¶ Open thy doors, O Libanus, that the fire may consume thy cedar trees.
Howl ye Fir trees, for the cedar is fallen, yea all the proud are wasted away. Howl (O ye oak trees of Baasan) for the mighty strong wood is cut down.
Men may hear the shepherds mourn, for their glory is destroyed. Men may hear the lion's whelps roar for the pride of Iordane is wasted away.
¶ Thus sayeth the LORD my God: feed the sheep of the slaughter,
which shall be slain of those that possess them: yet they take it for no sin, but they that sell them, say: The LORD be thanked, I am rich: yea their own shepherds spare them not.
Therefore will I no more spare those that dwell in the land (sayeth the LORD) but lo, I will deliver the people, every man into his neighbour's hand, and in to the hand of his king: that they may smite the land, and out of their hands will not I deliver them.
I my self feed the slaughter sheep (and poor flock verily) and took unto me two staffs: the one I called loving meekness, the other I called woe, and so I kept the sheep.
Three shepherds destroyed I in one month, for I might not away with them, neither had they any delight in me.
Then said I: I will feed you no more, the thing that dieth, let it die: and that will perish, let it perish, and let the remnant eat, every one the flesh of his neighbour.
I took also my loving meek staff, and brake it, that I might disannul the covenant, which I made with all people.
And so it was broken in that day. Then the poor simple sheep that had a respect unto me, knew thereby, that it was the word of the LORD.
And I said unto them: if ye think it good, bring hither my price: if no, then leave. So they weighed down thirty silver pens, the value that I was prised at.
And the LORD said unto me: cast it unto the potter (a goodly price for me to be valued at of them) and I took the thirty silver pens, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
Then brake I my other staff also (namely woe) that I might lowse the brotherhead betwixt Iuda and Israel.
¶ And the LORD said unto me: Take to thee also the staff of a foolish shepherd:
for lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not seek after the things that be lost, nor care for such as go astray: he shall not heal the wounded, he shall not nourish the thing that is whole: but he shall eat the flesh of such as be fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
O Idols shepherd, that leaveth the flock. The sword shall come upon his arm and upon his right eye. His arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be sore blinded.
Chapter:
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.