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.

Ask the Lord for rain in springtime, for he makes the rainclouds and sends showers to grow crops for everyone.

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.

Household idols give worthless answers, fortune-tellers tell lies, while interpreters of dreams just make things up and offer only false hope. As a result, people wander aimlessly like sheep, suffering because there is no shepherd.

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.

I am angry with the shepherds, I will punish the leaders. For the Lord Almighty cares for his flock, the people of Judah, and will make them like his splendid warhorse.

4 From him [is] a cornerstone, From him a nail, from him a battle-bow, From him goes forth every exactor together.

From the people of Judah will come the cornerstone, from them the tent-peg, the bow used in battle—all their rulers together.

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.

They will be like warriors going into battle, trampling their enemies in the mud. Because the Lord is with them they will fight and defeat the enemy cavalry.

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.

I will strengthen the people of Judah; I will save the people of Joseph. I will bring them back home because I am concerned for them. It will be like I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer their cries for help.

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.

The people of Ephraim will become like warriors, and they will become so happy—as if they had drunk wine. Their children will see what is happening and will be glad too, joyful in the Lord.

8 I hiss for them, and I gather them, For I have redeemed them, And they have multiplied as they multiplied.

I will whistle to them and they will run to me. I will rescue them, and there will be as many as there were before.

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.

I have scattered them like seed among the nations, and in distant places they will remember me. They will bring up their children, and together they will return.

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.

I will bring them back from the land of Egypt; I will gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there won't be enough room 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.

They will pass through the sea of trouble and strike the waves of the sea, and the waters of the Nile will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down, and Egypt's rule will pass away.

12 And I have made them mighty in YHWH, And in His Name they walk up and down,” A declaration of YHWH!

I will make them strong in the Lord, and they will follow all he says, declares the Lord.