Zechariah 11:1-17 About Beauty & Bands

 

About Beauty & Bands

Zechariah 11:1-17         The Book of Zechariah [in Smaller Chunks]

O Lebanon, open your doors, [so] that the fire may devour your cedars. Howl, fir tree; for the cedar [has] fallen, because the mighty are [plundered.] O you oaks of Bashan, howl: for the forest of the [vineyard has] come down.

[2 Chronicles 36:18-21 And [from] the house of God, he brought all these vessels [large] & small & the treasures [from] the [Lord's] house, & the treasures [from] the king & his princes, to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, destroyed all [its beautiful] vessels. And [he] [broke] down the wall of Jerusalem, & burnt all [its] palaces with fire.

And he carried away [those, who] had escaped from the sword, to Babylon; where they were servants to him, & to his sons until the [rule] of the kingdom of Persia: to fulfill the Word of the Lord, by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed [its] Sabbaths. For she lay desolate, she kept [its] [Sabbaths,] to fulfill 70 years.]

There is the [sound] of the shepherds howling: for their glory is [plundered.] A [sound] of the young lions roaring, for the pride of Jordan is [plundered.] The Lord my God says [this;] Feed the flock [from] the slaughter; whose [owners slaughter] them, & [consider] themselves [innocent.]

[Leviticus 25:39-40 And if your brother, [who lives] by you [grows] poor, & [is] sold to you; you shall not [force] him to serve [like] a [slave.] But he shall be with you, & serve you until the year of jubilee, [like a] hired servant, & [like] a sojourner, [a.k.a. someone who temporarily resides there.]

And [those, who] sell them say: Blessed [is] the Lord; for I am rich & their own shepherds [don't] pity them. [Jeremiah 50:6-7 My people [have] been lost sheep. Their shepherds have caused them to go astray & they have turned them away on the mountains.

They have gone from mountain to hill, & they have forgotten their [place to rest.] All, [who] found them, have devoured them. And their [enemies] said, We [don't] offend, because they have sinned against the Lord, [where] Justice [resides,] even the Lord, the hope of their [forefathers.]

The Lord says, For I will no [longer] pity the inhabitants of the land. But, [look,] I will deliver the men, everyone into his neighbor's hand, & into the hand of his king. [Ezekiel 34:31 And you, My flock, the flock of My pasture are men, & I Am your God, says the Lord God.]

And they shall [attack] the land, & I won't deliver them out of their hand. [Judges 10:13-14 [Still,] you have [abandoned] Me, & served other gods. [For this reason,] I will no [longer] deliver you. Go & cry [out] to the gods [that] you have chosen. Let them deliver you in your time of tribulation.]

And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took to [myself] 2 staves, [a.k.a. 2 [staffs,] or 2 shepherd's crooks.] The one, I called Beauty, [a.k.a. Grace,] & the other I called Bands, [a.k.a. Unity,] & I fed my flock.

Also, I cut off 3 shepherds in 1 month. My soul [despised] them, & their soul [detested] me. [Ezekiel 6:6-7 In all [the places you dwell,] the cities shall be laid [to] [waste,] & the high places shall be desolate, [so] that your altars may be laid [to] waste & made desolate.

And your idols may be: broken & [come to an end;] & your images may be cut down, & your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, & you shall know that I Am the Lord.]

Then, I said, I won't feed you. That [which] dies, let it die. And that [which] is to be cut off, let it be cut off. And let [all] the rest eat the flesh of one another. [Jeremiah 19:9 And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons & daughters. And everyone shall eat the flesh of his friend in the [attack] & [the famine, with which] their enemies & [those, who] seek their lives, shall [cut them off & starve] them.]

And I took my staff, even Beauty, & cut it [in two, so] that I might break my covenant, [contract, that] I had made with all the people, & it was broken [on] that day. And so the poor of the flock, [who] waited upon me, knew that it was the Word of the Lord. [Acts 3:24-25 [Yes,] & all the prophets from Samuel, & those, [who] followed [afterwards,] as many as have spoken, have [also] foretold of these days.

