Zacharie 11
La Bible du Semeur
Dieu abat les puissants
11 Liban, ouvre tes portes,
et qu’un feu dévore tes cèdres[a] !
2 Lamente-toi, cyprès, ╵car le cèdre est tombé,
et les arbres majestueux ╵ont été abattus.
Gémissez, chênes du Basan,
car la forêt si dense ╵a été abattue.
3 On entend les bergers gémir,
car ce qui faisait leur orgueil ╵a été dévasté.
On entend les lionceaux rugir,
car les forêts touffues ╵faisant la fierté du Jourdain ╵ont été abattues.
Les bons et les mauvais bergers
4 L’Eternel mon Dieu dit : Sois le berger du troupeau voué au carnage. 5 Ceux qui achètent les brebis les tuent impunément, ceux qui les vendent s’écrient : « Béni soit l’Eternel ! Je me suis enrichi ! », tandis que leurs propres bergers n’ont aucune pitié pour elles. 6 Désormais, moi aussi, je n’aurai plus pitié des habitants de ce pays, l’Eternel le déclare. Je livrerai les hommes aux mains les uns des autres et entre les mains de leur roi. Ils saccageront le pays et je ne délivrerai personne de leur oppression.
7 Je me mis donc à faire paître les brebis destinées au carnage, et surtout les plus misérables du troupeau[b]. Je pris deux houlettes, je nommai l’une Grâce, et l’autre Union. Puis je me mis à faire paître les brebis du troupeau. 8 J’éliminai en un mois leurs trois bergers[c]. Mais je perdis patience avec elles, et elles, de leur côté, s’étaient lassées de moi.
9 Et je dis au troupeau : Je ne vous ferai plus paître. Celle qui doit périr, eh bien qu’elle périsse ! Celle qui doit disparaître, eh bien qu’elle disparaisse ! Quant à celles qui resteront, qu’elles se dévorent entre elles !
10 Puis je pris ma houlette que j’avais nommée Grâce et je la brisai pour annuler l’alliance que j’avais conclue avec tous les peuples[d].
11 Elle fut donc annulée ce jour-là. Alors les brebis les plus misérables[e] du troupeau qui m’observaient comprirent que c’était la volonté de l’Eternel.
12 Et je leur déclarai : Si vous le jugez bon, donnez-moi mon salaire, sinon, n’en faites rien.
Ils me donnèrent pour salaire trente sicles d’argent[f].
13 Et l’Eternel me dit : Jette-le au potier, ce joli prix auquel j’ai été estimé !
Je pris les trente sicles d’argent et je les jetai dans le temple de l’Eternel pour le potier[g]. 14 Puis je brisai ma seconde houlette, celle que j’avais nommée Union, pour signifier la rupture de la fraternité entre Juda et Israël.
15 L’Eternel me dit encore : Procure-toi maintenant l’attirail d’un berger qui sera insensé, 16 car je vais susciter dans le pays un berger qui ne s’inquiétera pas des brebis qui disparaissent, il n’ira pas à la recherche de celles qui sont égarées, il ne soignera pas celles qui sont blessées, ne pourvoira pas aux besoins de celles qui se portent bien ; mais il mangera la chair de celles qui sont grasses et il leur brisera les sabots.
17 Malheur au berger vaurien
qui abandonne son troupeau !
Que l’épée lacère son bras
et lui crève l’œil droit !
Que son bras se dessèche, ╵oui, se dessèche !
Que son œil droit s’éteigne, ╵s’éteigne bel et bien !
Footnotes
- 11.1 Pour les v. 1-3, voir Es 10.33-34 ; Ez 31 ; Es 2.13 ; Jr 49.19.
- 11.7 et surtout… du troupeau: selon le texte hébreu traditionnel. L’ancienne version grecque a : pour les marchands.
- 11.8 L’identification de ces trois bergers est problématique.
- 11.10 Il doit s’agir d’une alliance avec les peuples pour qu’ils laissent Israël en paix.
- 11.11 les plus misérables: selon le texte hébreu traditionnel. L’ancienne version grecque a : les marchands.
- 11.12 Le prix d’un esclave (Ex 21.32). Voir Mt 26.15. Les v. 12-13 sont cités en Mt 27.9-10.
- 11.13 le potier: d’après la plupart des manuscrits du texte hébreu traditionnel et Mt 27.10. Certains manuscrits hébreux et la version syriaque ont : le trésor (voir Mt 27.6). L’ancienne version grecque a : la fournaise. Certains traduisent par : le fondeur.
Zechariah 11
New American Standard Bible
The Doomed Flock
11 Open your doors, Lebanon,
So that a (A)fire may feed on your (B)cedars.
2 Wail, juniper, because the cedar has fallen,
For the magnificent trees have been destroyed;
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
Because the [a]impenetrable forest has come down.
3 There is a sound of the shepherds’ (C)wail,
For their splendor is ruined;
There is a (D)sound of the young lions’ roar,
For the [b]pride of the Jordan is ruined.
4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Pasture the flock doomed to (E)slaughter. 5 Those who buy them slaughter them and [c]go (F)unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for (G)I have become rich!’ And their (H)own shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 For I will (I)no longer have compassion for the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord; “but behold, I will (J)let the people fall, each into another’s [d]power and into the [e]power of his king; and they will crush the land, and I will (K)not rescue them from their [f]power.”
7 So I (L)pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, [g]therefore also the (M)afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two (N)staffs: the one I called [h](O)Favor, and the other I called (P)Union; so I pastured the flock. 8 Then I did away with the three shepherds in (Q)one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also [i]was tired of me. 9 Then I said, “I will not pasture you. What is to (R)die, [j]let it die, and what is to perish, [k]let it perish; and [l]let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff [m](S)Favor and cut it in pieces, to [n](T)break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was [o]broken on that day, and [p]so the (U)afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord. 12 And I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my (V)wages; but if not, [q]never mind!” So they weighed out (W)thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (X)potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. 14 Then I cut in pieces my second staff (Y)Union, to (Z)break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 And the Lord said to me, “Take again for yourself the equipment of a (AA)foolish shepherd. 16 For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will (AB)not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or provide for the one who is exhausted, but will (AC)devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs.
17 (AD)Woe to the worthless shepherd
Who abandons the flock!
A (AE)sword will be on his arm
And on his right eye!
His (AF)arm will be totally withered,
And his right eye will be [r]blind.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 11:2 Another reading is forest of the vintage
- Zechariah 11:3 Or thicket
- Zechariah 11:5 Lit are not held guilty
- Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
- Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
- Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
- Zechariah 11:7 Another reading is for the sheep dealers
- Zechariah 11:7 Or Pleasantness
- Zechariah 11:8 Or detested
- Zechariah 11:9 Or will die
- Zechariah 11:9 Or will perish
- Zechariah 11:9 Or those...will eat
- Zechariah 11:10 Or Pleasantness
- Zechariah 11:10 Or annul
- Zechariah 11:11 Or annulled
- Zechariah 11:11 Another reading is the sheep dealers who
- Zechariah 11:12 Lit cease
- Zechariah 11:17 Lit completely dimmed
Zechariah 11
King James Version
11 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.
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