Zechariah 11:17

¹⁵ And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

¹⁶ For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered and his right eye utterly blinded!”
KJV: Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
WEB: Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”
ASV: Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
DARBY: Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye utterly darkened.
BLB: Woe to the worthless shepherd, leaving behind the flock. May a sword [be] against his arm and against his right eye. May his arm completely wither, and his right eye be exceedingly!”

ÅB: Ve den dårlige hyrde, som forlater sauene! Sverd over hans arm og over hans høyre øye! Hans arm skal visne bort, og hans høyre øye skal utslukkes.
[^1]: herlige beitemark; JER 25, 36.
[^2]: JER 12, 5.
[^3]: SKR 11, 14.
OTB: Ve den verdiløse hyrden
som forlater flokken!
Måtte sverdet slå hans arm og hans høyre øye!
Måtte hans arm bli fullstendig visnet,
og hans høyre øye bli helt blindet!»
B1930: Ve den dårlige hyrde, som forlater fårene! Sverd over hans arm og over hans høire øie! Hans arm skal visne bort, og hans høire øie skal utslukkes.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 23:1
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
Read in context
Ezekiel 13:3
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
Read in context
Ezekiel 34:2
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
Read in context
1 Corinthians 8:4
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
Read in context
Isaiah 42:19–20
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’s servant?
Read in context
Matthew 23:16
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
Read in context
1 Corinthians 10:19–20
What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
Read in context
Amos 8:9–10
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:
Read in context