< Zechariah 10 >
1 They asked of YHWH rain In a time of spring rain, YHWH is making lightnings, And He gives to them rain [in] showers. To each—the herb in the field.
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.
2 Because the teraphim spoke iniquity, And the diviners have seen a falsehood, And dreams of the vanity they speak, [With] vanity they give comfort, Therefore they have journeyed as a flock, They are afflicted, for there is no shepherd.
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.
3 “My anger burned against the shepherds, And I lay a charge against the male goats, For YHWH of Hosts has inspected His flock, the house of Judah, And set them as His splendid horse in battle.
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.
4 From him [is] a cornerstone, From him a nail, from him a battle-bow, From him goes forth every exactor together.
From him will come the keystone, from him the nail, from him the bow of war, from him will come every ruler;
5 And they have been as heroes, Treading in mire of out-places in battle, And they have fought, for YHWH [is] with them, And have put to shame riders of horses.
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.
6 And I have made the house of Judah mighty, And I save the house of Joseph, And I have caused them to dwell, for I have loved them, And they have been as [if] I had not cast them off, For I [am] their God YHWH, And I answer them.
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.
7 And Ephraim has been as a hero, And their heart has rejoiced as wine, And their sons see, and they have rejoiced, Their heart rejoices in YHWH.
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.
8 I hiss for them, and I gather them, For I have redeemed them, And they have multiplied as they multiplied.
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.
9 And I sow them among peoples, And in far-off places they remember Me, And they have lived with their sons, And they have turned back.
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.
10 And I have brought them back from the land of Egypt, And I gather them from Asshur, And I bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, And [space] is not found for them there.
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.
11 And He has passed over through the sea, And has pressed and struck billows in the sea, And all depths of a flood have been dried up, And the excellence of Asshur has been brought down, And the rod of Egypt turns aside.
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.
12 And I have made them mighty in YHWH, And in His Name they walk up and down,” A declaration of YHWH!
And their strength will be in the Lord; and their pride will be in his name, says the Lord.