Add parallel Print Page Options

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”

Restoration of Judah and Israel

10 Ask (A)the Lord for (B)rain
In (C)the time of the [a]latter rain.
The Lord will make [b]flashing clouds;
He will give them showers of rain,
Grass in the field for everyone.

For the (D)idols[c] speak delusion;
The diviners envision (E)lies,
And tell false dreams;
They (F)comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wend their way like (G)sheep;
They are [d]in trouble (H)because there is no shepherd.

“My anger is kindled against the (I)shepherds,
(J)And I will punish the [e]goatherds.
For the Lord of hosts (K)will visit His flock,
The house of Judah,
And (L)will make them as His royal horse in the battle.
From him comes (M)the cornerstone,
From him (N)the tent peg,
From him the battle bow,
From him every [f]ruler together.
They shall be like mighty men,
Who (O)tread down their enemies
In the mire of the streets in the battle.
They shall fight because the Lord is with them,
And the riders on horses shall be put to shame.

“I will strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will save the house of Joseph.
(P)I will bring them back,
Because I (Q)have mercy on them.
They shall be as though I had not cast them aside;
For I am the Lord their God,
And I (R)will hear them.
Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
And their (S)heart shall rejoice as if with wine.
Yes, their children shall see it and be glad;
Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.
I will (T)whistle for them and gather them,
For I will redeem them;
(U)And they shall increase as they once increased.

“I(V) will [g]sow them among the peoples,
And they shall (W)remember Me in far countries;
They shall live, together with their children,
And they shall return.
10 (X)I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,
And gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
(Y)Until no more room is found for them.
11 (Z)He shall pass through the sea with affliction,
And strike the waves of the sea:
All the depths of [h]the River shall dry up.
Then (AA)the pride of Assyria shall be brought down,
And (AB)the scepter of Egypt shall depart.

12 “So I will strengthen them in the Lord,
And (AC)they shall walk up and down in His name,”
Says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:1 Spring rain
  2. Zechariah 10:1 Or lightning flashes
  3. Zechariah 10:2 Heb. teraphim
  4. Zechariah 10:2 afflicted
  5. Zechariah 10:3 Leaders
  6. Zechariah 10:4 Or despot
  7. Zechariah 10:9 Or scatter
  8. Zechariah 10:11 The Nile