Zaccaria 11

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

2Wail, O fir-tree, for the cedar is fallen, because the goodly ones are destroyed: wail, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Zechariah 11:2 Or, fortified __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ strong forest is come down.

3A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! for their glory is destroyed: a voice of the roaring of young lions! for the pride of the Jordan is laid waste.

4Thus said Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of slaughter;

5whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Blessed be Jehovah, for I am rich; and __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Zechariah 11:5 Or, their shepherd pitieth __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ their own shepherds pity them not.

6For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah; but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’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.

7So I fed the flock of slaughter, verily the poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Zechariah 11:7 Or, Graciousness __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ Beauty, and the other I called __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Zechariah 11:7 Or, Binders. Or, Union __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ Bands; and I fed the flock.

8And I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me.

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

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

11And it was broken in that day; and thus __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Zechariah 11:11 Or, the most miserable of sheep __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew that it was the word of Jehovah.

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

13And Jehovah said unto me, Cast it unto the potter, the goodly price that I was prized at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them unto the potter, in the house of Jehovah.

14Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

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

16For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those that are __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Zechariah 11:16 Or, lost __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ cut off, neither will seek __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Zechariah 11:16 Or, the young __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ those that are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Zechariah 11:16 Hebrew standeth. __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep , and will tear their hoofs in pieces.

17Woe to the worthless 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.