4. Thus hath the Lord my God said, Feed the flock of the slaughter,
5. whose buyers slayed them and held themselves not guilty; and he that sold them said, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and not even their own shepherds had compassion on them.
6. Therefore I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord; but, behold, I will deliver the men each one into his neighbour’s hand and into the hand of his king; and they shall smite the land, and I will not deliver them out of their hands.
7. And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. For I took unto me two staves: the one I named Beauty, and the other Bands; and I fed the flock.
8. I also cut off three shepherds in one month; and my soul was in anguish for them, and their soul also abhorred me.
9. Then I said, I will not feed you any longer; the one that dies, let it die; and the one that is to be lost, let it be lost; and let the rest eat each 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 peoples.