¶ Open thy doors, O Lebanon¹, that² the fire may devour thy cedars.

Howl³, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty⁴ are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage⁵ is come down.

There is a voice⁶ of the howling of the shepherds; for their⁷ glory is spoiled: a voice⁸ of the roaring of young lions; for the pride⁹ of Jordan is spoiled.

¶ Thus saith the LORD¹⁰ my God; Feed¹¹ the flock of the slaughter;

Whose possessors¹² slay them, and hold¹³ themselves not guilty: and they that sell¹⁴ them say, Blessed¹⁵ be the LORD; for I am rich: and their¹⁶ own shepherds pity them not.

For I will no¹⁷ more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver¹⁸ the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the¹⁹ hand of his king: and they shall²⁰ smite the land, and out²¹ of their hand I will not deliver them.

And I will²² feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor²³ of the flock. And I took unto me two staves²⁴; the one²⁵ I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands²⁶; and I fed the flock.

Three shepherds also I cut off in²⁷ one month; and my²⁸ soul lothed them,²⁹ and their soul also abhorred me.

Then said I, I will³⁰ not feed you: that that dieth³¹, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let³² the rest eat every one the flesh of another³³.

¶ And I took my staff, even Beauty³⁴, and cut it asunder, that³⁵ I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.

And it was broken in that day: and so³⁶ the poor of the flock that waited³⁷ upon me knew³⁸ that it was the word of the LORD.

And I said unto them, If ye think good³⁹, give⁴⁰ me my price; and if not, forbear. So⁴¹ they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

And the LORD said unto me, Cast⁴² it unto the potter: a goodly⁴³ price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

Then I cut⁴⁴ asunder mine other staff, even Bands⁴⁵, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

¶ And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish⁴⁶ shepherd.

For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which⁴⁷ shall not visit those that be cut off⁴⁸, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed⁴⁹ that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

Woe⁵⁰ to the idol⁵¹ shepherd that leaveth⁵² the flock! the sword⁵³ shall be upon his arm⁵⁴, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.