Zechariah 11:4

New Living Translation

This is what the Lord my God says: "Go and care for the flock that is intended for slaughter.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord my God says this: “Shepherd the flock intended for slaughter.

Hebrew Names Version
Thus says the LORD my God: "Feed the flock of slaughter.

King James Version (1611)
Thus saith the Lord my God; Feede the flocke of the slaughter;

King James Version
Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

English Standard Version
Thus said the Lord my God: "Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter.

New American Standard Bible
This is what the LORD my God says: "Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter.

New Century Version
This is what the Lord my God says: "Feed the flock that are about to be killed.

Amplified Bible
Thus says the LORD my God, "Pasture the flock doomed for slaughter,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thus sayeth the Lorde my God, Feede the sheepe of the slaughter.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Thus says the LORD my God, "Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus says Yahweh my God, "Shepherd the flock doomed to slaughter.

Berean Standard Bible
This is what the LORD my God says: "Pasture the flock marked for slaughter,

Contemporary English Version
The Lord my God said to me: Tend those sheep doomed for slaughter!

Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai my God says this: "Shepherd the flock for slaughter.

Darby Translation
Thus saith Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of slaughter,

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord my God says, "Care for the sheep that have been raised to be killed.

George Lamsa Translation
Thus says the LORD my God: Feed the lean flock

Good News Translation
The Lord my God said to me, "Act the part of the shepherd of a flock of sheep that are going to be butchered.

Lexham English Bible
Thus says Yahweh my God: "Shepherd the flock doomed to slaughter.

Literal Translation
For so says Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of the slaughter.

American Standard Version
Thus said Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of slaughter;

Bible in Basic English
This is what the Lord my God has said: Take care of the flock of death;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thus said the LORD my God: 'Feed the flock of slaughter;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thus saith the Lorde my God: Feede the sheepe of the slaughter,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thus saith the Lord Almighty, Feed the sheep of the slaughter;

English Revised Version
Thus said the LORD my God: Feed the flock of slaughter;

World English Bible
Thus says Yahweh my God: "Feed the flock of slaughter.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
My Lord God seith these thingis, Fede thou beestis of slauyter,

Update Bible Version
Thus Yahweh my God said: Feed the flock of slaughter;

Webster's Bible Translation
Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

New English Translation
The Lord my God says this: "Shepherd the flock set aside for slaughter.

New King James Version
Thus says the LORD my God, "Feed the flock for slaughter,

New Life Bible
The Lord my God said, "Take care of the flock that is to be killed.

New Revised Standard
Thus said the Lord my God: Be a shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thus, saith Yahweh my God, - Tend thou the flock doomed to slaughter:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thus saith the Lord my God: Feed the flock of the slaughter,

Revised Standard Version
Thus said the LORD my God: "Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter.

Young's Literal Translation
Thus said Jehovah my God: `Feed the flock of the slaughter,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus sayeth the LORDE my God: Fede the shepe of ye slaughter,

Contextual Overview

⁴ This is what the Lord my God says: "Go and care for the flock that is intended for slaughter. ⁵ The buyers slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers say, ‘Praise the Lord ! Now I'm rich!' Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. ⁶ Likewise, I will no longer have pity on the people of the land," says the Lord . "I will let them fall into each other's hands and into the hands of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not rescue them." ⁷ So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter—the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. ⁸ I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep, and they hated me, too. ⁹ So I told them, "I won't be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And let those who remain devour each other!" ¹⁰ Then I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, showing that I had revoked the covenant I had made with all the nations. ¹¹ That was the end of my covenant with them. The suffering flock was watching me, and they knew that the Lord was speaking through my actions. ¹² And I said to them, "If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to." So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. ¹³ And the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potter in the Temple of the Lord .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Lord: Zechariah 14:5, Isaiah 49:4, Isaiah 49:5, John 20:17, Ephesians 1:3

Feed: Zechariah 11:7, Isaiah 40:9-11, Ezekiel 34:23, Ezekiel 34:24, Micah 5:4, Matthew 15:24, Matthew 23:37, Luke 19:41-44, John 21:15-17, Romans 15:8

Reciprocal: Psalms 78:71 - feed Jeremiah 50:6 - their shepherds Micah 3:2 - pluck Zechariah 13:7 - my shepherd John 10:1 - the same John 10:8 - came Acts 20:28 - to feed

Cross-References

Genesis 6:4
In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.

