暴君的没落
黎巴嫩哪，敞开你的门， 任火吞灭你的香柏树。Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
2哀号吧，松树！ 因为香柏树倾倒了，高大的树毁坏了。 哀号吧，巴珊的橡树！ 因为茂盛的树林倒下来了。Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.
3听啊，有牧人在哀号， 因他们的荣华败落了； 听啊，有少壮狮子咆哮， 因约旦河旁的丛林荒废了。两个牧人
There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.
4耶和华－我的神如此说：“你要牧养这群将宰的羊。Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;
5买羊的宰了他们，却不认为自己有罪；卖他们的也说：‘耶和华是应当称颂的，因我富足了。’牧养他们的并不怜悯他们。Whose possessors 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我不再怜悯这地的居民。看哪，我要将这些人交在各人的邻舍和君王手中；他们必毁灭这地，我却不救任何一个脱离他们的手。这是耶和华说的。”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于是，我牧养这群将宰的羊，就是羊群中最困苦的☛“我牧养...最困苦的”：原文另译“我为了那些买卖羊群的人牧养这群将宰的羊”。；我拿着两根杖，一根我称为“恩惠”☛“恩惠”或译“荣美”；下同。，一根称为“联合”。这样，我就牧养这群羊。And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
8一个月之内，我废除了三个牧人，因为我的心厌烦他们，他们的心也憎恶我。Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
9我就说：“我不牧养你们。要死的，由他死；灭亡的，由他灭亡；剩余的，由他们彼此吞食。”Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
10我拿起那根称为“恩惠”的杖，折断它，表明我废弃与万民所立的约。And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
11当日约就废了。因此，那些羊群中最困苦的☛“那些羊群中最困苦的”：原文另译“那些买卖羊群的人”。，看着我，就知道这真是耶和华的话。And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.
12我对他们说：“你们若看为美，就给我工价。不然，就罢了！”于是他们秤了三十块银钱作为我的工价。And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
13耶和华对我说：“把它丢给窑户。那是他们对我所估定的好价钱！”我就取这三十块银钱，在耶和华的殿中将它丢给窑户。And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly 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.
14我又折断第二根杖，就是称为“联合”的那根杖，表明我废弃犹大与以色列弟兄间的情谊。Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15耶和华对我说：“你再把愚昧牧人所用的器具拿来，And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
16因为，看哪，我要在这地立一个牧人；他不看顾将亡的，不寻找分散的，不医治受伤的，也不牧养强壮的；却要吞吃肥羊的肉，撕裂它们的蹄。For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
17祸哉！无用的牧人丢弃羊群， 刀必临到他的膀臂和右眼上； 他的膀臂必全然枯干， 他的右眼也必昏暗失明。”Woe to the idol 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.