³ “Against the shepherds my anger rises—
    I am punishing the leaders^[e] also,
because the Lord of the Heavenly Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah,
    appointing them as his royal war horse for battle.
⁴ From them arises^[f] the cornerstone and tent peg,
    from them the battle bow,
        from them arise all sorts of oppressive rulers.
⁵ They will be like mighty soldiers
    who trample mud in the streets during battle.
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and the opposing^[g] horsemen will be confused.

⁶ “I will fortify the house of Judah,
    and the house of Joseph I will save.
I will surely bring them back,
    because I care about them.
They will be as if I had never cast them away.
    Since I am the Lord their God,
        I will answer them.

⁷ “The people of Ephraim will become like mighty soldiers;
    they will be glad, like those who have wine.
Their children will see this and rejoice;
    their hearts will find joy in the Lord.
⁸ I will whistle for them, gathering them together,
    because I have redeemed them,
        and they will multiply as they were before.^[h]
9 I will scatter them among the nations,
    and so they will remember me in distant countries.
They will rear their children,
    and they will return.
¹⁰ I will bring them once again out of the land of Egypt,
    gathering them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
    but there will not be enough space for them.
¹¹ They^[i] will pass through the sea of affliction,
    and they^[j] will strike the waves^[k] in that sea.
All of the depths of the Nile will evaporate,
    Assyria’s arrogance will be brought down low,
        and the ruling power^[l] of Egypt will disappear.

¹² “I will strengthen them in the Lord,
    and they will march here and there in his name,”
        declares the Lord.