, kamu hondjizire inḓa oviṱeṱu, kamu kakotorere inḓa nḓa rimbara, nu kamu kapahere inḓa nḓa pandjara. Moruveze rwanao eṋe mwe ze ṱuna noutwe. 5 Ozonḓu tjinga aze ha ri nomurise, otjinga aza rimbara, novipuka vyokuti vye ze zepa navi ze sasaura. 6 Ozonḓu zandje otji za pizuka movivanda na mozondundu azehe ozonde, ozo za rimbara kombanda yehi arihe, nu kapa ri umwe ngwe kezepaha poo ngwe rikenda na zo.
7 “Nambano, varise, purateneye ku imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, mbi me mu raere. 8 Tjiri, ami otja ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi omunamuinyo, ozonḓu zandje tjinga aze ha ri nomurise, za rumatwa i ovipuka vyokuti, novyo vye ze zepa nu avi ze sasaura. Ovarise vandje kave rikendere nozonḓu. Owo aave rikarere ku wo oveni, nungwari kaave risa inḓa ozonḓu. 9 Nambano purateneye ku ami, oweṋe varise! 10 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, tjiri, owami omunavita na eṋe. Ami me isa po ozonḓu zandje pu eṋe, neṋe kamaamu karira ovarise vazo rukwao; ami himee tarere amamu rikarere ku eṋe oveni rukwao. Me yama ozonḓu zandje ku eṋe, nu himee mu yandjere kutja mu ze rye.
Omurise omuwa
11 “Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me mu raere kutja ami omuini me paha ozonḓu zandje nu me rikendere zo, 12 otja omurise tjinga e rikendera ozonḓu ze nḓa rimbara, nu nambano nḓa wongerwa pamwe rukwao, ami otjinga ame ze kotora okuza koṋa akuhe ku za rimbara, meyuva ndo ronḓorera noumba. 13 Ami me ze pitisa mehi rovandu wozonganda, e ze wongere pamwe nu e ze yarura kehi razo ozeni. Me ze hongorere kozondundu na komipupo vya Israel, nu e kezerisira momaryo omawa wondjoura. 14 Me kezerisira komaryo wozondundu ku ku hi nooma, na momikutu na mehi arihe rondjoura ra Israel. 15 Ami omuini ongu me rire omurise wozonḓu zandje, nu me ze pahere poṋa pu maze suva. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, owami ngu mba hungire.
16 “Ami me kapaha ozonḓu inḓa nḓa pandjara, e kakotora inḓa nḓa pizuka, e panga inḓa oviṱeṱu nu e verukisa inḓa nḓa vera; nungwari inḓa ozonḓune nu nḓe nomasa me ze nyono, ami tjinga ambi ri omurise ngu tjita ousemba.
17 “Nambano, eṋe rupanda rwandje, ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me mu raere kutja me mu pangura amuhe, nu me tuku ozonḓu ozombwa mozombi, nozonḓu mozongombo. 18 Eṋe tjiva kamu nohange okurya omahozu inga omawa tjinene; eṋe mu tomba nangarire inga ngu mu hi nokurya! Mu nwa omeva omakohoke nu mu ṱunda inga ngu mu hi nokunwa! 19 Ozonḓu zandje inḓa ozongwao maze ṱokurya omahozu inga ngu mwa tombo, nokunwa omeva inga ngu mwa harisa omunoko.
20 “Nambano, ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me mu raere kutja me pangura pokati keṋu mbu mu ri ozonḓu ozonamasa na inḓa ovingundi. 21 Eṋe mwa humba ozonḓu nḓa ovingundi, nu mwe ze tuva okuzeisa mo morupanda. 22 Nungwari ami me yama ozonḓu zandje, nu hi nokuyandjera kutja ze pundwe rukwao. Me pangura ozonḓu zandje azehe, nu e tuku ozombwa mozombi. 23 Ami me zepe omurise ngwa sana komukarere wandje David, eye erike a rire omuṱuta wazo, neye me ze risa. 24 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, me rire Ndjambi wazo, nombara ndja sana komukarere wandje David mai rire omunane wazo. Ami owami ngu mba hungire. 25 Ami me tjiti omerikutiropamwe wohange puna zo. Me isa mo ovipuka avihe ovinyondorore mehi, kokutja ozonḓu zandje ze kare nokuhinooma momaryo, nokutja ze wombe momahwa.
26 “Ami me ze sere ondaya nu e ze turisa meṋe yondundu yandje ondjapuke. Kondundu ndji ami oku me kezesera ondaya nokukezerokisira ombura onamasa tji maze i hepa. 27 Omiti mavi twako ovihape, nomahi womakunino mamu hapa ovikunwa, nomundu auhe ma tura mohange pokarongo ke omuini. Tji mba pora omapando wotjiwaṋa tjandje nu e tji kutura ku imba mbe tji isa po ovakarere, notji matji tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona. 28 Oviwaṋa kavi nakutjipunda oviṋa rukwao, novipuka vyokuti kavi nakutjizepa nokutjisasaura. Otjo matji tura nokuhinooma, nu kape nomundu ngu me tji tirisa. 29 Ami me yandja omahi womakunino omahapise kotjiwaṋa tjandje, nu me yandisa ondjara mehi. Oviwaṋa vyarwe kamaavi tji nyekerere rukwao. 30 Ovandu avehe mave tjiwa kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi watjo, mbi ri puna tjo, nokutja Israel otjo otjiwaṋa tjandje. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, owami ngu mba hungire.
31 “Oweṋe ozonḓu zandje, orupanda rwandje ndu mbi risa, nami owami Ndjambi weṋu.” Muhona Ndjambi ongwa tja nai.
