Zechariah 11

1 Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may consume your cedars!

2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen; the majestic trees are ruined! Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the dense forest has been cut down!

3 Listen to the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory is in ruins. Listen to the roaring of the young lions, for the thickets of the Jordan are destroyed.

4 This is what the LORD my God says: “Pasture the flock marked for slaughter,

5 whose buyers slaughter them without remorse. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no compassion on them.

6 For I will no longer have compassion on the people of the land, declares the LORD, but behold, I will cause each man to fall into the hands of his neighbor and his king, who will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from their hands.”

7 So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took for myself two staffs, calling one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.

8 And in one month I dismissed three shepherds. My soul grew impatient with the flock, and their souls also detested me.

9 Then I said, “I will no longer shepherd you. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish; and let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.”

10 Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.

11 It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD.

12 Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

14 Then I cut in two my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And the LORD said to me: “Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.

16 For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will neither care for the lost, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the choice sheep and tear off their hooves.

17 Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered and his right eye utterly blinded!”

1 ¶ Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.

2 Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.

3 [There is] a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.

4 ¶ Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed [be] the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver [them].

7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, [even] you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.

8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.

10 And I took my staff, [even] Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.

11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it [was] the word of the LORD.

12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give [me] my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty [pieces] of silver.

13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty [pieces] of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, [even] Bands, that I might break 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 will raise up a shepherd in the land, [which] shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword [shall be] upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

1 Open thy door, O Lebanon, that the fire may consume thy cedars.

2 Make hay, ye fir trees: for the cedars are fallen, and the glorious building is destroyed. Hay, ye oaks of Bashan; for the strong forest is hewn down.

3 They hear the shepherds howling, because their glorious building is destroyed: they hear the young lions roaring, because the glory of Jordan is destroyed.

4 Thus saith the LORD my God, Beware of the sheep of the slaughter.

5 For their lords slay them, and think it no sin, and sell them, and say: Blessed be the LORD, I am rich: and their shepherds spare them not.

6 Therefore will I not spare the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. And, behold, I will leave the people every man in the hand of another, and in the hand of his king, to destroy the land; and I will not deliver them out of their hand.

7 And I tended the lambs for the slaughter, because of the sheep that were in misery: and I took unto me two staves, the one I called Gentle, and the other I called Woe: and I tended the sheep.

8 And I destroyed three shepherds in one month: for I liked not them, neither would they like mine.

9 And I said: I will not take heed to you. That which dieth, let it die; that which languisheth, let it languish; and the remnant eat every man his flesh.

10 And I took my rod softly, and brake it, to keep my covenant which I had made with all nations.

11 And he was taken up that day. And the wretched sheep that hearkened unto me perceived that it was the word of the LORD.

12 And I said unto them: If it please you, bring how much I am worth; but if not, let it stand. And they weighed how much I was worth, thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it, that it may be given to the potter. A very good sum of money, which they have esteemed me worthy of. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the house of the LORD, to be given to the potter.

14 And I brake my other staff, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee again the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

16 For, behold, I will raise up shepherds in the land, who shall not visit the faint, nor seek the broken, nor heal the broken, nor feed the sound; but the flesh of the fat shall they eat, and rend their hoofs.

17 O idolatrous shepherds who leave the flock! Let the sword come upon her arm and upon her right eye! Let their arm wither and their right eye grow dark!