Zechariah 11
11
God Will Punish the Other Nations
1Lebanon, open your gates so that the fire will come
and burn your cedar trees.#11:1 cedar trees In this poem, the trees, bushes, and animals are symbols for the leaders of the countries around Judah.
2The cypress trees will cry because the cedar trees have fallen.
Those powerful trees will be taken away.
Oak trees in Bashan will cry
for the forest that was cut down.
3Listen to the crying shepherds.
Their powerful leaders were taken away.
Listen to the roaring of the young lions.
Their thick bushes near the Jordan River have all been taken away.
4The Lord my God says, “Care for the sheep that have been raised to be killed. 5Buyers kill their sheep and are not punished. Those who sell the sheep say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ The shepherds don’t feel sorry for their sheep. 6And I don’t feel sorry for the people who live in this country.” This is what the Lord said: “Look, I will let everyone be under the control of their neighbor and king. I will let them destroy the country—I will not stop them!”
7So I took care of the sheep that had been raised to be killed—those poor sheep. I found two sticks. I called one stick Favor, and I called the other stick Union. Then I began caring for the sheep. 8I fired the three shepherds all in one month. I got angry at the sheep, and they began to hate me. 9Then I said, “I quit! I will not take care of you! I will let those who want to die, die. I will let those who want to be destroyed, be destroyed, and those who are left will destroy each other.” 10Then I took the stick named Favor, and I broke it. I did this to show that God’s agreement with his people was broken. 11So that day the agreement was finished, and those poor sheep watching me knew that this message was from the Lord.
12Then I said, “If you want to pay me, pay me. If not, don’t!” So they paid me 30 pieces of silver. 13Then the Lord told me, “So that’s how much they think I’m worth. Throw that large amount of money#11:13 large amount of money The Lord was making fun of the people. This was only the amount of money a person paid for a slave. into the Temple treasury.” So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury at the Lord’s Temple. 14Then I cut the stick named Union into two pieces. I did this to show that the union between Judah and Israel had been broken.
15Then the Lord said to me, “Now, get the things a foolish shepherd might use. 16This will show that I will get a new shepherd for this country. But this young man will not be able to take care of the sheep that are being destroyed. He will not be able to heal the hurt sheep or feed those that are left alive. And the healthy ones will be eaten completely—only their hoofs will be left.”
17Too bad for you, you worthless shepherd!
You abandoned my sheep.
Punish him!
Strike his arm and right eye with a sword.
His arm will be useless.
His right eye will be blind.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Zecharyah 11
11
1Open thy delatot (gates), O Levanon, that the eish (fire) may devour thy cedars.
2Wail, O cypress, for the cedar is fallen; the mighty is despoiled; wail, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the dense forest is toppled.
3Hear the sound of the wailing of the ro'im (shepherds); for their glory is destroyed; the sound of the roaring of young lions; for the ga'on of the Yarden (Jordan) is laid waste.
4Thus Hashem Elohai said: Shepherd the tzon haharegah (the flock marked for slaughter);
5Whose buyers slaughter them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Baruch Hashem, I have become rich! And their own ro'im (shepherds) spare them not.
6Nor will I any more pity the yoshvei ha'aretz (the inhabitants of the land), saith Hashem; and hinei, I will deliver the men every one into his neighborʼs hand, and into the power of his melech; and they shall strike ha'aretz, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.
7So I did shepherd the tzon haharegah (the flock marked for slaughter), even aniyei hatzon (the poor of the flock). And I took unto me two maklot (staffs); the one I called No'am (gracious care), and the other I called Chovelim (bindings);#11:7 of union, cf.11:14 and I did shepherd the tzon (flock).
8Shloshet haro'im (three of the shepherds) also I disposed of in one month; and my nefesh wearied of them, and their nefesh also abhorred me.
9Then said I, I will not shepherd you; that which dieth, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those that are left eat every one the basar of another.
10And I took my staff, even No'am, and I broke it asunder, breaking off my Brit (covenant) which I had made with kol ha'amim (all the peoples).
11And it was broken on that day; and so the aniyei hatzon (poor of the flock), who were the shomrim giving heed to me, perceived that this was the Devar Hashem.
12And I said unto them, If ye think tov, give me my sachar (price); and if not, refrain. So they weighed out for my sachar (price) shloshim kesef (thirty pieces of silver).
13And Hashem said unto me, Throw it unto the yotzer (potter); the magnificent price that I was priced of them. So I took the shloshim hakesef, and threw them to the yotzer (potter) in the Beis Hashem.#11:13 Ex 21:32; Mt 26:14-15; 27:3-10; Ac 1:18-19
14Then I broke my second staff, called Chovelim, breaking off the achavah (brotherhood) between Yehudah and Yisroel.
15And Hashem said unto me, Take unto thee yet the keli (implements) of a foolish ro'eh (shepherd).
16For, hinei, I will raise up a ro'eh in ha'aretz, which shall not care for the dying, nor look for the na'ar (young one), nor heal that which is injured, nor feed the healthy; but he shall eat the basar of the choice, and tear off their hooves.
17Hoy (woe) to the worthless ro'eh (shepherd) that deserteth the tzon! May the cherev (sword) be upon his zero'a (arm), and upon his right eye; let his zero'a wither away, and his right eye be utterly extinguished.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.