*You are the children of the prophets, & of the covenant, [that] God made with our [forefathers,] saying to Abraham, And in your seed, [a.k.a. offspring, or descendants,] all the [families] of the earth shall be blessed. First, unto You, God, having raised up His Son, Jesus, & sent Him to bless you, in turning everyone of you away from his [sinfulness.]

*And I said to them, If you think [it's] good, give me my price, & if not, [refrain] [from doing so.] So, they weighed out for my price, 30 pieces of silver. [Matthew 26:14-17 Then, 1 of the 12, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, & said to them, What will you give me, & I will deliver Him to you? And they [contracted] with him for 30 pieces of silver.

And from that time, [Judas] sought an opportunity to betray Him. Now, [on] the 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, Where [do You want] that we prepare for You to eat the Passover?]

*And the Lord said to me, [Throw] it to the potter: a goodly price, that I was [priced] at, [by] them. And in the [Lords'] house, I took the 30 pieces of silver, & [threw] them to the potter. [Matthew 27:1-10 When the morning [had] come, all the chief priests, & elders of the people, [consulted,] against Jesus, to put Him to death.

And when they had bound Him, they led Him away, & delivered Him to Pontius Pilate, the governor. Then, when Judas, [who] had betrayed Him, saw that He was condemned, [felt remorseful,] & brought again the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests, & elders, saying, I have sinned, in that, I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? You, see to that.

And he [threw] down the pieces of silver in the temple, & departed, & went & [hung] himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, & said, It isn't lawful for us to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they [consulted,] & bought with [the 30 silver pieces,] the Potter's Field to bury strangers in.

[For this reason,] that field was called, The Field of Blood, [until] this day. Then, was fulfilled, [what] was spoken by [Jeremiah,] the prophet, saying, *And they took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of Him, [Who] was valued, Whom, [those] of the children [people] of Israel [valued;] & gave them for the Potter's Field, as the Lord [directed.]

Then, I cut [in two, my] other staff, even Bands, [so] that I might break the brotherhood, [a.k.a. alliance,] between Judah & Israel. And the Lord said to me, [Still,] take [for yourself,] the instruments, [a.k.a. shepherd's crook, etc.,] of a foolish shepherd.

For, [look,] I will raise up a shepherd in the land, [who] shall not visit those [who are] cut off. Neither shall [he] seek the young [ones;] nor heal [those] that [are] broken, nor feed [those] that stand still. But he shall eat the [meat] of the [fattest ones,] & tear their [hooves] in pieces.

[Micah 3:1-3 And I said, I pray [that] you hear, O heads of Jacob & you princes of the House of Israel. Isn't [it] for you to know [justice?] [These] who hate the good, & love the evil; who [peel] off their skin from them, & [strip] their flesh from their bones. Who also eat the flesh of My people, & [filet] their skin off them, & break their bones, & chop them in pieces, [like] for the pot, & [like meat] within a caldron.]

Woe to the [shepherds] [of] idols, [who] leaves the flock! [Jeremiah 50:6-7 My people [have] been lost sheep. Their shepherds have caused them to go astray. They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill, & they have forgotten their resting place.

All [who] found them, have devoured them. And their [enemies] said, We [haven't offended,] because they have sinned against the Lord, [where] Justice [resides,] even the Lord, the hope of their [forefathers.]

The sword shall be [against] his arm, & [against] his right eye, & his arm shall be [totally] dried up, & his right eye shall be [totally dark.] [Isaiah 52:10 The Lord has made His Holy Arm bare, in the eyes of all the nations. And all the ends of the earth shall see the Salvation of our God.]

Zechariah 10:1-12 They Went Their Way Like a Troubled Flock Without a Shepherd

 

They Went Their Way Like a Troubled Flock Without a Shepherd

Zechariah 10:1-12         The Book of Zechariah [in Smaller Chunks]

You, ask the Lord [for] rain, in the time of the latter rain, [a.k.a. Spring rain,] so [that] the Lord shall make [the] clouds bright, & give them showers of rain, to  [water] [everyone's] grass in the field.

[Jeremiah 14:22 Are there any, among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Aren't You, He, O Lord our God? Therefore, we will wait upon You: for You have made all these things.]