Genesis 11:8
In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city.

Genesis 11:9
That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.

Genesis 11:11
After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

Genesis 11:13
After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

Deuteronomy 1:28
Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, "The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!"'

Deuteronomy 4:27
For the Lord will scatter you among the nations, where only a few of you will survive.

Deuteronomy 9:1
"Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky!

2 Samuel 8:13
So David became even more famous when he returned from destroying 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

Psalms 92:9
Your enemies, Lord , will surely perish; all evildoers will be scattered.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thus saith the Lord my God,.... The Syriac version adds, "to me"; not the Prophet Zechariah, but the Messiah, who calls the Lord his God, as he was man and Mediator, John 20:17 for what follow are the words of God the Father to him, calling upon him, and giving him a commission to

Feed the flock of the slaughter; meaning the people of the Jews in general, to whom Christ was sent as a prophet, to teach and instruct them by the ministry of the word; so "feeding" is interpreted of prophesying, by the Targum and Jarchi: and these are called "the flock of slaughter", because of the cruel usage they met with from their shepherds and owners, mentioned in the next verse Zechariah 11:5; and because they were appointed and given up to ruin and destruction of God, on account of their sins and transgressions; though there was a remnant among them, a little flock, afterwards in this chapter called the poor of the flock Zechariah 11:7, who were the special care of Christ, and were fed by him in a spiritual manner; and may go by this name, because exposed to the cruelties of men, and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, Romans 8:36 these Christ was called upon by his Father in the council of peace to take care of, which he did; and in the everlasting covenant of grace he agreed to feed them; and in the fulness of time he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, who were as sheep without a shepherd; and he fed them with knowledge and with understanding.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thus saith the Lord my God, Feed the flock of the slaughter - The fulfillment of the whole prophecy shows, that the person addressed is the prophet, not in, or for himself, but (as belongs to symbolic prophecy) as representing Another, our Lord. It is addressed, in the first instance, to Zechariah. For Zechariah is bidden, “take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd” Zechariah 11:15, in words addressed to himself, personally; “And the Lord said unto me.” But he who was to represent the foolish shepherd, had represented the True Shepherd, since it is said to him, “Take unto thee yet.” But He, the Shepherd addressed, who does the acts commanded, speaks with the authority of God. He says, “I cut off three shepherds in one month” Zechariah 11:8; “I broke My covenant which I had made with all the peoples” Zechariah 11:10; “the poor of the flock waited upon Me” Zechariah 11:11; “I cut asunder Mine other staff, Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel” Zechariah 11:14. But in Zechariah’s time, no three shepherds were cut off, the covenant made by God was not broken on His part, there was no such visible distinction between those who waited on God, and those who, outwardly too, rejected Him.

Feed the flock of the slaughter - Those who were, even before the end, slain by their evil shepherds whom they followed, and who in the end would be given to the slaughter, as the Psalmist says, “we are counted as sheep for the slaughter” Psalms 44:22, because they would not hear the voice of the True Shepherd, and were not His sheep. They were already, by God’s judgment, a prey to evil shepherds; and would be so yet more hereafter. As a whole then, they were “sheep of the slaughter.” It is a last Charge given to feed them. As our Lord says, “Last of all, He sent unto them His Son, saying, They will reverence My Son” Matthew 21:37. This failing, nothing remained but that the flock would be given up, as they themselves say, “He will miserably destroy those wicked people, and will let out His vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render Him the fruits in their seasons” Matthew 21:41, that is, our Lord explains it, “The kingdom of heaven shall be taken from them, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Yet a remnant should be saved” Matthew 21:43, for whose sake the larger flock was still to be fed: and, as our Lord, as Man, wept over Jerusalem, whose sentence He pronounced, so He still feeds those who would not turn to Him that they might be saved, and who would in the end be “a flock of slaughter,” “Death their shepherd” Psalms 49:14, since they chose death rather than Life.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 11:4. Feed the flock of the slaughter — This people resemble a flock of sheep fattened for the shambles; feed, instruct, this people who are about to be slaughtered.