Zechariah 11
Zechariah acts out a parable as a shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. He takes two staffs — Beauty and Bands — and feeds the flock. He is paid thirty pieces of silver, which the LORD tells him to cast to the potter in the house of the LORD. He breaks both staffs: the covenant with the peoples, and the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. | Open Your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour Your cedars. |
| 2 | Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. | Wail, O fir tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the mighty are ruined. Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has come down. |
| 3 | There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. | There is the sound of the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory is ruined. There is the sound of the roaring of young lions, for the pride of the Jordan is ruined. |
| 4 | Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; | This is what the LORD my God says: "Feed the flock of the slaughter, |
| 5 | Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. | whose owners slay them and hold themselves not guilty. And those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich!' And their own shepherds do not pity them. |
| 6 | For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour'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. | For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land, says the LORD. But I will deliver every man into his neighbor's hand and into the hand of His king. They shall strike the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them." |
| 7 | And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. | So I fed the flock of slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs. The one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands. And I fed the flock. |
| 8 | Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. | And in one month I cut off three shepherds. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. |
| 9 | Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another. | Then I said, "I will not feed You. Let the one that is dying die, and the one that is to be cut off be cut off. And let the rest eat one another's flesh." |
| 10 | And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. | And I took my staff Beauty and broke it apart, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. |
| 11 | And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD. | And it was broken on that day. So the poor of the flock who watched me knew that it was the word of the LORD. |
| 12 | And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. | And I said to them, "If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear." So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. |
| 13 | And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. | And the LORD said to me, "Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them." And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. |
| 14 | Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. | Then I broke apart my other staff, Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. |
| 15 | And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. | And the LORD said to me, "Take to Yourself again the instruments of a foolish shepherd. |
| 16 | For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. | For I will raise up a shepherd in the land who shall not care for those that are cut off, nor seek the young one, nor heal the broken, nor feed that which still stands. But He shall eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. |
| 17 | Woe to the idol 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. | Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword shall be on His arm and on His right eye. His arm shall be completely dried up, and His right eye shall be utterly darkened." |