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Thus says Yahweh my God, “Shepherd the flock doomed to (A)slaughter. Those who buy them slaughter them and are not (B)held guilty, and each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed be Yahweh. Indeed, (C)I have become rich!’ And their (D)own shepherds do not spare them. For I will (E)no longer spare the inhabitants of the land,” declares Yahweh; “but behold, I will (F)cause the men to [a]fall, each into another’s hand and into the hand of his king; and they will crush the land, and I will (G)not deliver them from their hand.”

So I (H)shepherded the flock doomed to slaughter—[b]hence the (I)afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two (J)staffs: the one I called [c](K)Favor, and the other I called [d](L)Union; so I shepherded the flock. Then I annihilated the three shepherds in (M)one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also [e]was weary of me. Then I said, “I will not shepherd you. What is to (N)die, [f]let it die, and what is to be annihilated, [g]let it be annihilated; and [h]let those who remain consume one another’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff [i](O)Favor and cut it in pieces, to [j](P)break my covenant which I had cut with all the peoples. 11 So it was [k]broken on that day, and [l]thus the (Q)afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of Yahweh. 12 And I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my (R)wages; but if not, [m]never mind!” So they weighed out (S)thirty [n]shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then Yahweh said to me, “Throw it to the (T)potter, that valuable 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 Yahweh. 14 Then I cut in pieces my second staff [o](U)Union, to (V)break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 11:6 Lit find
  2. Zechariah 11:7 Or for the sheep dealers
  3. Zechariah 11:7 Or Pleasantness
  4. Zechariah 11:7 Or Cords
  5. Zechariah 11:8 Or detested
  6. Zechariah 11:9 Or will die
  7. Zechariah 11:9 Or will be annihilated
  8. Zechariah 11:9 Or those...will eat
  9. Zechariah 11:10 Or Pleasantness
  10. Zechariah 11:10 Or annul
  11. Zechariah 11:11 Or annulled
  12. Zechariah 11:11 Or the sheep dealers who
  13. Zechariah 11:12 Lit cease
  14. Zechariah 11:12 A shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm
  15. Zechariah 11:14 Or Cords

Yahweh my God says this: “Shepherd the flock intended for slaughter. Those who buy them slaughter them but are not punished.(A) Those who sell them say: Praise the Lord because I have become rich! Even their own shepherds have no compassion for them. Indeed, I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, I will turn everyone over to his neighbor and his king. They will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from them.”(B)

So I shepherded the flock intended for slaughter, the afflicted of the flock.[a] I took two staffs, calling one Favor(C) and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. In one month I got rid of three shepherds. I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. Then I said, “I will no longer shepherd you. Let what is dying die, and let what is going astray go astray; let the rest devour each other’s flesh.” 10 Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, annulling the covenant I had made with all the peoples. 11 It was annulled on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock[b] who were watching me knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed my wages, 30 pieces of silver.(D)

13 “Throw it to the potter,”[c] the Lord said to me—this magnificent price I was valued by them. So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw it into the house of the Lord, to the potter.[d](E) 14 Then I cut in two my second staff, Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 11:7 LXX reads slaughter that belonged to the sheep merchants
  2. Zechariah 11:11 LXX reads and the sheep merchants
  3. Zechariah 11:13 Syr reads treasury
  4. Zechariah 11:13 One Hb ms, Syr read treasury