UZekhariya 11
1 Vula iminyango yakho, wena Lebhanoni, ukuze umlilo udle imisedari yakho.
Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may consume your cedars!
2 Qhinqa isililo, wena sihlahla sefiri; ngoba umsedari usuwile, ngoba izihlahla zobukhosi ziyachithwa. Qhinqani isililo lina ma-okhi eBashani, ngoba igusu elingangenekiyo seliwile.
Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen; the majestic trees are ruined! Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the dense forest has been cut down!
3 Kulelizwi lokuqhinqa isililo kwabelusi, ngoba udumo lwabo luyachithwa; ilizwi lokubhonga kwamabhongo ezilwane, ngoba ukuziqhenya kweJordani kuyachithwa.
Listen to the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory is in ruins. Listen to the roaring of the young lions, for the thickets of the Jordan are destroyed.
4 Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wami: Yelusa izimvu zokuhlatshwa;
This is what the LORD my God says: “Pasture the flock marked for slaughter,
5 abathengi bazo bayazibulala, bathi kabalacala; labazithengisayo bathi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi; ngoba nginothile; labelusi bazo kabalasihawu ngazo.
whose buyers slaughter them without remorse. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no compassion on them.
6 Ngoba kangisayikuyekela abahlali belizwe, itsho iNkosi; kodwa khangela, ngizanikela abantu, ngulowo lalowo esandleni sikamakhelwane wakhe, lesandleni senkosi yakhe; njalo bazaliphahlaza ilizwe, njalo kangiyikubophula esandleni sabo.
For I will no longer have compassion on the people of the land, declares the LORD, but behold, I will cause each man to fall into the hands of his neighbor and his king, who will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from their hands.”
7 Njalo ngizakwelusa izimvu zokuhlatshwa, isibili, eziyangekileyo zezimvu. Njalo ngazithathela intonga ezimbili; enye ngayibiza ngokuthi nguBuhle, lenye ngayibiza ngokuthi nguZibopho; ngazelusa izimvu.
So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took for myself two staffs, calling one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.
8 Ngasengiquma abelusi abathathu ngenyanga eyodwa; lomphefumulo wami wadabuka ngabo, lomphefumulo wabo lawo wangenyanya.
And in one month I dismissed three shepherds. My soul grew impatient with the flock, and their souls also detested me.
9 Ngasengisithi: Kangisayikulelusa; ofayo kafe, loqunywayo kaqunywe; kakuthi-ke abaseleyo badle, ngulowo lalowo inyama yomunye.
Then I said, “I will no longer shepherd you. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish; and let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.”
10 Ngasengithatha intonga yami, uBuhle, ngayiqamula, ukuze ngephule isivumelwano sami engangisenze labantu bonke.
Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.
11 Sephulwa-ke ngalolosuku; ngakho-ke eziyangekileyo zezimvu ezazilindele kimi zakwazi ukuthi yilizwi leNkosi.
It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD.
12 Ngasengisithi kizo: Uba kulungile emehlweni enu, nikani inkokhelo yami; kodwa uba kungenjalo, yekelani. Basebelinganisela inkokhelo yami, inhlamvu ezingamatshumi amathathu zesiliva.
Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.
13 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Ziphosele kumbumbi; intengo enkulu ebengiyilinganiselwe yibo! Ngasengithatha inhlamvu ezingamatshumi amathathu zesiliva, ngaziphosela kumbumbi endlini yeNkosi.
And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
14 Ngasengiqamula intonga yami yesibili, uZibopho, ukuze ngephule ubuzalwane phakathi kukaJuda loIsrayeli.
Then I cut in two my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Zithathele futhi izikhali zomelusi oyisithutha.
And the LORD said to me: “Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
16 Ngoba khangela, ngizavusa umelusi elizweni; ongayikuhambela eziqunyiweyo, ongayikudinga ezintsha, ongayikwelapha ezephukileyo, ongayikusekela ezizimeleyo; kodwa adle inyama yezinonileyo, adabule iziqa amasondo azo.
For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will neither care for the lost, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the choice sheep and tear off their hooves.
17 Maye kumelusi ongasizi lutho otshiya izimvu! Inkemba izakuba phezu kwengalo yakhe, laphezu kwelihlo lakhe lokunene. Ingalo yakhe izatshwabhana isibili, lelihlo lakhe lokunene lifiphale ngokupheleleyo.
Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered and his right eye utterly blinded!”
