^3 (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.
⁴ 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.
⁵ 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.

^6 (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.
⁷ 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.

^8 (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.
^9 (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.