1 O pen thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.

Open your doors, O Lebanon, so that fire may destroy your cedars!

2 H owl, 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.

Cry in sorrow, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen. The beautiful trees have been destroyed. Cry in sorrow, O oaks of Bashan, for the many trees have fallen.

3 T here 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.

Listen to the cry of the shepherds, for their great land is laid waste. Listen to the sound of the young lions, for the trees along the valley of the Jordan River lay waste. The Two Shepherds

4 T hus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

The Lord my God said, “Take care of the flock that is to be killed.

5 w hose 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.

Those who buy them kill them and are not punished. And those who sell them say, ‘Thanks and honor be to the Lord, for I have become rich!’ Their own shepherds have no pity on them.

6 F or 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 have pity on the people who live in this land,” says the Lord. “I will give everyone over to the power of his neighbor and his king. They will bring trouble to the land, and I will not save them from their power.”

7 A nd 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 took care of the flock that was to be killed, and those of the flock who suffered. I took two walking sticks. One I called Favor, and the other I called Agreement. I took care of the flock.

8 T hree shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

I destroyed the three shepherds in one month. I was angry with them, and they hated me.

9 T hen 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 take care of you. Let those die who are to die. And what is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. Let those who are left eat each other’s flesh.”

10 A nd 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 walking stick Favor and cut it in pieces, to break the agreement I had made with all the people.

11 A nd 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.

So it was broken on that day. And those of the flock who suffered and were watching me knew that it was the Word of the Lord.

12 A nd 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.

I said to them, “If you think it is right, give me my pay. But if not, keep it.” So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver as my pay.

13 A nd 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.

Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the one who makes pots—the great price they thought I was worth.” So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the pot maker in the house of the Lord.

14 T hen I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

Then I cut my second walking stick, Agreement, in pieces, to break the agreement between Judah and Israel.

15 A nd the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the tools of a foolish shepherd.

16 F or, 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 am going to have a shepherd rule over the land who will not care for the dying. He will not look for those who were sent everywhere or heal the hurt, or feed those who are well. But he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their feet.

17 W oe 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.

It is bad for the shepherd who has no worth and who leaves the flock! A sword will destroy his arm and his right eye! His arm will be all dried up, and his right eye will be blind.”