1 Open thy doores, O Lebanon, and the fire shall deuoure thy cedars. 2 Houle, firre trees: for the cedar is fallen, because all the mightie are destroyed: houle ye, O okes of Bashan, for ye defesed forest is cut downe. 3 There is the voyce of the houling of the shepherdes: for their glorie is destroyed: the voyce of ye roaring of lyons whelpes: for the pride of Iorden is destroyed. 4 Thus sayeth the Lord my God, Feede the sheepe of the slaughter. 5 They that possesse them, slay them and sinne not: and they that sell them, say, Blessed be the Lord: for I am riche, and their owne shepherds spare them not. 6 Surely I wil no more spare those that dwell in the land, sayth the Lord: but loe, I will deliuer the men euery one into his neighbours hand, and into the hand of his King: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hands I wil not deliuer them. 7 For I fed the sheepe of slaughter, euen the poore of the flocke, and I tooke vnto me two staues: the one I called Beautie, and the other I called Bandes, and I fed the sheepe. 8 Three shepherdes also I cut off in one moneth, and my soule lothed them, and their soule abhorred me. 9 Then said I, I will not feede you: that that dyeth, let it dye: and that that perisheth, let it perish: and let the remnant eate, euery one the flesh of his neighbour. 10 And I tooke my staffe, euen Beautie, and brake it, that I might disanull my couenant, which I had made with all people. 11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poore of the sheepe that waited vpon me, knew that it was the worde of the Lord. 12 And I said vnto them, If ye thinke it good, giue me my wages: and if no, leaue off: so they weighed for my wages thirtie pieces of siluer. 13 And the Lord said vnto me, Cast it vnto the potter: a goodly price, that I was valued at of them. And I tooke the thirtie pieces of siluer, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. 14 Then brake I mine other staffe, euen the Bandes, that I might dissolue the brotherhood betweene Iudah and Israel. 15 And the Lord said vnto me, Take to thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepheard. 16 For loe, I will rayse vp a shepheard in the land, which shall not looke for the thing, that is lost, nor seeke the tender lambes, nor heale that that is hurt, nor feede that that standeth vp: but he shall eate the flesh of the fat, and teare their clawes in pieces. 17 O idole shepheard that leaueth the flocke: the sword shalbe vpon his arme, and vpon his right eye. His arme shall be cleane dryed vp, and his right eye shall be vtterly darkened.
The Fall of the Tyrants
1 Open your doors, Lebanon,
so that fire can burn down your cedar trees!
2 Weep and wail, cypress trees—
the cedars have fallen;
those glorious trees have been destroyed!
Weep and wail, oaks of Bashan—
the dense forest has been cut down!
3 The rulers cry out in grief;
their glory is gone!
Listen to the roaring of the lions;
their forest home along the Jordan is destroyed!
The Two Shepherds
4 The Lord my God said to me, “Act the part of the shepherd of a flock of sheep that are going to be butchered. 5 Their owners kill them and go unpunished. They sell the meat and say, ‘Praise the Lord! We are rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no pity on them.”
( 6 The Lord said, “I will no longer pity anyone on earth. I myself will put all the people in the power of their rulers. These rulers will devastate the earth, and I will not save it from their power.”)
7 Those who bought and sold the sheep hired me, and I became the shepherd of the sheep that were going to be butchered. I took two sticks: one I called “Favor” and the other “Unity.” And I took care of the flock. 8 I lost patience with three other shepherds, who hated me, and I got rid of them all in a single month. 9 Then I said to the flock, “I will not be your shepherd any longer. Let those die who are to die. Let those be destroyed who are to be destroyed. Those who are left will destroy one another.” 10 Then I took the stick called “Favor” and broke it, to cancel the covenant which the Lord had made with all the nations. 11 So the covenant was canceled on that day. Those who bought and sold the sheep were watching me, and they knew that the Lord was speaking through what I did. 12 I said to them, “If you are willing, give me my wages. But if not, keep them.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver as my wages.
13 The Lord said to me, “Put them in the Temple treasury.” So I took the thirty pieces of silver—the magnificent sum they thought I was worth—and put them in the Temple treasury. 14 Then I broke the second stick, the one called “Unity,” and the unity of Judah and Israel was shattered.
15 Then the Lord said to me, “Once again act the part of a shepherd, this time a worthless one. 16 I have put a shepherd in charge of my flock, but he does not help the sheep that are threatened by destruction; nor does he look for the lost, or heal those that are hurt, or feed the healthy. Instead, he eats the meat of the fattest sheep and tears off their hoofs. 17 That worthless shepherd is doomed! He has abandoned his flock. War will totally destroy his power. His arm will wither, and his right eye will go blind.”