羊群必遭殺戮

11 黎巴嫩啊,打開你的門吧,

好讓火焰吞噬你的香柏樹。
松樹啊,哀號吧,
因為香柏樹已經倒下,
挺拔的樹木已被毀壞。
巴珊的橡樹啊,哀號吧,
因為茂密的樹林已被砍倒。
聽啊,牧人在哀號,
因為他們肥美的草場已被毀壞。
聽啊,獅子在吼叫,
因為約旦河畔的叢林已被毀壞。

我的上帝耶和華說:「你去牧養這群待宰的羊吧。 買羊宰羊的不受懲罰,賣羊的說,『耶和華當受稱頌!我發財了。』牠們的牧人不憐憫牠們。 因此,我不再憐憫這地方的居民,我要使他們落在鄰人及其君王手中,任這地方被摧毀,必不從敵人手中拯救他們。這是耶和華說的。」

於是,我牧養這群最困苦的待宰之羊。我拿了兩根杖,一根叫「恩惠」,一根叫「聯合」,開始牧養羊群。 我在一個月之內除掉了三個牧人。

然而,我厭煩羊群,他們也厭惡我。 於是我說:「我不再牧養你們了。要死的就死吧,要滅亡的就滅亡吧,讓剩下的互相吞吃吧。」 10 然後,我拿起那根叫「恩惠」的杖,把它折斷,以廢除我與萬民所立的約。 11 約就在當天廢除了,那些注視著我的困苦羊便知道這是上帝的話。

12 我對他們說:「你們若認為好,就給我工錢,不然就算了。」於是,他們給了我三十塊銀子作工錢。 13 耶和華對我說:「把這一大筆錢丟給窯戶吧,這就是我在他們眼中的價值!」我便把三十塊銀子丟給聖殿中的窯戶。 14 我又把那根叫「聯合」的杖折斷,以斷開猶大和以色列之間的手足之情。

15 耶和華又對我說:「你再拿起愚昧牧人的器具, 16 因為我要使一位牧人在地上興起,他不照顧喪亡的,不尋找失散的,不醫治受傷的,不牧養健壯的,反而吃肥羊的肉,撕掉牠們的蹄子。

17 「丟棄羊群的無用牧人有禍了!
願刀砍在他的臂膀和右眼上!
願他的臂膀徹底枯槁,
他的右眼完全失明!」

11 Open thy delatot (gates), O Levanon, that the eish (fire) may devour thy cedars.

Wail, O cypress, for the cedar is fallen; the mighty is despoiled; wail, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the dense forest is toppled.

Hear the sound of the wailing of the ro’im (shepherds); for their glory is destroyed; the sound of the roaring of young lions; for the ga’on of the Yarden (Jordan) is laid waste.

Thus Hashem Elohai said: Shepherd the tzon haharegah (the flock marked for slaughter);

Whose buyers slaughter them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Baruch Hashem, I have become rich! And their own ro’im (shepherds) spare them not.

Nor will I any more pity the yoshvei ha’aretz (the inhabitants of the land), saith Hashem; and hinei, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’s hand, and into the power of his melech; and they shall strike ha’aretz, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.

So I did shepherd the tzon haharegah (the flock marked for slaughter), even aniyei hatzon (the poor of the flock). And I took unto me two maklot (staffs); the one I called No’am (gracious care), and the other I called Chovelim (bindings [of union, cf.11:14]); and I did shepherd the tzon (flock).

Shloshet haro’im (three of the shepherds) also I disposed of in one month; and my nefesh wearied of them, and their nefesh also abhorred me.

Then said I, I will not shepherd you; that which dieth, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those that are left eat every one the basar of another.

10 And I took my staff, even No’am, and I broke it asunder, breaking off my Brit (covenant) which I had made with kol ha’amim (all the peoples).

11 And it was broken on that day; and so the aniyei hatzon (poor of the flock), who were the shomrim giving heed to me, perceived that this was the Devar Hashem.

12 And I said unto them, If ye think tov, give me my sachar (price); and if not, refrain. So they weighed out for my sachar (price) shloshim kesef (thirty pieces of silver).

13 And Hashem said unto me, Throw it unto the yotzer (potter); the magnificent price that I was priced of them. So I took the shloshim hakesef, and threw them to the yotzer (potter) in the Beis Hashem. [Shemot 21:32; Mt 26:14-15; 27:3-10; Ac 1:18-19]

14 Then I broke my second staff, called Chovelim, breaking off the achavah (brotherhood) between Yehudah and Yisroel.

15 And Hashem said unto me, Take unto thee yet the keli (implements) of a foolish ro’eh (shepherd).

16 For, hinei, I will raise up a ro’eh in ha’aretz, which shall not care for the dying, nor look for the na’ar (young one), nor heal that which is injured, nor feed the healthy; but he shall eat the basar of the choice, and tear off their hooves.

17 Hoy (woe) to the worthless ro’eh (shepherd) that deserteth the tzon! May the cherev (sword) be upon his zero’a (arm), and upon his right eye; let his zero’a wither away, and his right eye be utterly extinguished.