Zechariah 11
1Open your doors, O Lebanon, so that fire will devour your cedars!2Wail, O juniper, ▼
▼Or “cypress”
for the cedar has fallen,for the magnificent trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
for the impenetrable forest has come down!
3Listen to the wailing of the shepherds,
for their splendor is ruined!
Listen to the roar of the young lions,
for the thickets of the Jordan are ruined!
The Two Shepherds
4Thus says Yahweh my God: “Shepherd the flock ▼▼The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
doomed to slaughter. 5The 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. 6For I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land,” ⌞declares⌟ ▼▼Literally “declaration of”
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.” 7And I shepherded the flock ▼▼The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
doomed to slaughter, even ▼▼Hebrew “therefore”
the afflicted ▼▼LXX reads “merchants of the flock” which is reflected in some English translations
of the flock. ▼▼The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
I took two staffs, one I called Kindness, and the other I called Unity, and I shepherded the flock. ▼▼The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
8And I got rid of three shepherds in one month, for ⌞I grew impatient⌟ ▼▼Literally “my soul became short”
with them, and ⌞they also became tired of me⌟. ▼▼Literally “also their soul detested me”
9So 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⌟.” ▼▼Literally “each the flesh of her neighbor”
10And I took my staff Kindness and broke it, to break my covenant that I ⌞had made⌟ ▼▼Literally “had cut”
with all the peoples. 11And it was broken on that day. Then the afflicted ▼▼LXX reads “merchants (of the flock)” which is reflected in some English translations
of the flock, ▼▼The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
the ones who were watching me, knew that it was the word of Yahweh. 12And I said to them, “If ⌞it seems right to you⌟, ▼▼Literally “it is good in your eyes”
give me my wages, but if not, ⌞keep them⌟.” ▼▼Literally “refrain”
And they weighed out my wages, thirty silver shekels. 13And Yahweh said to me, “Throw it to the potter,” ▼▼Syriac reads “treasury,” followed by NAB, NRSV, TEV
⌞this noble price⌟ ▼▼Literally “the price of honor”
at which I was valued by them!” So I took the thirty silver shekels and I threw them to the potter ▼▼Syriac reads “treasury,” followed by NAB, NRSV, TEV
in the house of Yahweh. 14Then I broke my second staff Unity to break the family ties between Judah and Israel. 15And Yahweh said to me, “Take again the implements ▼▼Hebrew “implement”
of a foolish shepherd. 16For look, I am raising up a shepherd in the land who will not attend to the ones that are perishing; he will not seek the young man, ▼▼Syriac and other ancient versions read “the wandering” or “the scattered,” as do several English translations
he will not heal the ones that are crushed and he will not sustain the healthy ones; he will devour the flesh of the ⌞fattened ones⌟ ▼▼Literally “the stall-fed”
and tear apart even their hoofs. 17“Woe, my worthless shepherdwho deserts the flock! ▼
▼The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
May a sword fall on his arm
and on ⌞his right eye⌟! ▼
▼Literally “the eye of his right”
May his arm wither completely
and ⌞his right eye⌟ ▼
▼Literally “the eye of his right”
be utterly blinded!”
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