Zechariah 10

1 Ask ye of Jehovah rain in the time of the latter rain! It is Jehovah that maketh the lightning; And he will give you abundant showers, To every one the herb of 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 teraphim speak falsehood, And the diviners see a lie, And the dreams speak falsehood; Vain are their consolations. Therefore they wander as a flock; They are in distress, because 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 is kindled against the shepherds, And the bucks will I punish; For Jehovah of hosts will visit his flock, the house of Judah, And make them as his goodly 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 shall come forth the corner-stone, From him the nail, From him the battle-bow; From him shall every leader come forth.

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

5 And they shall be as mighty men, Who tread down their enemies in battle as the mire of the streets, And they shall fight, because Jehovah is with them, So that the riders on horses shall be confounded.

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 strengthen the house of Judah, And give victory to the house of Joseph, And I will set them in their dwellings, because I have compassion upon them; And they shall be as though I had not cast them off; For I am Jehovah, their God, and I will hear 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 shall be as a mighty man, And their heart shall rejoice, as through wine; And their sons shall see it and rejoice, Their hearts shall rejoice in Jehovah.

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 will whistle for them, and will gather them; for I have redeemed them; And they shall increase as they increased before.

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

9 Though I scatter them among the nations, Yet in far countries will they remember me; And they shall live with their children, and shall return.

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 bring them back from the land of Egypt, And from Assyria will I gather them; And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and of Lebanon, And there shall not be room 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 he shall pass through the sea of distress, And he shall smite the sea of waves, And all the depths of the river shall be dried up; And the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, And the sceptre of Egypt shall depart.

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 will strengthen them through Jehovah, And in his name shall they walk, saith Jehovah.

I will make them strong in the Lord, they will walk in his name, says the Lord.