11 Open
thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy 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. 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. 4 Thus
saith the LORD my God; 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. 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. 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. 8 Three
shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 14 Then
I cut asunder mine other staff, even 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. 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. 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.