Zechariah 10
King James Version
10 Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
2 For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.
3 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
4 Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.
5 And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.
6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them.
7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.
9 And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.
10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.
11 And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.
12 And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord.
Zechariah 10
Expanded Bible
The Lord’s Promises
10 Ask the Lord for rain during the ·springtime [L latter] rains.
The Lord is the one who makes the storm clouds.
He sends the showers
and gives everyone ·green [plants in the] fields.
2 ·Idols [Household gods; L Teraphim; Gen. 31:19] ·tell lies [or give worthless counsel];
fortune-tellers see ·false [lying] visions
and tell about false dreams.
The comfort they give is ·worth nothing [in vain].
So the people ·are [wander] like lost sheep.
They are ·abused [oppressed; or in distress], because there is no shepherd.
3 The Lord says, “·I am angry [My anger burns] at my shepherds,
and I will punish the ·leaders [L lead goats].
I, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], care
for my flock, the ·people [L house] of Judah.
I will make them like my ·proud [majestic] war horses.
4 From ·Judah [L him] will come the cornerstone,
and the tent peg,
the battle bow,
and every ruler.
5 Together they will be like ·soldiers [mighty men]
·marching to battle [or trampling their enemies] through muddy streets.
The Lord is with them,
so they will fight and ·defeat [L put to shame] the horsemen.
6 “I will strengthen the ·people [L house] of Judah
and save the ·people [L house] of Joseph.
I will bring them back,
because I ·care about [have compassion on] them.
It will be as though
I had never ·left [rejected] them,
because I am the Lord their God,
and I will ·answer [hear] them.
7 The people of Ephraim will be strong like ·soldiers [mighty men];
·they will be glad [L their hearts will rejoice] as when they have drunk wine.
Their children will see it and rejoice;
they will ·be happy [rejoice] in the Lord.
8 I will ·call [signal/whistle for] my people
and gather them together.
I will ·save [redeem] them,
and they grow as numerous as they were before.
9 I have scattered them among the nations,
but in those faraway places, they will remember me.
They and their children will ·live [survive; sprout forth] and return.
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon
until there isn’t enough room for them all.
11 ·They [or The Lord; L He] will come through the sea of trouble [C as at the Red/or Reed Sea; Ex. 14:22].
The waves of the sea will be calm,
and the ·Nile River [L depths of the Nile/River] will dry up.
I will ·defeat [bring down; humble] Assyria’s pride
and destroy Egypt’s ·power over other countries [L scepter; C ruling authority].
12 I will make my people strong [L in the Lord],
and they will ·live as I say [L walk in my name],” says the Lord.
Zechariah 10
The Message
God’s Work of Rebuilding
10 Pray to God for rain—it’s time for the spring rain—
to God, the rainmaker,
Spring thunderstorm maker,
maker of grain and barley.
2-3 “Store-bought gods babble gibberish.
Religious experts spout rubbish.
They pontificate hot air.
Their prescriptions are nothing but smoke.
And so the people wander like lost sheep,
poor lost sheep without a shepherd.
I’m furious with the so-called shepherds.
They’re worse than billy goats, and I’ll treat them like goats.”
* * *
3-5 God-of-the-Angel-Armies will step in
and take care of his flock, the people of Judah.
He’ll revive their spirits,
make them proud to be on God’s side.
God will use them in his work of rebuilding,
use them as foundations and pillars,
Use them as tools and instruments,
use them to oversee his work.
They’ll be a workforce to be proud of, working as one,
their heads held high, striding through swamps and mud,
Courageous and vigorous because God is with them,
undeterred by the world’s thugs.
* * *
6-12 “I’ll put muscle in the people of Judah;
I’ll save the people of Joseph.
I know their pain and will make them good as new.
They’ll get a fresh start, as if nothing had ever happened.
And why? Because I am their very own God,
I’ll do what needs to be done for them.
The people of Ephraim will be famous,
their lives brimming with joy.
Their children will get in on it, too—
oh, let them feel blessed by God!
I’ll whistle and they’ll all come running.
I’ve set them free—oh, how they’ll flourish!
Even though I scattered them to the far corners of earth,
they’ll remember me in the faraway places.
They’ll keep the story alive in their children,
and they will come back.
I’ll bring them back from the Egyptian west
and round them up from the Assyrian east.
I’ll bring them back to sweet Gilead,
back to leafy Lebanon.
Every square foot of land
will be marked by homecoming.
They’ll sail through troubled seas, brush aside brash ocean waves.
Roaring rivers will turn to a trickle.
Gaudy Assyria will be stripped bare,
bully Egypt exposed as a fraud.
But my people—oh, I’ll make them strong, God-strong!
and they’ll live my way.” God says so!
* * *
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson