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The Lord’s Care for Judah

10 “Ask the Lord for rain in the spring[a]
    the Lord who fashions lightning thunderstorms,
giving rain showers to mankind[b]
    along with grain in the fields.[c]
Truly the family idols[d] talk nonsense
    and the diviners discern lies,
        describing delusional dreams.
Since their comfort is vacuous,
    they wander off on their own like sheep,
        because there is no shepherd.

“Against the shepherds my anger rises—
    I am punishing the leaders[e] also,
because the Lord of the Heavenly Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah,
    appointing them as his royal war horse for battle.
From them arises[f] the cornerstone and tent peg,
    from them the battle bow,
        from them arise all sorts of oppressive rulers.
They will be like mighty soldiers
    who trample mud in the streets during battle.
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and the opposing[g] horsemen will be confused.

“I will fortify the house of Judah,
    and the house of Joseph I will save.
I will surely bring them back,
    because I care about them.
They will be as if I had never cast them away.
    Since I am the Lord their God,
        I will answer them.

“The people of Ephraim will become like mighty soldiers;
    they will be glad, like those who have wine.
Their children will see this and rejoice;
    their hearts will find joy in the Lord.
I will whistle for them, gathering them together,
    because I have redeemed them,
        and they will multiply as they were before.[h]
I will scatter them among the nations,
    and so they will remember me in distant countries.
They will rear their children,
    and they will return.
10 I will bring them once again out of the land of Egypt,
    gathering them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
    but there will not be enough space for them.
11 They[i] will pass through the sea of affliction,
    and they[j] will strike the waves[k] in that sea.
All of the depths of the Nile will evaporate,
    Assyria’s arrogance will be brought down low,
        and the ruling power[l] of Egypt will disappear.

12 “I will strengthen them in the Lord,
    and they will march here and there in his name,”
        declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:1 Lit. the season of the latter rain; i.e. the March and April rains
  2. Zechariah 10:1 Lit. them
  3. Zechariah 10:1 Lit. fields to a man
  4. Zechariah 10:2 Lit. the teraphim; i.e. household images apparently used for divination
  5. Zechariah 10:3 Lit. rams
  6. Zechariah 10:4 The Heb. lacks arises
  7. Zechariah 10:5 The Heb. lacks opposing
  8. Zechariah 10:8 Lit. will increase as they increased
  9. Zechariah 10:11 So LXX. MT reads He will
  10. Zechariah 10:11 So LXX. MT reads He will
  11. Zechariah 10:11 I.e. perhaps reminiscent of Elijah striking the Jordan River; cf. 2Kings 2:8
  12. Zechariah 10:11 Lit. the scepter

The Lord Will Care for Judah

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;
    it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
He gives showers of rain(A) to all people,
    and plants of the field(B) to everyone.
The idols(C) speak deceitfully,
    diviners(D) see visions that lie;
they tell dreams(E) that are false,
    they give comfort in vain.(F)
Therefore the people wander like sheep
    oppressed for lack of a shepherd.(G)

“My anger burns against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;(H)
for the Lord Almighty will care
    for his flock, the people of Judah,
    and make them like a proud horse in battle.(I)
From Judah will come the cornerstone,(J)
    from him the tent peg,(K)
from him the battle bow,(L)
    from him every ruler.
Together they[a] will be like warriors in battle
    trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.(M)
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.(N)

“I will strengthen(O) Judah
    and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
    because I have compassion(P) on them.(Q)
They will be as though
    I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
    and I will answer(R) them.
The Ephraimites will become like warriors,
    and their hearts will be glad as with wine.(S)
Their children will see it and be joyful;
    their hearts will rejoice(T) in the Lord.
I will signal(U) for them
    and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
    they will be as numerous(V) as before.
Though I scatter them among the peoples,
    yet in distant lands they will remember me.(W)
They and their children will survive,
    and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt
    and gather them from Assyria.(X)
I will bring them to Gilead(Y) and Lebanon,
    and there will not be room(Z) enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble;
    the surging sea will be subdued
    and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(AA)
Assyria’s pride(AB) will be brought down
    and Egypt’s scepter(AC) will pass away.(AD)
12 I will strengthen(AE) them in the Lord
    and in his name they will live securely,(AF)
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / They

10 Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.

Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.

And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.

And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them.

And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.

I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.

And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.

10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.

11 And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.

12 And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord.