UZekhariya 11

1 Vula iminyango yakho, wena Lebhanoni, ukuze umlilo udle imisedari yakho.

Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy 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-tree, for the cedar is fallen; because the glorious ones are spoiled; wail, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest is come down.

3 Kulelizwi lokuqhinqa isililo kwabelusi, ngoba udumo lwabo luyachithwa; ilizwi lokubhonga kwamabhongo ezilwane, ngoba ukuziqhenya kweJordani kuyachithwa.

Hark! the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory is spoiled; Hark! the roaring of young lions, for the thickets of the Jordan are spoiled.

4 Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wami: Yelusa izimvu zokuhlatshwa;

Thus said the LORD my God: 'Feed the flock of slaughter;

5 abathengi bazo bayazibulala, bathi kabalacala; labazithengisayo bathi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi; ngoba nginothile; labelusi bazo kabalasihawu ngazo.

whose buyers slay them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say: Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich; and their own shepherds pity them not.

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 more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD; but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king; and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.'

7 Njalo ngizakwelusa izimvu zokuhlatshwa, isibili, eziyangekileyo zezimvu. Njalo ngazithathela intonga ezimbili; enye ngayibiza ngokuthi nguBuhle, lenye ngayibiza ngokuthi nguZibopho; ngazelusa izimvu.

So I fed the flock of slaughter, verily the poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Graciousness, and the other I called Binders; and I fed the flock.

8 Ngasengiquma abelusi abathathu ngenyanga eyodwa; lomphefumulo wami wadabuka ngabo, lomphefumulo wabo lawo wangenyanya.

And I cut off the three shepherds in one month; 'for My soul became impatient of them, and their soul also loathed Me.'

9 Ngasengisithi: Kangisayikulelusa; ofayo kafe, loqunywayo kaqunywe; kakuthi-ke abaseleyo badle, ngulowo lalowo inyama yomunye.

Then said I: 'I will not feed you; that which dieth, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let them that are left eat every one the flesh of another.'

10 Ngasengithatha intonga yami, uBuhle, ngayiqamula, ukuze ngephule isivumelwano sami engangisenze labantu bonke.

And I took my staff Graciousness, and cut it asunder, 'that I might break My covenant which I had made with all the peoples.'

11 Sephulwa-ke ngalolosuku; ngakho-ke eziyangekileyo zezimvu ezazilindele kimi zakwazi ukuthi yilizwi leNkosi.

And it was broken in that day; and the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew of a truth 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.

And I said unto them: 'If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear.' So they weighed for my hire 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 unto me: 'Cast it into the treasury, the goodly price that I was prized at of them.' And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the treasury, in the house of the LORD.

14 Ngasengiqamula intonga yami yesibili, uZibopho, ukuze ngephule ubuzalwane phakathi kukaJuda loIsrayeli.

Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Binders, that the brotherhood between Judah and Israel might be broken.

15 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Zithathele futhi izikhali zomelusi oyisithutha.

And the LORD said unto me: 'Take unto thee yet the instruments 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, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not think of those that are cut off, neither will seek those that are young, nor heal that which is broken; neither will he feed that which standeth still, but he will eat the flesh of the fat, and will break their hoofs in pieces.'

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 that leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.