Zechariah 10
1 Make your request to the Lord for rain in the time of the spring rains, even to the Lord who makes the thunder-flames; and he will give them showers of rain, to every man grass in the field.
Ask from the Lord rain, at the time of spring rain, from the Lord who forms the storm clouds, and the showers of rain he gives to you, and green in the field.
2 For the images have said what is not true, and the readers of signs have seen deceit; they have given accounts of false dreams, they give comfort to no purpose: so they go out of the way like sheep, they are troubled because they have no keeper.
But the household gods speak nonsense, and the diviners see lies, and relate idle dreams. In vain they offer comfort, so the people wander like sheep, They suffer because there is no shepherd.
3 My wrath is burning against the keepers of the flock, and I will send punishment on the he-goats: for the Lord of armies takes care of his flock, the people of Judah, and will make them like the horse of his pride in the fight.
My wrath is hot against the shepherds, and on the leaders will I bring punishment. For the Lord cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them his splendid war steeds.
4 From him will come the keystone, from him the nail, from him the bow of war, from him will come every ruler;
From Judah will come the cornerstone and the stay, from them the battle bow, from them goes forth every commander.
5 Together they will be like men of war, crushing down their haters into the earth of the streets in the fight; they will make war because the Lord is with them: and the horsemen will be shamed.
Together they will trample on warriors, as on the dirt of the streets in battle. They fight, for the Lord is with them, putting the riders on horses to shame.
6 And I will make the children of Judah strong, and I will be the saviour of the children of Joseph, and I will make them come back again, for I have had mercy on them: they will be as if I had not given them up: for I am the Lord their God and I will give them an answer.
I will make strong the house of Judah, I will bring deliverance to the house of Joseph, I will bring them back for I have compassion on them, they will be as if I had not driven them away. For I am the Lord their God and will answer them.
7 And Ephraim will be like a man of war, and their hearts will be glad as with wine; and their children will see it with joy; their hearts will be glad in the Lord.
The Ephraimites will be like warriors, their hearts will rejoice as with wine, their children will see and rejoice. Their hearts will exult in the Lord.
8 With the sound of the pipe I will get them together; for I have given the price to make them free: and they will be increased as they were increased.
I will whistle for them, and gather them, and they will be as many as they once were.
9 Though I had them planted among the peoples, they will keep me in mind in far countries: and they will take care of their children and will come back.
I will sow them among the peoples, but in distant lands they will remember me, and they will bring up their children and come back.
10 And I will make them come back out of the land of Egypt, and will get them together out of Assyria; and I will take them into the land of Gilead, and it will not be wide enough for them.
I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and from Assyria will I gather them. Into the land of Gilead and Lebanon I will bring them, until the land overflows with them.
11 And they will go through the sea of Egypt, and all the deep waters of the Nile will become dry: and the pride of Assyria will be made low, and the power of Egypt will be taken away.
And when they pass through the sea of distress, I will strike down the waves of the sea, and all the deeps of the Nile will be dried up. The pride of Assyria will be brought low and the sceptre of Egypt turned aside.
12 And their strength will be in the Lord; and their pride will be in his name, says the Lord.
I will make them strong in the Lord, they will walk in his name, says the Lord.
