The Shepherds of Israel
1 The Lord spoke to me. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “denounce the rulers of Israel. Prophesy to them, and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, say to them: You are doomed, you shepherds of Israel! You take care of yourselves, but never tend the sheep. 3 You drink the milk, wear clothes made from the wool, and kill and eat the finest sheep. But you never tend the sheep. 4 You have not taken care of the weak ones, healed the ones that are sick, bandaged the ones that are hurt, brought back the ones that wandered off, or looked for the ones that were lost. Instead, you treated them cruelly. 5 Because the sheep had no shepherd, they were scattered, and wild animals killed and ate them. 6 So my sheep wandered over the high hills and the mountains. They were scattered over the face of the earth, and no one looked for them or tried to find them.
7 “Now, you shepherds, listen to what I, the Lord, am telling you. 8 As surely as I am the living God, you had better listen to me. My sheep have been attacked by wild animals that killed and ate them because there was no shepherd. My shepherds did not try to find the sheep. They were taking care of themselves and not the sheep. 9 So listen to me, you shepherds. 10 I, the Sovereign Lord, declare that I am your enemy. I will take my sheep away from you and never again let you be their shepherds; never again will I let you take care only of yourselves. I will rescue my sheep from you and not let you eat them.
The Good Shepherd
11 “I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I myself will look for my sheep and take care of them 12 in the same way as shepherds take care of their sheep that were scattered and are brought together again. I will bring them back from all the places where they were scattered on that dark, disastrous day. 13 I will take them out of foreign countries, gather them together, and bring them back to their own land. I will lead them back to the mountains and the streams of Israel and will feed them in pleasant pastures. 14 I will let them graze in safety in the mountain meadows and the valleys and in all the green pastures of the land of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will find them a place to rest. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.
16 “I will look for those that are lost, bring back those that wander off, bandage those that are hurt, and heal those that are sick; but those that are fat and strong I will destroy, because I am a shepherd who does what is right.
17 “Now then, my flock, I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I will judge each of you and separate the good from the bad, the sheep from the goats. 18 Some of you are not satisfied with eating the best grass; you even trample down what you don't eat! You drink the clear water and muddy what you don't drink! 19 My other sheep have to eat the grass you trample down and drink the water you muddy.
20 “So now, I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I will judge between you strong sheep and the weak sheep. 21 You pushed the sick ones aside and butted them away from the flock. 22 But I will rescue my sheep and not let them be mistreated any more. I will judge each of my sheep and separate the good from the bad. 23 I will give them a king like my servant David to be their one shepherd, and he will take care of them. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and a king like my servant David will be their ruler. I have spoken. 25 I will make a covenant with them that guarantees their security. I will get rid of all the dangerous animals in the land, so that my sheep can live safely in the fields and sleep in the forests.
26 “I will bless them and let them live around my sacred hill. There I will bless them with showers of rain when they need it. 27 The trees will bear fruit, the fields will produce crops, and everyone will live in safety on his own land. When I break my people's chains and set them free from those who made them slaves, then they will know that I am the Lord. 28 The heathen nations will not plunder them any more, and the wild animals will not kill and eat them. They will live in safety, and no one will terrify them. 29 I will give them fertile fields and put an end to hunger in the land. The other nations will not sneer at them any more. 30 Everyone will know that I protect Israel and that they are my people. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.
31 “You, my sheep, the flock that I feed, are my people, and I am your God,” says the Sovereign Lord.
Banisirayila maralilaalu
1 Yaawe* la kumoo naata n kaŋ ko: 2 “Ite hadamadiŋo, ñiŋ kiilaariyaa kumoo fo Banisirayila maralilaalu ye, nte Yaawe, ì Maariyo ye ñiŋ ne fo ko: Kooroo boyita ali kaŋ. Alitolu Banisirayila kantalaalu, ali be ali faŋolu dammaa le konoo fandi kaŋ. Aduŋ ali ñinata ali ka mennu kanta. Fo kantarilaa le maŋ ñaŋ na a la saajiyolu daañini la baŋ? 3 Alitolu le ka nonoo feenewo bee miŋ aniŋ ka ali faŋolu feetoofata n na saajiyolu tiyolu la. Ali ka saajii kendiŋolu le faa ka i baluu ì la, bari ali buka saajiyolu ñiŋ topatoo. 4 Ali maŋ n na saajii lamfuriŋolu maakoyi, ali buka ì saasaatoolu jaara, ali buka ì la baramoolu siti, aduŋ ali buka ì filiriŋolu murundi naŋ. Ali buka taa hani ka ì ñini naŋ. Bari ali ka n na saajiyolu mara semboo niŋ tilimbaliyaa le la. 5 Wo kamma la ì janjanta le, kaatu kantarilaa te ì kunna. Ì naata ke wulakono daafeŋolu ye domoroo ti. 6 N na saajiyolu janjanta le, ì be yaayi kaŋ konko baalu niŋ konkoriŋolu kaŋ santo. Ì janjanta le ka taa duniyaa bankoolu bee kaŋ taariŋ. Moo maŋ soto, meŋ si bula ì nooma waraŋ ka taa ì ñini.
7 “Wo kamma la, alitolu Banisirayila kantalaalu, ali i lamoyi nte Yaawe la kumoo la: 8 A be koyiriŋ ñaameŋ ko nte be baluuriŋ ne, n na saajiyolu keta le ko ñapinkaŋ feŋolu aniŋ ì naata ke wulakono daafeŋolu bee ye domoroo ti, baawo kantarilaa te ì kunna. Kantarilaalu maŋ taa ka n na saajiyolu ñini. Ì ka ì faŋolu le konoolu fandi ì la doroŋ, bari ì maŋ n na saajiyolu hati.” Maarii Yaawe le ye a fo.
9 “Wo kamma la, alitolu kantarilaalu, ali i lamoyi nte Yaawe la kumoo la: 10 A fele, m buloo be laa la Banisirayila kantalaalu kaŋ ne, m be ì kaniŋ na n na saajiyolu la le. M be daŋ ke la ì la n na saajiyolu balundoo la le, aniŋ ì te ì faŋolu konoo fandi la n na saajiyolu la kotenke. M be n na saajiyolu kanandi la ì daalu ma le, fo i si a je ì te ke noo la ì la baluuraŋo ti kotenke.” Maarii Yaawe le ye a fo.
Yaawe faŋo le mu kantarilaa ti
11 Maarii Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko: “A fele, nte faŋo le be n na saajiyolu ñini la, ŋa ì topatoo. 12 Ko kantarilaa ka a la saajii filiriŋolu ñini ñaameŋ, niŋ a la saajii doolu janjanta ka taa kara doo la, m be taa n na saajiyolu ñini la wo le ñaama. M be ì bondi la naŋ dulaalu bee to le ì be janjandiŋ daamennu to, kasaaroo luŋo la, minaayoo niŋ dibi feŋ baa luŋo la. 13 M be ì bondi la naŋ wo moo doolu kono le, wo bantala bankoolu* kaŋ, ka ì samba naŋ ì fansuŋ bankoo kaŋ. M be ì daañini la Banisirayila konkoolu le kaŋ, woyoolu be daameŋ to, aniŋ moolu be wo bankoo maafaŋo meŋ bee la. 14 M be ì balundi la daañini dulaa betoo le to. Banisirayila konkoolu kaŋ santo le be ke la ì la daañini dulaa ti. Jee to ì be tara la laariŋ kayiroo le kono, ka baluu Banisirayila konkoolu kaŋ, mennu mu daañini dulaa kendiŋolu ti. 15 Nte faŋo le be ke la n na saajiyolu ye kantarilaa ti, aduŋ m be a ke la le, ì ye tara laariŋ kayira kono.” Maarii Yaawe le ye a fo.
16 “M be wo saajii filiriŋolu ñini la le, aduŋ mennu janjanta, m be ì murundi la naŋ ne. M be ì la baramoolu siti la le aniŋ ka ì lamfuriŋolu maakoyi. Bari wo nunkumaalu niŋ bambandiŋolu, m be wolu kasaara la le, kaatu m be ì daañini la tiliŋo le kono, bayiri ì jarita meŋ na, i be wo le soto la.”
