4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Feed the sheep that are about to be killed.
5 Their buyers kill them and are not punished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord. I am rich.’ Even the shepherds don’t feel sorry for their sheep.
6 Even I don’t feel sorry anymore for the people of this country,” says the Lord. “I will let everyone be under the power of his neighbor and king. They will bring trouble to the country. And I will not stop them.”
7 So I fed the sheep about to be killed, particularly the weakest ones. Then I took two sticks. I called one Favor. I called the other Union. And I fed the sheep.
8 In one month I got rid of three shepherds. The flock hated me, and I got impatient with them.
9 I said, “I will no longer take care of you like a shepherd. Let those that are dying die. Let those that are to be destroyed be destroyed. Let those that are left eat each other.”
10 Then I broke the stick named Favor. This broke the agreement God made with his people.