UZekhariya 11
1 Vula iminyango yakho, wena Lebhanoni, ukuze umlilo udle imisedari yakho.
Open your doors, Lebanon, that the fire may devour 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, cypress tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the stately ones are destroyed. Wail, you oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest has come down.
3 Kulelizwi lokuqhinqa isililo kwabelusi, ngoba udumo lwabo luyachithwa; ilizwi lokubhonga kwamabhongo ezilwane, ngoba ukuziqhenya kweJordani kuyachithwa.
A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! For their glory is destroyed—a voice of the roaring of young lions! For the pride of the Jordan is ruined.
4 Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wami: Yelusa izimvu zokuhlatshwa;
The LORD my God says: “Feed the flock of slaughter.
5 abathengi bazo bayazibulala, bathi kabalacala; labazithengisayo bathi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi; ngoba nginothile; labelusi bazo kabalasihawu ngazo.
Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich;’ and their own shepherds don’t pity 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 more pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the LORD; “but, behold, I will deliver every one of the men into his neighbour’s hand and into the hand of his king. They will strike 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 to be slaughtered, especially the oppressed of the flock. I took for myself two staffs. The one I called “Favour” and the other I called “Union”, and I fed the flock.
8 Ngasengiquma abelusi abathathu ngenyanga eyodwa; lomphefumulo wami wadabuka ngabo, lomphefumulo wabo lawo wangenyanya.
I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me.
9 Ngasengisithi: Kangisayikulelusa; ofayo kafe, loqunywayo kaqunywe; kakuthi-ke abaseleyo badle, ngulowo lalowo inyama yomunye.
Then I said, “I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those who are left eat each other’s flesh.”
10 Ngasengithatha intonga yami, uBuhle, ngayiqamula, ukuze ngephule isivumelwano sami engangisenze labantu bonke.
I took my staff Favour and cut it apart, that I might break my covenant that I had made with all the peoples.
11 Sephulwa-ke ngalolosuku; ngakho-ke eziyangekileyo zezimvu ezazilindele kimi zakwazi ukuthi yilizwi leNkosi.
It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was the LORD’s word.
12 Ngasengisithi kizo: Uba kulungile emehlweni enu, nikani inkokhelo yami; kodwa uba kungenjalo, yekelani. Basebelinganisela inkokhelo yami, inhlamvu ezingamatshumi amathathu zesiliva.
I said to them, “If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them.” So they weighed for 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.
The LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter—the handsome price that I was valued at by them!” I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the LORD’s house.
14 Ngasengiqamula intonga yami yesibili, uZibopho, ukuze ngephule ubuzalwane phakathi kukaJuda loIsrayeli.
Then I cut apart my other staff, Union, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Zithathele futhi izikhali zomelusi oyisithutha.
The LORD said to me, “Take for yourself yet again 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 not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep, and will tear 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 who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”