17 Maarii Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko: “N na saajiyolu la karoo la, a fele, m be kiitiyo ke la saajii niŋ saajii teema, saakotoŋo niŋ baakotoŋo teema. 18 Fo ali maŋ wasa ka i baluu dulaa kendiŋo to baŋ? Fo ali ka wo ñaamoolu bee doriŋ-doriŋ mennu be ali la daañini dulaalu to? Fo ali maŋ wasa ka i miŋ jii seneyaariŋo la baŋ? Fo ali ñanta wo jiyo duundi la niŋ ali siŋolu la le baŋ? 19 Fo n na saajiyolu ñanta wo ñaama doriŋ-dorindiŋo le domo la baŋ, aniŋ ka wo jii duuriŋo miŋ ali ye mennu duundi ali siŋolu la?”
20 Maarii Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko: “A fele, m be kiitiyo ke la saajii sembemaalu niŋ saajii sembentaŋolu teema le. 21 Baawo ali ka ñoo ñoriŋ-ñoriŋ ne, ka ñiŋ sembentaŋolu junku niŋ ali binoolu la, fo ali ye ì bee janjandi, 22 m be n na saajiyolu tanka la le. Ì te ke la ñapinkaŋ feŋolu ti kotenke, aduŋ m be kiitiyo teyi la saajii niŋ saajii teema le. 23 M be kantarilaa kiliŋ ne ke la ì kunna, meŋ mu n na dookuulaa Dawuda koomalanka kiliŋ ti. A be ì daañini la le, ka ke ì la kantarilaa ti. 24 Nte faŋo le be ke la ì la Alla ti, aduŋ n na dookuulaa Dawuda koomalankoo le be ke la maralilaa ti ì kunna.” Maarii Yaawe le ye a fo.
25 “N niŋ n na moolu be kayira kambeŋo le siti la. M be wulakono daafeŋ jawoolu bee bondi la ì ye bankoo kaŋ ne, i si a je n na moolu si tara kayiroo kono, ka i laa noo ka siinoo kayira kono wo keñewuloo* niŋ wula kaamaa kono. 26 M be wo dulaalu aniŋ n na konko senuŋo* niŋ a dandaŋolu bee ke la ì ye neemoo le ti, aduŋ m be n na samaa neemoo dii la ì la a waatoo le la. M be neemoo sanjimaa le boŋ na ì kaŋ. 27 Yiroolu mennu be wuloo kono be diŋ betoolu diŋ na le. Bankoo be neemafeŋolu fintindi la ka siyaa, aduŋ n na moolu be tanka la ì la bankoo kaŋ ne. Ŋa yookoo* kati meŋ be laariŋ ì toŋolu kaŋ, aniŋ ŋa ì kanandi wo moolu bulu mennu ye ì joŋyandi. Wo to le ì be a loŋ na ko, nte le mu Yaawe ti, ì Maariyo. 28 Ì te ke la ñapinkaŋ feŋolu ti bantala bankoolu ye kotenke. Wulakono daafeŋ jawoolu te ñapi la ì kaŋ kotenke, ka ì domo. Ì be tara la kayiroo le kono jee, aduŋ moo te ì silandi noo la kotenke. 29 M be senedulaa yiriwaariŋ baa le dii la ì la, i si a je konkoo te ì muta la ì la bankoo kaŋ, aniŋ wo bantala bankoolu te jutunnayaa kuwolu tiliŋ na ì la kotenke. 30 Niŋ wo keta le, ì be a loŋ na ko, nte Yaawe le mu ì la Alla ti, aniŋ m be ì fee le fanaa, aduŋ itolu Banisirayilankoolu mu nte faŋo la moolu le ti.” Maarii Yaawe le ye a fo.
31 A ko: “Alitolu le mu n na saajiyolu ti, saajiyolu mennu be n na daañini dulaa to, aduŋ nte le mu ali la Alla ti.” Maarii Yaawe le ye a fo.
