Zech 11
1
Open your doors, O Libanus, and let the fire devour your cedars.
2
Let the pine howl, because the cedar has fallen; for the mighty men have been greatly
afflicted: howl, you oaks of the land of Basan; for the thickly planted forest has
been torn down.
3
There is a voice of the shepherds mourning; for their greatness is Gr. distressed brought low: a voice of roaring lions; for
the Or, roaring pride of Jordan is brought down.
4
Thus says the Lord Almighty, Feed the sheep of the slaughter;
5
which their possessors have slain, and have not repented: and they that sold them
said, Blessed be the Lord; for we have become rich: and their shepherds have suffered
no sorrow for them.
6
Therefore I will no longer have mercy upon the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord:
but, behold, I will deliver up the men every one into the hand of his neighbour, and
into the hand of his king; and they shall destroy the land, and I will not rescue
out of their hand.
7
And I will tend the flock of slaughter in the land of Chanaan: and I will take for
myself two rods; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Line; and I will
tend the flock.
8
And I will cut off three shepherds in one month; and my soul shall Or, be sorely displeased with them; Gr. be weighed down
upon them grieve over them, for their souls cried out against me.
9
And I said, I will not tend you: that which dies, let it die; and that which Or, fails falls off, let it fall off; and let
the rest eat every one the flesh of his neighbour.
10
And I will take my beautiful staff, and cast it away, that I may break my covenant
which I made with all the people.
11
And it shall be broken in that day; and the Chananites, the sheep that are kept for
me, shall know that it is the word of the Lord.
12
And I will say to them, If it be good in your eyes, give me my price, or refuse it.
And they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
13
And the Lord said to me, Drop them into the furnace, and I will see if it is good
metal, as I was proved for their sakes. Mt 27:9, 10 And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the furnace
in the house
of the Lord.
14
And I cast away my second rod, even Line, that I might break the Compare Heb.; Alex. diayhkhn, covenant possession between
Juda and Israel.
15
And the Lord said to me, Take yet to you shepherd’s implements belonging to an unskillful
shepherd.
16
For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd against the land: he shall not visit that
which is perishing, and he shall not seek that which is scattered, and he shall not
heal that which is bruised, nor guide that which is whole: but he shall devour the
flesh of the choice ones, and shall Or, wring their necks dislocate the joints of their necks.
17
Alas for the vain shepherds that have forsaken the sheep! the sword shall be upon
Gr. his arms the arms of such a one, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be completely withered,
and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.