< Zechariah 11 >

1 [You people of] [APO] Lebanon [should] open your gates, [because you will not be able to stop] fire from burning your cedar [trees]!
Schließ deine Pforten auf, o Libanon, daß Feuer deine Zedern fresse!
2 Your cypress/pine [trees] [APO] should [also] wail because the cedar [trees] have been cut down. Those glorious/great trees have been destroyed. The oak trees in the Bashan [region] should also wail, because the other trees in the forest have been cut down.
Zypresse heule! Die Zeder ist gefallen; die starken Fichten sind vernichtet. Ihr Basanseichen weint! Gefallen ist der Wald, der undurchdringliche.
3 And listen to the shepherds crying because the fertile pastures have been ruined. Listen to the lions roar; they roar because the delightful forest [where they live] near the Jordan [River] has been ruined.
Horch! Hirten jammern; ihre Herde ist vernichtet. Horch! Junge Löwen brüllen; des Jordans Pracht dahin!
4 This is what Yahweh my God said [to me]: “[I want you to] become a shepherd for a flock [of sheep that are about] to be slaughtered.
So sprach der Herr, mein Gott: "Schlachtschafe weide,
5 The people who are going to buy the sheep will kill the sheep, and they will not be punished. Those who are selling the sheep say, ‘[I] praise Yahweh, [because] I will become rich!’ Even the shepherds do not feel sorry for the sheep.
deren Käufer sie bedenkenlos abschlachten, von denen ihr Verkäufer spricht: 'Gepriesen sei der Herr! Ich bin jetzt überreich', und deren Züchter sie nicht schonen.
6 And similarly, I no longer feel sorry for the people of this country. I am going to allow many of them [HYP] to be captured by other people or by their king. Those who capture them will ruin this country, and I will not rescue any [of the people].”
Ich habe selber keine Nachsicht mehr mit den Bewohnern dieses Landes", ein Spruch des Herrn, "ich gebe jeden preis, den einen in des anderen Gewalt, dazu in seines Königs Hand. So richten sie dies Land zugrunde: Aus ihrer Hand befrei ich keinen."
7 So I became the shepherd of a flock [of sheep that were about] to be slaughtered [for their meat to be sold] to the dealers. [I took good care of the sheep, even the ones that were the weakest sheep. Then] I took two [shepherds’] /walking sticks). I named the one [staff] ‘Kindness’ and the other [staff] ‘Union’. And I took good care of the sheep.
So weidete ich diese Schlachtschafe für Schafhändler. Zwei Stäbe nahm ich mir dazu. Den einen hieß ich "Huld", den anderen "Verbindung" und weidete die Schafe.
8 But the three shepherds [who had been working with me] detested me, and I became impatient with them. Within one month I (dismissed/got rid of) those shepherds.
Doch da bemerkte ich, daß sie noch mager blieben. Da ward ich ihrer überdrüssig; auch sie bekamen Widerwillen gegen mich.
9 So I said [to the dealers], “I will no [longer] be the shepherd. I will allow the ones that are dying to die. I will allow the ones that are getting lost to get lost. And I will not prevent those that remain from destroying each other.”
Da sagte ich: "Ich mag euch nicht mehr weiden. Was sterben will, das sterbe, und was zugrunde gehen will, das geh zugrunde. Was dann noch übrig, möge gegenseitig sich auffressen.
10 Then I took the staff that I had named ‘Kindness’ and I broke it. [That showed that Yahweh] was annulling/canceling the agreement that he had made with all the people-groups.
Dann nahm ich meinen Stab "die Huld" und brach ihn ganz und gar in Stücke, um aufzuheben den Vertrag, den ich mit all den Leuten abgeschlossen.
11 So that agreement was ended immediately. And the men who bought and sold sheep who were watching me knew [by seeing what I was doing] that I was giving them a message from Yahweh.
Er ward an jenem Tage aufgehoben. Da konnten diese Schafhändler erkennen, wenn sie nur auf mich achteten, daß es ein Herrenwort gewesen."
12 I told them, “If you think it is what you should do, pay me [for taking care of the sheep]. If you do not think that is what you should do, do not pay me.” So they paid me [only] 30 pieces of silver.
Ich sprach zu ihnen: "Beliebt es euch, so gebt mir meinen Lohn! Wenn nicht, dann lasset es!" Sie wogen dreißig Silberlinge mir zum Lohne dar.
13 Then Yahweh said to me, “[That is a ridiculously small amount of money that they have paid you]! [So] throw it to the man who makes clay pots!” So I took the silver to the temple of Yahweh, and I threw it in the chest where the offerings/money is kept.
Da sprach der Herr zu mir: "Zu Füßen wirf ihn hin dem Schatzmeister, den wundervollen Preis, den ich bei ihnen gelte!" Ich nahm die dreißig Silberlinge und warf sie hin dem Schatzmeister im Haus des Herrn.
14 Then I broke my second staff, [the one that I named] ‘Union’. That [indicated that] Judah and Israel would no longer be united.
Dann brach ich meinen zweiten Stab entzwei, den "der Verbindung", um aufzuheben die Verbrüderung, die zwischen Juda und Jerusalem bestand.
15 Then Yahweh said to me, “Take again the things that a foolish shepherd uses,
Da sprach nochmals der Herr zu mir: "Schaff die Ausrüstung eines ungeschickten Hirten an!
16 because I am going to appoint a new king for the people, [one who will not take care of my people. He will be like a foolish shepherd]: [MET] He will not take care of those who are dying, those who are very young, those who have been injured, or those who do not have enough food. Instead, he will [treat them very cruelly, like a shepherd who would] [MET] kill and eat the best sheep and tear off their hoofs.
Ich stelle ja in diesem Lande einen Hirten an, der sich um das Zugrundegehende nicht kümmert und das Verlaufene nicht sucht und das Verwundete nicht heilt, das Heile auch nicht pflegt, vielmehr der Fetten Fleisch verzehrt und selbst noch an den Klauen nagt.
17 But terrible things will happen to that foolish/useless king who abandons the people [MET] over whom he rules. [His enemies] will strike his arm and his right eye with their swords. [The result will be that] he will have no strength in his arm, and his right eye will become completely blind.”
Weh diesem ungeschickten Hirten, der seine Herde läßt im Stich! Sein Arm samt seinem guten Auge welk ihm hin! Sein Arm verdorre! Sein gutes Auge soll erblinden!"

< Zechariah 11 >