Zechariah 10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Lord Restores His People
10 Ask the Lord for rain
in the season of spring rain.
The Lord makes the rain clouds,
and He will give them showers of rain
and crops in the field for everyone.(A)
2 For the idols speak falsehood,
and the diviners(B) see illusions;
they relate empty dreams
and offer empty comfort.
Therefore the people wander like sheep;
they suffer affliction because there is no shepherd.
3 My anger burns against the shepherds,
so I will punish the leaders.[a]
For the Lord of Hosts has tended His flock,
the house of Judah;
He will make them like His majestic steed in battle.
4 The cornerstone(C) will come from Judah.[b]
The tent peg(D) will come from them
and also the battle bow(E) and every[c] ruler.
Together 5 they will be like warriors in battle
trampling down the mud of the streets.
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
and they will put horsemen to shame.
6 I will strengthen the house of Judah
and deliver the house of Joseph.[d]
I will restore[e] them
because I have compassion on them,
and they will be
as though I had never rejected them.(F)
For I am Yahweh their God,
and I will answer them.
7 Ephraim(G) will be like a warrior,
and their hearts will be glad as if with wine.
Their children will see it and be glad;(H)
their hearts will rejoice in Yahweh.
8 I will whistle(I) and gather them
because I have redeemed(J) them;
they will be as numerous as they once were.
9 Though I sow(K) them among the nations,
they will remember(L) Me in the distant lands;
they and their children will live and return.
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to the land of Gilead(M)
and to Lebanon,
but it will not be enough for them.
11 Yahweh[f] will pass through the sea of distress
and strike the waves of the sea;
all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(N)
The pride of Assyria will be brought down,
and the scepter of Egypt will come to an end.
12 I will strengthen(O) them in Yahweh,
and they will march(P) in His name—
this is Yahweh’s declaration.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 10:3 Lit male goats
- Zechariah 10:4 Lit them
- Zechariah 10:4 Lit also from them the . . . , from them every
- Zechariah 10:6 = the northern kingdom
- Zechariah 10:6 Other Hb mss, LXX read settle
- Zechariah 10:11 Lit He
Zechariah 10
Common English Bible
Fate of Judah and Ephraim
10 Ask the Lord for rain when it is time for the spring rain.
The Lord is the one who makes the thunderstorms.
He gives them rain showers.
He gives vegetation in the field to each of them.[a]
2 The household divine images
speak idolatry, and diviners see lies.
They interpret dreams falsely
and provide empty comfort.
Therefore, they wander like sheep,
but they are oppressed because there is no shepherd.
3 My anger burns hot against the shepherds;
I will punish the goats.
The Lord of heavenly forces will take care of his splendor, the house of Judah.
He will make them like his majestic horse in battle.
4 The cornerstone, the tent peg, and the bow used in battle will come from Judah.
Every oppressor will leave Judah simultaneously.
5 Judah will be like warriors,
trampling through the muddy streets during battle.
They will do battle because the Lord is with them.
All the cavalry will be ashamed.
6 I will strengthen the house of Judah
and deliver the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back[b] because I have compassion on them.
They will be as though I hadn’t rejected them, for I am the Lord their God;
I will respond to them.
7 Ephraim will be like a warrior.
They will be as glad as if they were drinking wine.
Their children will watch and be glad.
Their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will whistle for them and gather them,
because I have ransomed them.
They will be as numerous as they were previously.
9 Though I sowed them among the peoples,
they will remember me in the distant places
where they are living with their children until they return.
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt;
I will collect them from Assyria.
I will bring them to the land of Gilead and Lebanon
until there is no more room for them.
11 They[c] will pass through the sea of distress
and strike the sea with waves.[d]
All the depths of the river will dry up.
The pride of Assyria will be brought down;
the scepter of Egypt will turn away.
12 I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they will walk in his name, says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 10:1 Heb lacks of them.
- Zechariah 10:6 Or I will restore them
- Zechariah 10:11 LXX; MT he
- Zechariah 10:11 Heb uncertain
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