For the idols have spoken vanity, & the diviners have seen a lie, & have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore, they went [on] their way, [like] a flock. They were troubled, because there was no shepherd. [Jeremiah 23:1-2 The Lord says, Woe be to the pastors, [a.k.a. shepherds, who] destroy & scatter the sheep of My pasture!

Therefore, The Lord God of Israel says [this] against the pastors, [who] feed My people; You have scattered My flock, & [have] driven them away, & haven't visited them. [Watch,] I will visit, [a.k.a. punish,] you [for] the evil of your [actions,] says the Lord.]

[My] anger [has grown] against the shepherds, & I punished the goats. For the Lord of Hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah, & has made them [like] His [favorite] horse, in the battle.

[Matthew 25:32-33 And all nations shall be gathered [in front of] Him. And He shall separate them one from another, [like] a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He shall [put] the sheep on His right hand [side,] but the goats on the left.]

Out of Him, came [out] the corner. [Luke 20:17-20 *And He [watched] them, & said, Then, what is this that is written, The stone [that] the builders rejected, the same [has] become the head of the corner? *[Whoever] shall fall upon that stone shall be broken.

But on [whomever] it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And the chief priests & scribes sought to lay hands on Him the same hour. And they feared the people: for they [realized] that He has spoken this parable against them.

And they watched Him, & sent [out] spies, [who] should [pretend] themselves [to be] just men, [so] that they might take hold of His Words, so that they might deliver Him to the power & authority of the governor.]

Out of Him, [came] the nail. [Isaiah 22:22-23 *And I will lay upon His shoulder, the Key of the house of David, so He shall open, & none shall shut. And He shall shut, & none shall open. And I will fasten Him, [like] a nail in a [secure] place. And He shall be for a glorious throne [in] His Father's house.]

Out of Him [came] the bow [for the] battle. [Revelation 6:2 And I [looked] & [saw] a white horse. And He, [Who] sat on him had a bow. And a crown was given to Him. And He went [out] conquering, & to conquer.]

Out of Him, every oppressor [came] together. [Isaiah 60:14-15 Also, the sons of [those, who] afflicted you shall come bending to you. And all [those, who] despised you, shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet.

And they shall call you, The City of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. [Since,] you [have] been [abandoned,] & hated, so that no man went through you, I will make you [of] eternal [excellence,] a joy [for] many generations.]

And they shall be [like] mighty men, [who] in battle [trample] down their enemies in the [mud] of the streets. And they shall fight, because the Lord is with them. And the [horse] riders shall be [put to shame.] [Psalm 18:42 Then, I did beat them [as fine] as the dust, [in front of] the wind. I did [throw] them out [like] the dirt in the streets.]

And I will strengthen the house of Judah, & I will save the house of Joseph. And I will [return] them again, to place them. For I have mercy upon them, & they shall be as though I hadn't cast them off. For I Am the Lord their God, & will hear them.

[Isaiah 54:7-8 For a small moment I have [abandoned] you; but I will gather you with great mercies. In a little [anger,] I hid My face from you for a moment. But I will have mercy on you with everlasting kindness, says the Lord your Redeemer.]

And [those] of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, & their heart shall rejoice [like, by] wine. [Yes,] their children shall see it, & be glad. Their [hearts] shall rejoice in the Lord. [Psalm 104:15 And wine makes the heart of man glad. And oil [makes] his face shine, & bread strengthens [a] man's heart.]

I will [whistle] for them, & gather them; for I have redeemed them. And they shall increase [like] they have [previously] increased. And I will sow them among the people. And they shall remember Me in far countries. And they shall live with their children, & [return] again.

[Hosea 2:23 And [on] the earth, I will sow her [like seed] to Me. And I will have mercy upon her, that hadn't obtained mercy. And I will say to [those, who] weren't My people, You are My people. And they shall say, You are my God.]

I will also bring them again out of the land of Egypt, & gather them out of Assyria. And I will bring them into the land of Gilead & Lebanon, [until no] more [places] shall be found for them. And with affliction, He shall pass through the sea, & shall [strike] the waves [of] the sea.

