The cedars of Lebanon are told to wail. Zechariah takes two staffs, Favour and Union, and shepherds a flock doomed to slaughter. When he asks for his wages, he is paid thirty pieces of silver, and throws it into the house of the LORD to the potter.
1 Open thy doors , O Lebanon , that the fire may devour thy cedars .
2 Howl , fir tree ; for the cedar is fallen ; because the mighty are spoiled : howl , O ye oaks of Bashan ; for the forest of the vintage is come down .
3 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds ; for their glory is spoiled : a voice of the roaring of young lions ; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled .
4 Thus saith the LORD my God ; Feed the flock of the slaughter ;
5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty : and they that sell them say , Blessed be the LORD ; for I am rich : and their own shepherds pity them not.
6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land , saith the LORD : but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand , and into the hand of his king : and they shall smite the land , and out of their hand I will not deliver them.
7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter , even you , O poor of the flock . And I took unto me two staves ; the one I called Beauty , and the other I called Bands ; and I fed the flock .
8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month ; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth , let it die ; and that that is to be cut off , let it be cut off ; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another .
10 And I took my staff , even Beauty , and cut it asunder , that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people .
11 And it was broken in that day : and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD .
12 And I said unto them, If ye think good , give me my price ; and if not, forbear . So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver .
13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter : a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver , and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD .
14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff , even Bands , that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel .
15 And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd .
16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land , which shall not visit those that be cut off , neither shall seek the young one , nor heal that that is broken , nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat , and tear their claws in pieces .
17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock ! the sword shall be upon his arm , and upon his right eye : his arm shall be clean dried up , and his right eye shall be utterly darkened .