Zechariah 11
Modern English Version
11 Open your doors, O Lebanon,
so the fire can consume your cedar.
2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen;
the majestic trees are destroyed.
Wail, O oaks of Bashan,
because the unassailable forest has been brought down.
3 There is the sound of wailing shepherds,
because their glory is ruined.
There is the sound of roaring lions,
because the pride of Jordan is ruined.
Two Kinds of Shepherds
4 Thus says the Lord my God: Shepherd the flock of slaughter. 5 The ones who buy them then slaughter them and have no guilt, and those who sell them say, “Blessed is the Lord because I am rich.” Their own shepherds do not take pity on them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on those who dwell in the land, says the Lord. But I will cause each of them to fall into the hands of his neighbor, even into the hands of his king. They will crush the land, and I will not deliver any from their hands.
7 So I shepherded the flock that was for slaughter, even the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs. One I called Favor and the other I gave the name Union. So I pastured the flock. 8 I destroyed the three shepherds in the span of one month.
For my soul was impatient with them, and their souls detested me. 9 Then I said, “I will not shepherd you. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. Let those who are left devour each other’s flesh.”
10 I took the staff named Favor and cut it into pieces, to break the covenant that I made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken that day, and the afflicted of the flock were watching me and knew that this was the word of the Lord.
12 Then I said to them, “If this is good in your eyes, then give my wages to me, but if not, then keep it.” They weighed my wages at thirty pieces of silver.
13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter, the splendid price by which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty silver pieces and threw them to the house of the Lord to the potter.
14 Then I cut up the second staff, Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 Then the Lord said to me: Take for yourself again the vessels carried by a foolish shepherd. 16 I am raising up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are perishing, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor feed those who are standing still. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hoofs in pieces.
17 Woe to this worthless shepherd
who abandons his flock.
May the sword take his arm and right eye;
may his arm surely wither up,
and his right eye become blind.
Zechariah 11
American Standard Version
11 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. 2 Wail, O fir-tree, for the cedar is fallen, because the [a]goodly ones are destroyed: wail, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the [b]strong forest is come down. 3 A 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.
4 Thus said Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of slaughter; 5 whose [c]possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Blessed be Jehovah, for I am rich; and [d]their own shepherds pity them not. 6 For 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. 7 So I fed the flock of slaughter, verily [e]the poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called [f]Beauty, and the other I called [g]Bands; and I fed the flock. 8 And I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me. 9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that which dieth, let it die; and [h]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. 10 And I took my staff Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 And it was broken in that day; and [i]thus [j]the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew that it was the word of Jehovah. 12 And 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. 13 And 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. 14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 And Jehovah said unto me, Take unto thee yet again the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not [k]visit those that are [l]cut off, neither will seek [m]those that are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which [n]is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces. 17 Woe 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.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 11:2 Or, glorious
- Zechariah 11:2 Or, fortified
- Zechariah 11:5 Or, buyers
- Zechariah 11:5 Or, their shepherd pitieth
- Zechariah 11:7 Or, the most miserable of sheep
- Zechariah 11:7 Or, Graciousness
- Zechariah 11:7 Or, Binders. Or, Union
- Zechariah 11:9 Or, that which is lost, let it be lost
- Zechariah 11:11 Or, the poor of the flock . . . knew of a truth
- Zechariah 11:11 Or, the most miserable of sheep
- Zechariah 11:16 Or, miss
- Zechariah 11:16 Or, lost
- Zechariah 11:16 Or, the young
- Zechariah 11:16 Hebrew standeth.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)