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.
Lekye'bai Yisaraele ro
1 OPI atate märi ekye: 2 “Ŋgwa lidri ro, nyayo ta koziro miri'bai Yisaraele ro lomvo. Nyäŋgu ta ànyari, ago nyiti tase ma, OPI Mbarapara, mabe atana ànyari ono se ekye: Ami te orivoya kandrakozi be, ami lekye'bai Yisaraele ro se mìti gwo toto ta andivo amiro ro ayani kwoi. Inye'do lekye'bai tiyi ta timele ro ko ya? 3 Nyà ŋga toco onya, nyà boŋgo se edebe ni kodo yasi osona, nyà timele se oshweekye iyi tufuna, oko nyèca timele kote. 4 Oko nyotomba ànya se mbaraako iyi ko, nyede ànya se adravoro iyi kote, mìvu laza ànya se agabe äträ iyi ro kote, nyòlogo ànya se kujebe iyi kote kovole, kode mìṛi ànya se kujeyibe iyi kote. Mìgo, mìye ànya ṛo mbara si ago siomba si. 5 Ta'doro epere timele te tana ànya te teinye lekye'ba ako, ago ànya a'doyite ŋgaonya ro pererute, koronyai cini vocowaro ri. 6 Timele maro eperete, ànya abate wayiro 'bereŋwai drisi ago lutui ogwaekyero drisi. Ànya pererute vo 'bädri cini ro yasi, ago 'diaza ṛi ànya kote kode ojo kote ànya usune.
7 “Ka'do inye, ami lekye'bai, nyèri tase ma, OPI Mbarapara, mabe itina ämiri ono. 8 Endaro oso mabe Lu lidriidriro yi ono ronye, nyèri ta maro. Koronyai vocowaro siyi timele maro te ago a'dote ŋgaonya ro ànyari tana lekye'ba te i'do. Lekye'bai ojoyi kote timele maro uṛine, oko ànya kayi toto ta andivo ànyaro ro otina ayani ago tiyi ta timele maro ro kote. 9 Ka'do inye, nyèri ta Ma OPI ro, ami lekye'bai. 10 Ma, OPI Mbarapara, ma taayo anjioko ma orivoya kyilaro ami be. Märuna timele maro 'da ni ami rigyesi ma'bana ami kote ogo a'done lekye'ba ànyaro tona; ago mago ma'bana ami kote ta andivo amiro ro otine tona. Mapana timele maro 'da ni ämirigyesi ago unina kote a'done ŋgaonya ro ämiri.
Lekye'ba Kado
11 “Ma, OPI Mbarapara, ma taiti ämiri anjioko ma modo mäṛina timele maro teni ago matina ta ànyaro teni. 12 Oso lekye'ba kabe ta timele ndaro se kepererube ro otina ago kabe kalana otona kpa to'di voaloya 'do ronye, mäṛina ago mapana ànya 'da ni vose cini epere ànya be kigyesi tuse kandra kozi ro ago ŋgätini ro, ana si ana yasi. 13 Märuna ànya 'da ni 'bädri atrai ro yasi, motona kala ànyaro 'da voaloya, ago mologona ànya 'da kovole wari modo ànyaro roya. Melepena ànya 'da kovole 'bereŋwai ndi goloŋwai Yisaraele robe ya ago mecana ànya 'da lowo kadopara wari ana ro ya si. 14 Mecana ànya 'da käyi 'buṛu'buṛuro 'bereŋwai ro ndi vodelero be yasi ago lowo luru cini se wari Yisaraele roya kai yasi. 15 Ma andivo ma'dona ni lekye'ba timele maro ro, ago ma'bana ànya 'da loline. Ma, OPI Mbarapara, matani.
16 “Mäṛina ànya se kujebe iyi 'da, mologona ànya se kabe aba wayiro iyi 'da kovole, mävuna laza ànya se laza be iyi ro 'da, ago motombana ànya se mbaraako iyi 'da; oko mutufuna ànya se mbararo ago oshweekye iyi 'da, ago melekyena ànya 'da taŋgye si.
17 “Ka'do inye, ami timele maro, ma, OPI Mbarapara, ma taiti ämiri anjioko mapena vure ami alo alo ro 'da ago melewena timele 'da ni indri lakosi. 18 Rukä amiro mìnya käyi se kadoro 'do ca ojo ami ko; ago nyà se mìnya ko 'do otona pa si vuru! Nyà gyi se wäṛiro 'do umvuna ago nyà gyi se mìmvu ko 'do koro oto kigye! 19 Timele maro azakana kayi käyi se mìtobe vuru iyi onyana ayani ago kayi gyi se mìto koro be kigye 'do umvuna ayani.
20 “Ka'do inye yauono, ma, OPI Mbarapara, ma taiti ämiri anjioko ma modo oye vure amiro opene ami timele se oshweekye ndi timele se orweorwe ro iyi be. 21 Mìbi se mbaraako iyi gwo biṛi ya ago mì'be ànya gwo madale nyèpere ànya gwo ni azi lakosi. 22 Oko mapana timele maro 'da ago ayena ànya kote tona koziro. Mapena vure timele maro ro 'da ba alo alo. 23 Mozona 'bädri'ba aza 'da ànyari oso ruindu'ba maro Dawidi ronye nda ecana ànya 'da, ago nda otina ta ànyaro 'da ago nda a'dona 'da lekye'ba ànyaro. 24 Ma, OPI, ma'dona 'da Lu ànyaro, ago 'bädri'ba se oso ruindu'ba maro Dawidi ronye ana a'dona 'da dri'ba ànyaro. Ma OPI matani. 25 Ma'bana tao'baro taliatokpe ro 'da ànya yibe. Manana koronyai se cini koziro iyi 'da ni wari ana yasi, tana timele maro koriyi robe londroro lowoi yasi ago ku'duyi robe vocowa cini yasi.
26 “Mäṛuna ànya 'da ago ma'bana ànya 'da orine gbikyi lutu alokado maro lomvosi. Mezona 'bu 'da ànyari duru si mäṛuna ànya 'da lau 'bu logyilogyi si. 27 Ice owana doŋgo 'da, ämvu cini lofona ŋgaonya 'da, ago 'dicini orina 'da londroro wari modo ndaro ya. Ondro motokye nyori cini lidri maro rote ago ma'ba ànya te dritairo ni ànya se ko'bayi ànya be a'done iyeäṛii ro iyi risi oko, 'dooko ànya uninayi 'da anjioko ma ni OPI owo. 28 Tu'deii se atrai ro iyi uninayi kote ogone ànya tufune tona, ago koronyai vocowa ro unina kote ànya onyane. Ànya orinayi 'da londroro, ago 'diaza unina ko ànya o'bane turiro. 29 Mozona ämvui se gyini kado be iyi 'da ànyari ago täbiri unina kote ànya ufune wari ana ya. Tu'dei azi uninayi kote ànya mawone. 30 'Dicini unina 'da anjioko ma OPI Lu ànyaro orivoya tro anya be ago ànya lidri Yisaraele ro orivoya lidri maro. Ma, OPI Mbarapara, matani.
31 “Ami, timele maro, gboko timele ro se mabe ni ecana ono, ma orivoya Lu amiro.” OPI Mbarapara atani inye.