Zechariah 11
1 [You people of] [APO] Lebanon [should] open your gates, [because you will not be able to stop] fire from burning your cedar [trees]!
Vula iminyango yakho, wena Lebhanoni, ukuze umlilo uqhunqise imisedari yakho!
2 Your cypress/pine [trees] [APO] should [also] wail because the cedar [trees] have been cut down. Those glorious/great trees have been destroyed. The oak trees in the Bashan [region] should also wail, because the other trees in the forest have been cut down.
Lila, wena sihlahla sephayini, ngoba imisedari isiwile; ngoba izihlahla zobukhosi ziqhunqile! Lilani, mi-okhi yaseBhashani; igusu elivitshileyo selicakazelwe phansi!
3 And listen to the shepherds crying because the fertile pastures have been ruined. Listen to the lions roar; they roar because the delightful forest [where they live] near the Jordan [River] has been ruined.
Lalela ukulila kwabelusi; amadlelo abo amahle asetshabalalisiwe! Lalela ukubhonga kwezilwane; ihlathi elihle leJodani liqhunqile!
4 This is what Yahweh my God said [to me]: “[I want you to] become a shepherd for a flock [of sheep that are about] to be slaughtered.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uNkulunkulu wami, uthi: “Sana emadlelweni umhlambi wezimvu zokuhlatshwa.
5 The people who are going to buy the sheep will kill the sheep, and they will not be punished. Those who are selling the sheep say, ‘[I] praise Yahweh, [because] I will become rich!’ Even the shepherds do not feel sorry for the sheep.
Abathengi bazo bayazihlaba bangajeziswa. Labo abazithengisayo bathi, ‘Makadunyiswe uThixo, senginothile!’ Abelusi bazo ngokwabo labo kabaziyekeli.
6 And similarly, I no longer feel sorry for the people of this country. I am going to allow many of them [HYP] to be captured by other people or by their king. Those who capture them will ruin this country, and I will not rescue any [of the people].”
Ngoba kangisayikuba lozwelo ebantwini belizwe,” kutsho uThixo. “Ngulowo lalowo ngizamnikela kumakhelwane wakhe lenkosini yakhe. Bazalincindezela ilizwe, kodwa kangiyikubalamulela ezandleni zabo.”
7 So I became the shepherd of a flock [of sheep that were about] to be slaughtered [for their meat to be sold] to the dealers. [I took good care of the sheep, even the ones that were the weakest sheep. Then] I took two [shepherds’] /walking sticks). I named the one [staff] ‘Kindness’ and the other [staff] ‘Union’. And I took good care of the sheep.
Ngakho ngizafaka emadlelweni izimvu ezasezikhethelwe ukuya esilaheni, ikakhulu lezo ezaziphathwa kabuhlungu. Ngasengithatha ingwegwe ezimbili ngabiza enye ngokuthi nguThandeka kwathi enye ngathi nguNhlanganiso, ngasengizelusa izimvu.
8 But the three shepherds [who had been working with me] detested me, and I became impatient with them. Within one month I (dismissed/got rid of) those shepherds.
Ngenyanga eyodwa ngaxotsha abelusi abathathu. Izimvu zanengeka ngami, lami zangidina
9 So I said [to the dealers], “I will no [longer] be the shepherd. I will allow the ones that are dying to die. I will allow the ones that are getting lost to get lost. And I will not prevent those that remain from destroying each other.”
ngathi, “Kangisayikuba ngumelusi wenu. Yekela efayo ife, lebhubhayo ibhubhe. Yekela lezo eziseleyo zidlane inyama yazo.”
10 Then I took the staff that I had named ‘Kindness’ and I broke it. [That showed that Yahweh] was annulling/canceling the agreement that he had made with all the people-groups.
Ngasengithatha ingwegwe yami ethiwa nguThandeka ngayephula, ngidiliza isivumelwano engangisenzile lezizwe zonke.
11 So that agreement was ended immediately. And the men who bought and sold sheep who were watching me knew [by seeing what I was doing] that I was giving them a message from Yahweh.
Sadilizwa ngalelolanga, yikho abadubekayo emhlambini ababengikhangele bakwazi ukuthi lokho kwakulilizwi likaThixo.
12 I told them, “If you think it is what you should do, pay me [for taking care of the sheep]. If you do not think that is what you should do, do not pay me.” So they paid me [only] 30 pieces of silver.
Ngabatshela ngathi, “Nxa libona kufanele, ngiphani iholo lami; nxa njalo kungenjalo, yekelani.” Yikho basebengiholisa inhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu.
13 Then Yahweh said to me, “[That is a ridiculously small amount of money that they have paid you]! [So] throw it to the man who makes clay pots!” So I took the silver to the temple of Yahweh, and I threw it in the chest where the offerings/money is kept.
UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Iphosele kumbumbi,” imali engaka ababengilinganisele yona! Ngasengizithatha lezonhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu ngaziphosela kumbumbi wembiza endlini kaThixo.
14 Then I broke my second staff, [the one that I named] ‘Union’. That [indicated that] Judah and Israel would no longer be united.
Ngasengiqamula ingwegwe yami yesibili ethiwa nguNhlanganiso, ngiqamula ubuzalwane phakathi kukaJuda lo-Israyeli.
15 Then Yahweh said to me, “Take again the things that a foolish shepherd uses,
UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Thatha futhi izikhali zomelusi oyisithutha.
16 because I am going to appoint a new king for the people, [one who will not take care of my people. He will be like a foolish shepherd]: [MET] He will not take care of those who are dying, those who are very young, those who have been injured, or those who do not have enough food. Instead, he will [treat them very cruelly, like a shepherd who would] [MET] kill and eat the best sheep and tear off their hoofs.
Ngoba ngizamisa umelusi welizwe leli ongezukunanza ngezilahlekileyo, angawadingi amazinyane, angawelaphi alimeleyo, angawaphi ukudla aphilayo, kodwa adle inyama yezinonileyo, adlithize lamangqina azo.
17 But terrible things will happen to that foolish/useless king who abandons the people [MET] over whom he rules. [His enemies] will strike his arm and his right eye with their swords. [The result will be that] he will have no strength in his arm, and his right eye will become completely blind.”
Maye kumelusi oyisithutha, ohlamukela izifuyo! Sengathi angadliwa yinkemba igalele engalweni lelihlweni lakhe lakwesokunene! Sengathi ingalo yakhe ingahle yome qha, ilihlo lakhe langakwesokunene lihle life kokuphela!”
