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Yahweh Gives Rain

10 Ask rain from Yahweh in the season of the spring rain—

Yahweh, who makes storm clouds,
and he gives showers of rain to them,
    to everyone vegetation in the field.
Because the household gods[a] speak deceit,
    and those who practice divination see a lie,
and the dreamers of vanity speak in vain.
    Therefore the people wander like sheep;[b]
they are afflicted because there is no shepherd.
My anger burns[c] against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders,[d]
because Yahweh of hosts watches over his flock,[e]
    the house of Judah;
        and he will make them like his majestic horse in war.
From them[f] the cornerstone will go out,
    from them[g] the tent peg,
from them[h] the battle bow,
    from them[i] every ruler,
        all together.
And they will be like warriors,
    trampling in the mud of the streets in the battle.
They will fight, because Yahweh is with them,
    and they will put to shame the riders on horses.
And I will strengthen the house of Judah,
    and the house of Joseph I will save.
And I will bring them back, because I have compassion on them,
    and they will be as if I had not rejected them,
    for I am Yahweh their God, and I will answer them.
And the people of Ephraim will be like a warrior,
    and their heart will be glad as with wine.
And their children will see and rejoice;
    their heart will shout in exultation in Yahweh.
I will whistle to them and gather them,
    for I have redeemed them,
    and they will become numerous as they have been numerous before.
Though I sow[j] them among the nations,
    in the distant places they will remember me,
    and they will stay alive with their children, and they will return.
10 And I will bring them back from the land of Egypt,
    and from Assyria I will gather them.
To the land of Gilead and Lebanon I will bring them,
    until no room will be found for them there.
11 And he[k] will pass through the sea of distress,
    and he will strike the waves of the sea,
    and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.
The pride of Assyria will be brought low,
    and the scepter of Egypt will depart.
12 I will make them strong in Yahweh,
    and in his name they will walk,
        declares[l] Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:2 Hebrew teraphim
  2. Zechariah 10:2 Or “flocks”; the Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  3. Zechariah 10:3 Literally “My nose becomes hot”
  4. Zechariah 10:3 Or “male goats”
  5. Zechariah 10:3 Or “herd”
  6. Zechariah 10:4 Hebrew “him” (or “it”), referring to the flock in v. 3
  7. Zechariah 10:4 Hebrew “him” (or “it”), referring to the flock in v. 3
  8. Zechariah 10:4 Hebrew “him” (or “it”), referring to the flock in v. 3
  9. Zechariah 10:4 Hebrew “him” (or “it”), referring to the flock in v. 3
  10. Zechariah 10:9 Or “scatter”
  11. Zechariah 10:11 LXX reads “they,” referring to the Israelites (so NIV, NRSV, NASB)
  12. Zechariah 10:12 Literally “declaration of”

The Restoration for Judah and Israel

10 Ask rain (A)from the Lord
    in the season of (B)the spring rain,
from the Lord (C)who makes the storm clouds,
    and (D)he will give them showers of rain,
    to everyone the vegetation in the field.
For (E)the household gods (F)utter nonsense,
    and the diviners see lies;
(G)they tell false dreams
    and give empty consolation.
Therefore (H)the people wander like sheep;
    they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

(I)“My anger is hot against the shepherds,
    and (J)I will punish the leaders;[a]
for (K)the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah,
    and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.
From him shall come (L)the cornerstone,
    from him (M)the tent peg,
from him the battle bow,
    from him every ruler—(N)all of them together.
They shall be like mighty men in battle,
    (O)trampling the foe in the mud of the streets;
they shall fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they shall put to shame (P)the riders on horses.

(Q)“I will strengthen the house of Judah,
    and (R)I will save the house of Joseph.
(S)I will bring them back (T)because I have compassion on them,
    and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
    for (U)I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.
Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,
    and (V)their hearts shall be glad as with wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad;
    their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.

(W)“I will whistle for them and (X)gather them in,
    for I have redeemed them,
    and (Y)they shall be as many as they were before.
(Z)Though I scattered them among the nations,
    yet in far countries (AA)they shall remember me,
    and with their children they shall live and return.
10 (AB)I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,
    and gather them from Assyria,
and (AC)I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,
    (AD)till there is no room for them.
11 (AE)He shall pass through the sea of troubles
    and strike down the waves of the sea,
    (AF)and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.
The pride of Assyria shall be laid low,
    and (AG)the scepter of Egypt shall depart.
12 (AH)I will make them strong in the Lord,
    and (AI)they shall walk in his name,”
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:3 Hebrew the male goats