1 ¶ Open 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 magnificent are cut down; howl, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the strong mountain is brought 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 pastors; for their magnificence is destroyed; a voice of the roaring of young lions, for the pride of the Jordan is destroyed.

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 ¶ Thus hath the LORD my God said, Feed the flock of the slaughter,

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

5 w hose buyers slayed them and held themselves not guilty; and he that sold them said, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and not even their own shepherds had compassion on them.

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 T herefore I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD; but, behold, I will deliver the men each one into his neighbour’s hand and into the hand of his king; and they shall smite the land, and I will not deliver them out of their hands.

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. For I took unto me two staves: the one I named Beauty, and the other 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 I also cut off three shepherds in one month; and my soul was in anguish for 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 I said, I will not feed you any longer; the one that dies, let it die; and the one that is to be lost, let it be lost; and let the rest eat each 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 peoples.

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 look unto 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 wages; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my wages 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 treasury: a goodly price that I was appraised at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them in the house of the LORD unto the treasury.

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 my 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 ¶ And 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, behold, I raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that are lost, neither shall seek the young one nor heal the one that is broken nor carry the one that is tired, but he shall eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hoofs 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 useless pastor that leaves the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm and upon his right eye; his arm shall be completely 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.”