Zechariah 11 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Lebanon, open your gates so the fire\par will come and burn your cedar trees. {\cf2\super [27]} \par

² The cypress trees will cry\par because the cedar trees have fallen.\par Those powerful trees will be taken away.\par Oak trees in Bashan will cry\par for the forest that was cut down.\par

³ Listen to the crying shepherds.\par Their powerful leaders were taken away.\par Listen to the roaring of the young lions.\par Their thick bushes near the Jordan River\par have all been taken away.\par

⁴ The Lord my God says, “Care for the sheep that have been raised to be killed.

⁵ \{Their leaders are like owners and businessmen.\} Owners kill their sheep and are not punished. Businessmen sell the sheep and say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ The shepherds don’t feel sorry for their sheep.

⁶ And I don’t feel sorry for the people living in this country.” The Lord said these things, “Look, I will let everyone be abused by his neighbor and king. I will let them destroy their country—I will not stop them!”

⁷ So I took care of the sheep that had been raised to be killed—those poor sheep. I found two sticks. I called one stick Favor, and I called the other stick Union. Then I began caring for the sheep.

⁸ I fired the three shepherds all in one month. I became angry at the sheep, and they began to hate me.

⁹ Then I said, “I quit! I will not take care of you! I will let those that want to die, die. I will let those that want to be destroyed, be destroyed. And those that are left will destroy each other.”

¹⁰ Then I took the stick named Favor, and I broke it. I did this to show that God’s Agreement {\cf2\super [28]} with his people was broken.

¹¹ So that day, the Agreement was finished. And those poor sheep watching me knew that this message was from the Lord.

¹² Then I said, “If you want to pay me, then pay me. If not, then don’t!” So they paid me 30 pieces of silver.

¹³ Then the Lord told me, “So that’s how much they think I’m worth. Throw that large amount of money {\cf2\super [29]} into the temple treasury.” So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury at the Lord’s temple.

¹⁴ Then I cut the stick named Union into two pieces. I did this to show that the union between Judah and Israel had been broken.

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to me, “Now, get the things a foolish shepherd might use.

¹⁶ This will show that I will get a new shepherd for this country. But this young man will not be able to take care of the sheep that are being destroyed. He will not be able to heal the hurt sheep. He will not be able to feed those that are left alive. And the healthy ones will be eaten completely—only their hoofs will be left.”

¹⁷ Oh my worthless shepherd.\par You abandoned my sheep.\par Punish him!\par Hit his right arm and right eye\par with a sword.\par His right arm will be useless.\par His right eye will be blind.\par