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 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 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.

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

From Judah will come the cornerstone and the stay, from them the battle bow, from them goes forth every commander.

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

I will whistle for them, and gather them, and they will be as many as they once were.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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, they will walk in his name, says the Lord.