The Doomed Flock

1Open thy doores O Libanus, that ye fire may consume thy Cedar trees.

2Howle ye firre trees, for the Cedar is fallen, yea all the proude are wasted away: Howle O ye Oke trees of Basan, for the mightie strong wood is cut downe.

3Men may heare the shepheardes mourne, for their glory is destroyed: men may heare the lions whelpes roare, for the pride of Iordane is wasted away.

4Thus saith the Lorde my God: Feede the sheepe of the slaughter, 5Which haue ben slaine of those that possessed them, yet they toke it for no sinne, but they that solde them said, The Lorde be thanked, for I am riche: yea their owne shepheardes spare the not. 6Therefore wyl I no more spare those that dwell in the lande saith the Lorde: but lo, I wyll deliuer the people, euery man into his neighbours hande, and into the hande of his king, that they may smite the lande, and out of their handes I wyll not deliuer them.

7I my selfe fed the slaughter sheepe, a poore flocke veryly, and toke vnto me two staues: the one called Beautie, the other called Bandes: and so fedde the sheepe. 8Three shepheardes I put out of office in one moneth, for I might not away with them: neither had they any delight in me. 9Then saide I, I wyll feede you no more: the thing that dyeth, let it dye: and that that wyll perishe, let it perishe: and let the remnaunt eate euery one the fleshe of his neighbour.

Thirty Pieces of Silver
(Matthew 27:3–10)

10I toke also my staffe euen Beautie, and brake it, that I might disanull the couenaunt which I made with all people. 11And so it was broken in that day: Then the poore simple sheepe that had a respect vnto me, knewe therby that it was the worde of the Lorde. 12And I saide vnto them, If ye thinke it good, bring hither my wages: if no, then leaue. So they wayed downe thirtie siluer pence, the value that I was prysed at. 13And the Lorde saide vnto me, Cast it vnto the potter, a goodly pryce for me to be valued at of them. And I toke the thirtie siluer pence, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lorde. 14Then broke I my other staffe also namely Bandes, that I might loose the brotherhood betwixt Iuda and Israel.

15And the Lorde saide vnto me: Take thee also the staffe of a foolishe shephearde. 16For lo, I wyll rayse vp a shepheard in the lande, which shal not seeke after the thinges that be lost, nor seeke the tender lambes, he shal not heale the wounded, he shal not nourish the thinges that are whole: but he shal eate the fleshe of such as be fat, and teare their clawes in peeces.

17O idol shepheard that leaueth the flocke, the sworde shall come vpon his arme, and vpon his right eye: his arme shalbe cleane dryed vp, and his right eye shalbe sore blynded.