Zechariah 11

¹Open thy doores, O Lebanon, and the fire shall deuoure thy cedars.

²Houle, 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.

³There 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.

⁴Thus sayeth the Lord my God, Feede the sheepe of the slaughter.

⁵They 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.

⁶Surely 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.

⁷For 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.

⁸Three shepherdes also I cut off in one moneth, and my soule lothed them, and their soule abhorred me.

⁹Then 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.

¹⁰And I tooke my staffe, euen Beautie, and brake it, that I might disanull my couenant, which I had made with all people.

¹¹And 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.