Zekaria 11

1 “O Lebanon, ʋu wò agbowo da ɖi siaa be dzo nabi wò sedatiwo!

[You people of] [APO] Lebanon [should] open your gates, [because you will not be able to stop] fire from burning your cedar [trees]!

2 Mifa avi, O logotiwo elabena sedati mu dze anyi, ati gãwo tsrɔ̃! Mi ati sesẽ siwo le Basan, mifa avi, elabena wolã avetsuawo ƒu anyi!

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.

3 Miɖo to alẽkplɔlawo ƒe avifafa, elabena woƒe lãnyiƒe damawo tsrɔ̃. Miɖo to dzatawo ƒe xɔxlɔ̃, elabena Yɔdan ƒe ave damawo tsrɔ̃!”

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.

4 Yehowa, nye Mawu la gblɔ nam be, “Yi nàwɔ dɔ abe alẽkplɔla ene, eye nàkplɔ alẽ siwo woɖo ɖi na wuwu.

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.

5 Wo ƒlelawo wua wo yakatsyɔ, eye ame aɖeke mehea to na wo o. Ame siwo dzra wo la hã gblɔ be, ‘Mikafu Yehowa elabena mezu kesinɔtɔ!’ Woƒe kplɔlawo ŋutɔ gɔ̃ hã mekpɔa wo ta o,

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.

6 elabena nyemagakpɔ nublanui na anyigbadzinɔlawo o.” Yehowae gblɔe. “Malé ame sia ame ade asi na ehavi kple eƒe fia. Woate anyigba la ɖe to, eye nyemaɖe wo tso woƒe asi me o.”

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].”

7 Ale nye ŋutɔ mekplɔ alẽha si woɖo ɖi na wuwu, vevietɔ wo dometɔ siwo wote ɖe anyi. Metsɔ atizɔti eve, meyɔ ɖeka be Dɔmefafa, evelia be Ɖekawɔwɔ, eye mekpɔ alẽha la ta.

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.

8 Le ɣleti ɖeka me la, meɖe alẽkplɔla etɔ̃ katã ɖa. Alẽha la lé fum, eye woƒe nu ti kɔ nam.

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.

9 Megblɔ be, “Nyemaganye miaƒe kplɔla o. Ame siwo le kukum la neku, eye ame siwo le tsɔtsrɔ̃m la netsrɔ̃. Ame siwo susɔ la nelé wo nɔewo ɖu.”

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.”

10 Ale metsɔ nye atikplɔ si meyɔ be Dɔmefafa la, meŋee, eye metu nu si mebla kple dukɔwo.

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.

11 Metu nubabla la gbe ma gbe, eye ame siwo nu ti kɔ na le alẽhawo me, esi wole kpɔyem la, nyae be enye Yehowa ƒe nya.

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.

12 Megblɔ na wo be, “Ne edze mia ŋu la, ekema mixe nye fe nam, gake ne medze mia ŋu o la, mitsɔe.” Ale woxe klosaloga blaetɔ̃ nam.

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.

13 Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Tsɔe ƒu gbe ɖe zemela ŋu.” Eyae nye home gã si wosusu be mexɔ! Ale metsɔ klosaloga blaetɔ̃ la ƒu gbe ɖe Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ ƒe nudzraɖoƒe.

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.

14 Azɔ meŋe nye atikplɔ evelia si meyɔ be Ɖekawɔwɔ la, ale meŋe ɖekawɔwɔ si le Yuda kple Israel dome.

Then I broke my second staff, [the one that I named] ‘Union’. That [indicated that] Judah and Israel would no longer be united.

15 Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Tsɔ alẽkplɔla tsibome ƒe lãkplɔnu,

Then Yahweh said to me, “Take again the things that a foolish shepherd uses,

16 elabena mele alẽkplɔla aɖe ɖo ge ɖe anyigba la nu si makpɔ alẽ bubuwo ta alo adi alẽviwo alo abla abi na esiwo xɔ abi alo adi nuɖuɖu na esiwo le sesĩe la o, ke boŋ aɖu alẽ nyuitɔwo ƒe lã, eye wòavuvu woƒe afɔkliwo.

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.

17 “Baba na alẽkplɔla ɖigbɔ̃ la, ame si gblẽ alẽha la ɖi! Yi nelã eƒe abɔ, eye wòaho eƒe ɖusimeŋku! Eƒe abɔ nedzo ɖo agu, eye eƒe ɖusimeŋku nagbã keŋkeŋ!”

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.”