The prophets
The Shepherd with the Two Staves and the Thirty Pieces of Silver
A prophetic action in which the Lord commands Zechariah to tend the sheep marked for slaughter. The prophet takes two staves named "Favor" and "Union," removes three shepherds in one month, and breaks the first staff to annul the covenant with the peoples. He receives thirty pieces of silver as wages and throws them into the house of the Lord to the potter. Then the second staff is broken to sever the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. The story ends with a woe pronounced over the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock.
Zechariah 11,4-17
4This is what the LORD my God says: Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.
כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י רְעֵ֖ה אֶת־צֹ֥אן הַהֲרֵגָֽה׃
5Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, "Blessed be the LORD, I have grown rich!" And their own shepherds show them no pity.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר קֹנֵיהֶ֤ן יַֽהֲרְגֻן֙ וְלֹ֣א יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ וּמֹכְרֵיהֶ֣ן יֹאמַ֔ר בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֖ה וַאעְשִׁ֑ר וְרֹ֣עֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א יַחְמ֖וֹל עֲלֵיהֶֽן׃
6For I will no longer show pity to the inhabitants of the land, declares the LORD. I will hand everyone over, each to his neighbor and to his king; they will crush the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hand.
כִּ֠י לֹ֣א אֶחְמ֥וֹל ע֛וֹד עַל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י מַמְצִ֣יא אֶת־הָאָדָ֗ם אִ֤ישׁ בְּיַד־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ וּבְיַ֣ד מַלְכּ֔וֹ וְכִתְּתוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹ֥א אַצִּ֖יל מִיָּדָֽם׃
7So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. I took two staffs: one I called Favor, the other I called Union; and I shepherded the flock.
וָֽאֶרְעֶה֙ אֶת־צֹ֣אן הַֽהֲרֵגָ֔ה לָכֵ֖ן עֲנִיֵּ֣י הַצֹּ֑אן וָאֶקַּֽח־לִ֞י שְׁנֵ֣י מַקְל֗וֹת לְאַחַ֞ד קָרָ֤אתִי נֹ֙עַם֙ וּלְאַחַד֙ קָרָ֣אתִי חֹֽבְלִ֔ים וָאֶרְעֶ֖ה אֶת־הַצֹּֽאן׃
8In a single month I destroyed the three shepherds. I grew impatient with them, and they also loathed me.
וָאַכְחִ֛ד אֶת־שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת הָרֹעִ֖ים בְּיֶ֣רַח אֶחָ֑ד וַתִּקְצַ֤ר נַפְשִׁי֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְגַם־נַפְשָׁ֖ם בָּחֲלָ֥ה בִֽי׃
9Then I said, "I will not shepherd you any longer. Let the dying die, let the perishing perish, and let those who remain devour one another's flesh."
וָאֹמַ֕ר לֹ֥א אֶרְעֶ֖ה אֶתְכֶ֑ם הַמֵּתָ֣ה תָמ֗וּת וְהַנִּכְחֶ֙דֶת֙ תִּכָּחֵ֔ד וְהַ֨נִּשְׁאָר֔וֹת תֹּאכַ֕לְנָה אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶת־בְּשַׂ֥ר רְעוּתָֽהּ׃
10Then I took my staff Favor and broke it, annulling the covenant I had made with all the peoples.
וָאֶקַּ֤ח אֶת־מַקְלִי֙ אֶת־נֹ֔עַם וָאֶגְדַּ֖ע אֹת֑וֹ לְהָפֵיר֙ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖תִּי אֶת־כָּל־הָעַמִּֽים׃
11It was annulled that day, and the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that this was the word of the LORD.
וַתֻּפַ֖ר בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וַיֵּדְע֨וּ כֵ֜ן עֲנִיֵּ֤י הַצֹּאן֙ הַשֹּׁמְרִ֣ים אֹתִ֔י כִּ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה הֽוּא׃
12Then I said to them, "If it seems right to you, pay me my wages; if not, keep them." So they weighed out my wages: thirty pieces of silver.
וָאֹמַ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם אִם־ט֧וֹב בְּעֵינֵיכֶ֛ם הָב֥וּ שְׂכָרִ֖י וְאִם־לֹ֣א ׀ חֲדָ֑לוּ וַיִּשְׁקְל֥וּ אֶת־שְׂכָרִ֖י שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים כָּֽסֶף׃
13And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—that noble price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw the money into the house of the LORD, to the potter.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י הַשְׁלִיכֵ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר אֶ֣דֶר הַיְקָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָקַ֖רְתִּי מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וָֽאֶקְחָה֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים הַכֶּ֔סֶף וָאַשְׁלִ֥יךְ אֹת֛וֹ בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־הַיּוֹצֵֽר׃
14Then I broke my second staff, Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
וָֽאֶגְדַּע֙ אֶת־מַקְלִ֣י הַשֵּׁנִ֔י אֵ֖ת הַחֹֽבְלִ֑ים לְהָפֵר֙ אֶת־הָֽאַחֲוָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין יְהוּדָ֖ה וּבֵ֥ין יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
15Then the LORD said to me: Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י ע֣וֹד קַח־לְךָ֔ כְּלִ֖י רֹעֶ֥ה אֱוִלִֽי׃
16For I am raising up in the land a shepherd who will not care for the perishing, or seek the straying, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will devour the flesh of the fat ones and tear off their hooves.
כִּ֣י הִנֵּֽה־אָנֹכִי֩ מֵקִ֨ים רֹעֶ֜ה בָּאָ֗רֶץ הַנִּכְחָד֤וֹת לֹֽא־יִפְקֹד֙ הַנַּ֣עַר לֹֽא־יְבַקֵּ֔שׁ וְהַנִּשְׁבֶּ֖רֶת לֹ֣א יְרַפֵּ֑א הַנִּצָּבָה֙ לֹ֣א יְכַלְכֵּ֔ל וּבְשַׂ֤ר הַבְּרִיאָה֙ יֹאכַ֔ל וּפַרְסֵיהֶ֖ן יְפָרֵֽק׃ ס
17Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither away, and his right eye go utterly blind!
ה֣וֹי רֹעִ֤י הֽ͏ָאֱלִיל֙ עֹזְבִ֣י הַצֹּ֔אן חֶ֥רֶב עַל־זְרוֹע֖וֹ וְעַל־עֵ֣ין יְמִינ֑וֹ זְרֹעוֹ֙ יָב֣וֹשׁ תִּיבָ֔שׁ וְעֵ֥ין יְמִינ֖וֹ כָּהֹ֥ה תִכְהֶֽה׃ ס