God Will Bless Judah and Ephraim

10 Ask for (A)rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—

The Lord who (B)makes the [a]storm winds;
And He will give them (C)showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each person.
For the [b](D)household idols speak deception,
And the (E)diviners see [c]an illusion
And tell (F)deceitful dreams;
They comfort in vain.
Therefore the people [d]wander like (G)sheep,
They are wretched because there is no shepherd.
“My (H)anger is kindled against the shepherds,
And I will punish the [e]male goats;
For the Lord of armies has (I)visited His flock, the house of Judah,
And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
From [f]them will come the (J)cornerstone,
From [g]them the tent peg,
From [h]them the bow of (K)battle,
From [i]them every tyrant, all of them together.
And they will be like warriors,
(L)Trampling down the enemy in the mud of the streets in battle;
And they will fight, because the Lord will be with them;
And the (M)riders on horses will be put to shame.
And I will (N)strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will (O)save the house of Joseph,
And I will [j](P)bring them back,
Because I have had (Q)compassion on them;
And they will be as though I had (R)not rejected them,
For I am the Lord their God and I will (S)answer them.
Ephraim will be like a warrior,
And their heart will be joyful as if from wine;
Indeed, their (T)children will see it and be joyful,
[k]Their heart will rejoice in the Lord.
I will (U)whistle for them and gather them together,
For I have redeemed them;
And they will be as (V)numerous as they [l](W)were before.
When I [m]scatter them among the peoples,
They will (X)remember Me in distant countries,
And they with their children will live and come back.
10 I will (Y)bring them back from the land of Egypt
And gather them from Assyria;
And I will bring them into the land of (Z)Gilead and Lebanon
[n]Until (AA)no room can be found for them.
11 And they will pass through the (AB)sea of distress
And He will strike the waves in the sea,
So that all the depths of the (AC)Nile will dry up;
And the pride of (AD)Assyria will be brought down,
And the scepter of (AE)Egypt will depart.
12 And I will (AF)strengthen them in the Lord,
And in His name (AG)they will walk,” declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:1 Or thunderbolts
  2. Zechariah 10:2 Heb teraphim
  3. Zechariah 10:2 Lit a lie
  4. Zechariah 10:2 Lit journey
  5. Zechariah 10:3 I.e., leaders
  6. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  7. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  8. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  9. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  10. Zechariah 10:6 Another reading is have them dwell
  11. Zechariah 10:7 Or Let their heart rejoice
  12. Zechariah 10:8 Lit were numerous
  13. Zechariah 10:9 Lit sow
  14. Zechariah 10:10 Lit And

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]
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.
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.
The cornerstone, the tent peg, and the bow used in battle will come from Judah.
        Every oppressor will leave Judah simultaneously.
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.
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.

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.
I will whistle for them and gather them,
            because I have ransomed them.
        They will be as numerous as they were previously.
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

  1. Zechariah 10:1 Heb lacks of them.
  2. Zechariah 10:6 Or I will restore them
  3. Zechariah 10:11 LXX; MT he
  4. Zechariah 10:11 Heb uncertain