And all the [deep] [waters] of the river shall dry up. [Exodus 14:21-22 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; & the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong [East] wind, all that night & made the sea dry land.

And the waters were divided, & the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, upon the dry ground. And the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, & one their left.]

And [Assyria's] pride shall be brought down. [Isaiah 37:18-20 [Truthfully,] Lord, the kings of Assyria, have laid [to] waste all the nations & their countries. And have cast their gods into the fire. For they [weren't] gods, but the work of men's hands: wood & stone.

Therefore, they have destroyed them. [For this reason,] now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, [so] that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you Are the Lord, even Only You.]

And the scepter of Egypt shall depart away. [Isaiah 19:1 The [vision about] Egypt. [Look,] the Lord rides upon a swift cloud, & shall come into Egypt. And the idols of Egypt shall be [removed] at His presence, & the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.]

And I will strengthen them [about] the Lord. And they shall walk up & down in His Name, says the Lord.

Zechariah 9:1-17 Greatly Rejoice, O Daughter of Zion & Daughter of Judah

 

Greatly Rejoice, O Daughter of Zion & Daughter of Judah

Zechariah 9:1-17         The Book of Zechariah [in Smaller Chunks]

The burden, [a.k.a. vision,] of the Word of the Lord [against] the land of Hadrach. And Damascus shall be [its] [place of] rest, [there.]  When the eyes of man, [like] the [eyes] of all the tribes of Israel, shall be [focused on] the Lord.

And also, Hamath shall border [by:] Tyrus, [a.k.a. Tyre;] & Zidon, [a.k.a. Sidon, although it's] very wise. [Ezekiel 28:5-7 By your great wisdom & your [sales & trading,] you have increased your riches, & your heart is lifted up, because of your riches.

Therefore, The Lord God says [this;] Because you [have] set your heart [like] the heart of God, therefore, [watch,] I will bring strangers upon you, the terrible of the nations. And they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, & they shall defile your brightness, [a.k.a. intelligence.]

And Tyrus [built] herself a stronghold, & heaped up silver [like] dust, & gold [like] the [mud] of the streets. [Look,] the Lord will cast her out, & He will [destroy] her power in the sea. And she shall be devoured with fire.

[Ezekiel 26:17-18 And they shall take up [grieving] for you, & say to you, How [have] you, [been] destroyed, the [famous] city, [who was] inhabited [by] seafaring men, [that were] strong [at] sea?

She & her inhabitants [shall] cause their terror to be on all, [who] visit it! Now, the [coastal islands] shall tremble [on] the day of your fall. [Yes,] the [coastal islands,] that are in the sea shall be troubled at your departure.]

Ashkelon, & Gaza shall see it, & be very sorrowful. And Ekron shall be ashamed for her expectation. And the king shall perish from Gaza. And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. [Zephaniah 2:4-5 For Gaza shall be [abandoned] & Ashkelon [shall be] a desolation.

They shall drive out Ashdod at noon, & Ekron shall be [uprooted.] Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites. O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, the Word of the Lord is against you. I will even destroy you, [so] that there shall be no [inhabitants.]

And [an illegitimate child,] shall dwell in Ashdod. And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. [Nehemiah 13:23-24 [During] those days, I also saw Jews, [who] had married wives: [from] Ashdod, [from] Ammon, & [from] Moab.  And their children [spoke] half in the [language] of Ashdod, & couldn't speak the language of the [Jews,] but [spoke] according to the language of each people.]

And I will take away his [words about] [bloodshed,] out of his mouth, & [take out] his abominations, from between his teeth. But he, [who] remains, even he, shall be for our God. And shall be [like] a governor in: Judah, and Ekron, [shall be] [like] a Jebusite.

And I will [set up tents] around [My] house, because of the army, & because of him, [who] returns. [2 Kings 24:12-13 And Jehoiachin, [Judah's] king, went out to the king of Babylon, he; & his: mother; servants; princes; & officers. And the king of Babylon, [a.k.a. Nebuchadnezzar, captured] him in the 8th year [he ruled.]

