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Zechariah 11
Expanded Bible
Zechariah 11
Expanded Bible
11 Lebanon, open your ·gates [doors]
so fire may ·burn [consume; devour] your cedar trees.
2 ·Cry [Wail], pine trees, because the cedar has fallen,
because the ·tall [majestic; glorious] trees are ruined.
·Cry [Wail], oaks in Bashan,
because the ·mighty [thick; dense] forest has been cut down [C trees probably symbolize wicked rulers].
3 Listen to the shepherds ·crying [wailing]
because their ·rich pastures [or glory; magnificence] are destroyed.
Listen to the lions roaring
because the ·lovely land [lush thicket] of the Jordan River is ruined.
The Two Shepherds
4 This is what the Lord my God says: “·Feed [Shepherd] the flock that are ·about to be killed [set aside for slaughter]. 5 Their buyers ·kill [slaughter] them and ·are not punished [are not held liable; or feel no remorse]. Those who sell them say, ‘·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, I am rich.’ Even the shepherds don’t ·feel sorry for [have compassion on; or spare] their sheep. 6 I don’t ·feel sorry [have compassion] anymore for the ·people [inhabitants] of this country,” says the Lord. “I will let everyone ·be under the power [L fall into the hand] of his neighbor and king. They will ·bring trouble to [devastate] the country, and I will not save anyone from ·them [L their hand].”
7 So I ·fed [shepherded] the flock ·about to be killed [marked for slaughter], particularly the ·weakest [oppressed] ones. Then I took two ·sticks [staffs]; I called one ·Pleasant [or Favor] and the other Union, and I ·fed [shepherded] the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of three shepherds. The flock ·did not pay attention to [or detested; loathed] me, and I ·got impatient [grew weary] with them. 9 I said, “I will no longer ·take care of you like a shepherd [shepherd you]. Let those that are dying die, and let those that are ·to be destroyed be destroyed [perishing perish]. Let those that are left eat ·each other [L the flesh of his neighbor].”
10 Then I broke the ·stick [staff] named ·Pleasant [or Favor] to ·break [revoke] the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] God made with all the ·nations [peoples]. 11 That day it was ·broken [revoked]. The ·weak [oppressed] ones in the flock who were watching me knew this ·message was from [L was the word of] the Lord.
12 Then I said, “If ·you want [it seems right to you; L it is good in your eyes] to pay me, pay me. If not, ·then don’t [keep it].” So they ·paid [weighed out to] me thirty pieces of silver [Ex. 21:32; Matt. 26:15].
13 The Lord said to me, “Throw the money to the potter.” ·That is how little they thought I was worth […this magnificent price at which they valued me”; C sarcastic, since the sum was about the cost of a slave]. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord [Matt. 27:9, 10].
14 Then I broke the second ·stick [staff], named Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 Then the Lord said to me, “·Get the things used by a foolish shepherd again, 16 because [L look; T behold] I am going to ·get [raise up] a new shepherd for the country. He will not care for the ·dying sheep [lost; perishing], or look for the young ones, or heal the injured ones, or feed the healthy. But he will ·eat [devour the flesh of] the ·best [fat] sheep and tear off their hoofs.
17 “·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the ·useless [worthless] shepherd
who abandoned the flock.
A sword will strike his arm and his right eye.
His arm will ·lose all its strength [wither away],
and his right eye will go blind.”
Zechariah 11
English Standard Version
Zechariah 11
English Standard Version
The Flock Doomed to Slaughter
11 Open your doors, (A)O Lebanon,
that the fire may devour your cedars!
2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,
for the glorious trees are ruined!
Wail, (B)oaks of Bashan,
for the thick forest has been felled!
3 The sound of (C)the wail of (D)the shepherds,
for their glory is ruined!
The sound of the roar of (E)the lions,
(F)for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!
4 Thus said the Lord my God: (G)“Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. 5 (H)Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, (I)I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. 6 For (J)I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”
7 (K)So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named (L)Favor, the other I named (M)Union. (N)And I tended the sheep. 8 In one month (O)I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. 9 So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. (P)What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” 10 And I took (Q)my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages (R)thirty pieces of silver. 13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—(S)the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the (T)thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter. 14 Then I broke (U)my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take once more the equipment of (V)a foolish shepherd. 16 For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd (W)who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but (X)devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.
Zechariah 11
New International Version
Zechariah 11
New International Version
11 Open your doors, Lebanon,(A)
so that fire(B) may devour your cedars!
2 Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen;
the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks(C) of Bashan;
the dense forest(D) has been cut down!(E)
3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
their rich pastures are destroyed!
Listen to the roar of the lions;(F)
the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!(G)
Two Shepherds
4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.(H) 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.(I) 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors(J) and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”(K)
7 So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter,(L) particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.
The flock detested(M) me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish.(N) Let those who are left eat(O) one another’s flesh.”
10 Then I took my staff called Favor(P) and broke it, revoking(Q) the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.
12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.(R)
13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver(S) and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.(T)
14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.
15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.
Zechariah 11
New King James Version
Zechariah 11
New King James Version
Desolation of Israel
11 Open (A)your doors, O Lebanon,
That fire may devour your cedars.
2 Wail, O cypress, for the (B)cedar has fallen,
Because the mighty trees are ruined.
Wail, O oaks of Bashan,
(C)For the thick forest has come down.
3 There is the sound of wailing (D)shepherds!
For their glory is in ruins.
There is the sound of roaring lions!
For the [a]pride of the Jordan is in ruins.
Prophecy of the Shepherds
4 Thus says the Lord my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, 5 whose owners slaughter them and (E)feel no guilt; those who sell them (F)say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do (G)not pity them. 6 For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall [b]attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”
7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, [c]in particular (H)the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called [d]Beauty, and the other I called [e]Bonds; and I fed the flock. 8 I [f]dismissed the three shepherds (I)in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 9 Then I said, “I will not feed you. (J)Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff, [g]Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus (K)the[h] poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it is [i]agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they (L)weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (M)potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, [j]Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 And the Lord said to me, (N)“Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in (O)pieces.
17 “Woe(P) to the worthless shepherd,
Who leaves the flock!
A sword shall be against his arm
And against his right eye;
His arm shall completely wither,
And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 11:3 Or floodplain, thicket
- Zechariah 11:6 Lit. strike
- Zechariah 11:7 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX for the Canaanites
- Zechariah 11:7 Or Grace
- Zechariah 11:7 Or Unity
- Zechariah 11:8 Or destroyed, lit. cut off
- Zechariah 11:10 Or Grace
- Zechariah 11:11 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX the Canaanites
- Zechariah 11:12 good in your sight
- Zechariah 11:14 Or Unity
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.