The Prophet Zechariah

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 11 -

Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may consume your cedars!

Wail, O cypress,(a) for the cedar has fallen; the majestic trees are ruined! Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the dense forest has been cut down!

Listen to the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory is in ruins. Listen to the roaring of the young lions, for the thickets of the Jordan are destroyed.

This is what the LORD my God says: “Pasture the flock marked for slaughter,

whose buyers slaughter them without remorse. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no compassion on them.

For I will no longer have compassion on the people of the land, declares the LORD, but behold, I will cause each man to fall into the hands of his neighbor and his king, who will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from their hands.”

So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took for myself two staffs, calling one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.

And in one month I dismissed three shepherds. My soul grew impatient with the flock, and their souls also detested me.

Then I said, “I will no longer shepherd you. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish; and let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.”

Thirty Pieces of Silver

(Matthew 27:3–10)

Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two,(b) revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.

It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD.

Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.

And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

Then I cut in two my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

And the LORD said to me: “Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.

For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will neither care for the lost, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the choice sheep and tear off their hooves.

Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered and his right eye utterly blinded!”

Footnotes

(a)11:2 Or pine or juniper or fir

(b)11:10 Or broke it; similarly in verse 14

Open your doors, Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars.

Wail, cypress tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the stately ones are destroyed. Wail, you oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest has come down.

A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! For their glory is destroyed—a voice of the roaring of young lions! For the pride of the Jordan is ruined.

The LORD my God says: “Feed the flock of slaughter.

Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich;’ and their own shepherds don’t pity them.

For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the LORD; “but, behold, I will deliver every one of the men into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They will strike the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.”

So I fed the flock to be slaughtered, especially the oppressed of the flock. I took for myself two staffs. The one I called “Favor” and the other I called “Union”, and I fed the flock.

I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me.

Then I said, “I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those who are left eat each other’s flesh.”

Thirty Pieces of Silver

(Matthew 27:3–10)

I took my staff Favor and cut it apart, that I might break my covenant that I had made with all the peoples.

It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was the LORD’s word.

I said to them, “If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them.” So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

The LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter—the handsome price that I was valued at by them!” I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the LORD’s house.

Then I cut apart my other staff, Union, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

The LORD said to me, “Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.

For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces.

Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”