Zechariah 11 - EasyEnglish Bible 2024（EASY）

Chapter 11Punishment for Lebanon

1Open the gates of your land, Lebanon,

so that the fire can destroy your cedar trees.

2Cry aloud, pine trees, because the cedar trees have fallen.

The great trees are completely spoiled.

Cry aloud, Bashan's oak trees.

Enemies have cut down the whole forest.

3Listen to the shepherds as they cry aloud!

Enemies have destroyed the fields where their sheep feed.

Listen to the young lions as they roar!

The trees of the Jordan Valley are completely spoiled. God's message about good and bad shepherds

4The Lord my God said this:

‘You must take care of my people, as a shepherd takes care of his sheep. My people are like sheep that people will soon kill.

5The people who buy the sheep will kill them. But nobody will punish them for this. The people who sell the sheep are happy. They say, “Praise the Lord! Now I am rich.” Even the shepherds do not feel sorry for their own sheep.’

6The Lord says, ‘I myself will no longer feel sorry for the people of this land. I will put them under the power of other people. I will put them under the power of their own king. Those powerful people will destroy the land, and I will not rescue the people.’

7So I became a shepherd for the sheep that people would soon kill. I took good care of the weakest sheep. Then I took two shepherd's sticks. I called one stick ‘Kind’ and I called the other stick ‘Together’. I took good care of the sheep.

8In one month, I removed the three other shepherds. I could not be patient with them and they hated me.

9I said, ‘I will not be a shepherd for you any longer. If sheep are dying, I will allow them to die. If sheep are becoming lost, I will allow them to be lost. As for the sheep that still remain, they can destroy each other.’

10I took hold of my stick that was called ‘Kind’. I broke it into two pieces. This showed that I had caused my covenant to finish. That was the covenant that I had agreed with all the people.

11It was on that day that the covenant finished. The men who bought and sold sheep saw what I was doing. So they knew that it was a message from the Lord.

12I said to them, ‘If you think it is right, you should pay me for my work. But do not pay me if you do not think it is right.’ So they decided to pay me 30 silver coins.

13The Lord said to me, ‘Throw the money to the potter! They think that I am worth only 30 silver coins!’ So I took the money and I threw them to the potter at the Lord's temple.

14Then I broke the second stick into two pieces. That was the stick called ‘Together’. This showed that the kingdom of Judah would become separate from the kingdom of Israel.

15Then the Lord said to me, ‘Take again the things that a foolish shepherd would use.

16I will now bring another shepherd to rule in this land. He will not help the sheep that will soon die. He will not look for the sheep that are becoming lost. He will not help the sick sheep to become well again. He will not even feed the sheep that are healthy. Instead, he will eat the meat of the fat sheep. He will even pull off their feet for himself.

17 Terrible things will happen to the useless shepherd who leaves his sheep.

His enemy's sword will cut his arm and his right eye.

His arm will become weak and useless.

His right eye will become completely blind.’