Zechariah

Zechariah 11 ©

1 The destruction of Jerusalem. 4 Under the type of Zechariah is showed Christ's care for the flock, the Jews; and their rejection because of ingratitude and light estimation of him. 15 The type and curse of a foolish shepherd.

1

OPEN thy doors, O aLebanon, that bthe fire may devour thy cedars.

2

cHowl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because 1the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for 2the forest of the *vintage is come down.

3

dThere is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their eglory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of fyoung lions; for the gpride of Jordan is spoiled.

4

Thus saith the LORD hmy God; iFeed the flock of the slaughter;

5

Whose jpossessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, kBlessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

6

For lI will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, mI will 3deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and ninto the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.

7

And oI will feed the flock of slaughter, 4even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two *staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called 5Bands; and I fed the flock.

8

pThree shepherds also I cut off in one month; and qmy soul 6lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

9

Then said I, rI will not feed you: sthat that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; tand let the rest eat every one the flesh 7of another.

10

¶And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it *asunder, that uI might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.

11

And it was broken in that day: and 8so the vpoor of the flock that waited upon me wknew that it was the word of the LORD.

12

And I said unto them, 9If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, xforbear. So they yweighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

13

And the LORD said unto me, zCast 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 10Bands, athat I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15

¶And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a bfoolish shepherd.

16

For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which cshall not visit those that be 11cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor 12feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

17

dWoe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! ethe 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.