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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.

Desolation of Israel

11 Open (A)your doors, O Lebanon,
That fire may devour your cedars.
Wail, O cypress, for the (B)cedar has fallen,
Because the mighty trees are ruined.
Wail, O oaks of Bashan,
(C)For the thick forest has come down.
There is the sound of wailing (D)shepherds!
For their glory is in ruins.
There is the sound of roaring lions!
For the [a]pride of the Jordan is in ruins.

Prophecy of the Shepherds

Thus says the Lord my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, whose owners slaughter them and (E)feel no guilt; those who sell them (F)say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do (G)not pity them. For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall [b]attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”

So I fed the flock for slaughter, [c]in particular (H)the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called [d]Beauty, and the other I called [e]Bonds; and I fed the flock. I [f]dismissed the three shepherds (I)in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then I said, “I will not feed you. (J)Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff, [g]Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus (K)the[h] poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it is [i]agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they (L)weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (M)potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, [j]Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And the Lord said to me, (N)“Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in (O)pieces.

17 “Woe(P) to the worthless shepherd,
Who leaves the flock!
A sword shall be against his arm
And against his right eye;
His arm shall completely wither,
And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 11:3 Or floodplain, thicket
  2. Zechariah 11:6 Lit. strike
  3. Zechariah 11:7 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX for the Canaanites
  4. Zechariah 11:7 Or Grace
  5. Zechariah 11:7 Or Unity
  6. Zechariah 11:8 Or destroyed, lit. cut off
  7. Zechariah 11:10 Or Grace
  8. Zechariah 11:11 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX the Canaanites
  9. Zechariah 11:12 good in your sight
  10. Zechariah 11:14 Or Unity