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. {mighty: or, gallants} {the forest...: or, the defenced forest}

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}. {deliver: Heb. make to be found}

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. {even...: or, verily the poor} {Bands: or, Binders}

8. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. {lothed...: Heb. was straightened for them}

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. {another: Heb. his fellow, or, neighbour}

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. {so...: or, the poor of the flock, etc. certainly knew}

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. {If ye...: Heb. If it be good in your eyes}

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. {Bands: or, Binders}

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. {cut off: or, hidden} {feed: or, bear}

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.