Add parallel Print Page Options

The Two Shepherds

Thus says Yahweh my God: “Shepherd the flock[a] doomed to slaughter. The ones buying them kill them and go unpunished, and the ones selling them say, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, for I have become rich.’ Their own shepherds have no compassion for them. For I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land,” declares[b] Yahweh. “Look, I am going to cause humankind to fall, each into the hand of his neighbor, and into the hand of his king; and they will devastate the land, and I will not deliver anyone from their hand.”

And I shepherded the flock[c] doomed to slaughter, even[d] the afflicted[e] of the flock.[f] I took two staffs, one I called Kindness, and the other I called Unity, and I shepherded the flock.[g] And I got rid of three shepherds in one month, for I grew impatient[h] with them, and they also became tired of me.[i] So I said, “I will not shepherd you! The one dying will die, and the one to be destroyed will be destroyed. And the ones remaining, let them devour the flesh of each other.”[j] 10 And I took my staff Kindness and broke it, to break my covenant that I had made[k] with all the peoples. 11 And it was broken on that day. Then the afflicted[l] of the flock,[m] the ones who were watching me, knew that it was the word of Yahweh. 12 And I said to them, “If it seems right to you,[n] give me my wages, but if not, keep them.”[o] And they weighed out my wages, thirty silver shekels. 13 And Yahweh said to me, “Throw it to the potter,”[p] this noble price[q] at which I was valued by them!” So I took the thirty silver shekels and I threw them to the potter[r] in the house of Yahweh. 14 Then I broke my second staff Unity to break the family ties between Judah and Israel.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 11:4 The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  2. Zechariah 11:6 Literally “declaration of”
  3. Zechariah 11:7 The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  4. Zechariah 11:7 Hebrew “therefore”
  5. Zechariah 11:7 LXX reads “merchants of the flock” which is reflected in some English translations
  6. Zechariah 11:7 The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  7. Zechariah 11:7 The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  8. Zechariah 11:8 Literally “my soul became short”
  9. Zechariah 11:8 Literally “also their soul detested me”
  10. Zechariah 11:9 Literally “each the flesh of her neighbor”
  11. Zechariah 11:10 Literally “had cut”
  12. Zechariah 11:11 LXX reads “merchants (of the flock)” which is reflected in some English translations
  13. Zechariah 11:11 The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  14. Zechariah 11:12 Literally “it is good in your eyes”
  15. Zechariah 11:12 Literally “refrain”
  16. Zechariah 11:13 Syriac reads “treasury,” followed by NAB, NRSV, TEV
  17. Zechariah 11:13 Literally “the price of honor”
  18. Zechariah 11:13 Syriac reads “treasury,” followed by NAB, NRSV, TEV