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 for rain from Yahweh in the season of the spring rain— Yahweh who makes thunderstorms— and he gives rain showers to everyone and vegetation 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 household idols speak falsely; the diviners envision a lie; they tell deceitful dreams and give empty comfort, so they wander like sheep and 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 burns against the shepherds; it is the male goats—the leaders—that I will punish. Yahweh of hosts will also attend to his flock, the house of Judah, and make them like his warhorse in battle!

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; from him will come the tent peg; from him will come the war bow; from him will come every ruler 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 who trample their enemies into the mud of the streets in battle; they will make war, for Yahweh is with them, and they will shame those who ride warhorses.

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 house of Judah and save the house of Joseph; for I will restore them and have mercy on them. They will be as though I had not cast them off, for I am Yahweh their God, and I will respond to 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.

Then Ephraim will be like a warrior, and their hearts will rejoice as with wine; their children will see and rejoice. Their hearts will rejoice in me!

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, for I will rescue them, and they will become as great as they previously 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 sowed them among the peoples, but they will remember me in distant countries, so they and their children will live and 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.

For I will restore them from the land of Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to the land of Gilead and Lebanon until there is no more 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.

I will pass through the sea of their affliction; I will strike the waves of that sea and will dry up all the depths of the Nile. The majesty of Assyria will be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt will go away from the Egyptians.

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

I will strengthen them in myself, and they will walk in my name—this is Yahweh's declaration.”