Zaccharias Propheta 11

1 Aperi Libane portas tuas, et comedat ignis cedros tuas.

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

2 Ulula abies, quia cecidit cedrus, quoniam magnifici vastati sunt: ululate quercus Basan, quoniam succisus est saltus munitus.

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 Vox ululatus pastorum, quia vastata est magnificentia eorum: vox rugitus leonum, quoniam vastata est superbia Iordanis.

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 Hæc dicit Dominus Deus meus: Pasce pecora occisionis,

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 quæ qui possederant, occidebant, et non dolebant, et vendebant ea, dicentes: Benedictus Dominus, divites facti sumus: et pastores eorum non parcebant eis.

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 Et ego non parcam ultra super habitantes terram, dicit Dominus: ecce ego tradam homines, unumquemque in manu proximi sui, et in manu regis sui: et concident terram, et non eruam de manu eorum.

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 Et pascam pecus occisionis propter hoc, o pauperes gregis: et assumpsi mihi duas virgas, unam vocavi Decorem, et alteram vocavi Funiculum: et pavi gregem.

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 Et succidi tres pastores in mense uno, et contracta est anima mea in eis: siquidem et anima eorum variavit in me.

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 Et dixi: Non pascam vos: quod moritur, moriatur: et quod succiditur, succidatur: et reliqui devorent unusquisque carnem proximi sui.

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 Et tuli virgam meam, quæ vocabatur Decus, et abscidi eam ut irritum facerem fœdus meum, quod percussi cum omnibus populis.

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 Et in irritum deductum est in die illa: et cognoverunt sic pauperes gregis, qui custodiunt mihi, quia verbum Domini est.

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 Et dixi ad eos: Si bonum est in oculis vestris, afferte mercedem meam: et si non, quiescite. Et appenderunt mercedem meam triginta argenteos.

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 Et dixit Dominus ad me: Proiice illud ad statuarium, decorum pretium, quo appretiatus sum ab eis. Et tuli triginta argenteos: et proieci illos in domum Domini ad statuarium.

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 Et præcidi virgam meam secundam, quæ appellabatur Funiculus, ut dissolverem germanitatem inter Iudam, et Israel.

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

15 Et dixit Dominus ad me: Adhuc sunt tibi vasa pastoris stulti.

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

16 Quia ecce ego suscitabo pastorem in terra, qui derelicta non visitabit, dispersum non quæret, et contritum non sanabit, et id quod stat non enutriet, et carnes pinguium comedet, et ungulas eorum dissolvet.

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 O pastor, et idolum, derelinquens gregem: gladius super brachium eius, et super oculum dextrum eius: brachium eius ariditate siccabitur, et oculus dexter eius tenebrescens obscurabitur.

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.”