The Skeptics Annotated Bible (720 page)

11
Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars
.

(11.1)
“Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.”

2
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.

(11.2)
“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 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 Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

(11.4)
“Feed the flock of the slaughter.”

5 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.

(11.6-7) “I will no more pity … saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand … And I will feed the flock the slaughter.”

6 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
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.

(11.7b) “I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands.” God named two sticks: “Beauty” and “Bands”.

8
Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

(11.8)
“Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.”
God “cut off” three shepherds in one month. God’s soul and the soul of the shepherds loath one another.

9 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.

(11.9)
“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 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.

(11.10)
“I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder.”
God cut his stick named “Beauty” into two pieces.

11 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 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.

(11.12)
“So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.”
Matthew (27.9) quotes this verse, but incorrectly attributes it to Jeremiah.

13 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
Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands
, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

(11.14) “Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands.” Then God cut his other stick (the one he named “Bands”) into two pieces.