And he carried out [of there,] all the treasures of the [Lord's] house, & the treasures of the king's house, & cut in pieces all the gold vessels [that] Solomon, [Israel's] king, had made, as the Lord had said, in the temple of the Lord.]

And no oppressor shall pass through them anymore. For now I have seen with [My] eyes. *Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. [Look,] your King comes to you. He is just, & [has] Salvation, & [is] lowly, riding upon [a donkey,] & upon a colt the foal of [a donkey.]

[Matthew 21:1-5 And when they drew [near] to Jerusalem, & [had] come to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent 2 disciples, saying to them, Go into the village [opposite to] you, & [right away,] you shall find a [donkey] tied, & a colt with her. [Loosen] them, & bring them to Me.

And if any man [says anything] to you, you shall say, The Lord has need of them. And [right away] he will send them. All this was done, [so] that it might be fulfilled [what] was spoken by the prophet, saying, * You, tell the daughter of Sion, [a.k.a. Zion,] Look,] your King comes to you, meek, & sitting upon [a donkey,] & a colt, the foal of [a donkey.]

And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, & the horse from Jerusalem. [Micah 5:10 The Lord says, And it shall [happen on] that day, that I will cut off your horses out of the midst of you, & I will destroy your chariots.]

And the bow [for] battle shall be cut off. And He shall speak [of] peace to the heathen. And His dominion shall be from sea, even to sea, & from the river, even to the ends of the earth.

[Luke 2:28-32 Then, he, [a.k.a. Simeon,] took Him, [a.k.a. Jesus,] up in his arms, & blessed God, & said, Lord, let now, Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word.  For [my] eyes have seen Your Salvation, which You have prepared [in front of] the face of all people. *A light to lighten the Gentiles, & the glory of Your people, Israel.]

As for you, by the blood of your covenant, [contract,] I have also sent [out] your prisoners out of the pit [where there] is no water. [Isaiah 42:6-7 In righteousness, I, the Lord, have called You & will hold Your hand, & will keep You, & give You for a Covenant of the people, & for a light of the Gentiles. *To open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out from the prison, & [those, who] sit in darkness, out of the house of the prison.]

You, [return] to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today, I do declare that I will [give] double to you. [Titus 1:2-3 In hope of eternal life, which God, [Who] cannot lie, promised before the world began.

But [has] in due times [made apparent] His Word through preaching, which [has been appointed] to me, [a.k.a. Paul,] according to the commandment of God our Savior.]

When I have bent Judah, [like a bow,] for Me, & filled the bow with Ephraim, [like an arrow,] & raised up, [a.k.a. lifted up,] your sons, O Zion, [like a spear,] against your sons, O Greece, & made you, [a.k.a. Jerusalem, like] the sword of a mighty man.

And the Lord shall be seen over them, & His arrow shall go [out, like] lightning. [Psalm 18:14 [Yes,] He sent out His arrows & scattered them. And He shot out [lightning,] & [disoriented] them.]

And the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, & shall go [out] with whirlwinds [from] the South. [Isaiah 21:1 The [vision about] the desert [by] the sea. [Like] whirlwinds in the South pass through; so it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.]

The Lord of Hosts shall defend them; & they shall devour, & [bring them under control] with stones [from a] sling. And they shall drink, & make a [sound] as [though by] wine. And they shall be filled like bowls, & [like] the corners of the altar.

[Leviticus 8:14-15 And he brought the [bull] for the sin offering. And Aaron & his sons, [put] their hands upon the head of the [bull] for the sin offering. And he [killed] it; & Moses took the blood, & put it upon the horns, [sprinkling it] [around] the altar with his finger, & purified the altar, & poured the blood [out] at the bottom of the altar, & sanctified it, to make [atonement] upon it.]

And the Lord their God shall save them [on] that day [like] the flock of His people. [John 10:11 I Am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.]

They shall be [like] the [precious] stones of a crown, lifted up [like] a [signet ring,] upon His land. [Malachi 3:17 And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of Hosts. [On] that day when I make up My Jewels, & I will spare them, [like] a man spares his own son, [who] serves him.]

For how great His goodness is, & how great His beauty is! Corn shall make the young men cheerful, & new wine, the [maidens.]