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Zechariah 10
New International Version
Zechariah 10
New International Version
The Lord Will Care for Judah
10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;
it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
He gives showers of rain(A) to all people,
and plants of the field(B) to everyone.
2 The idols(C) speak deceitfully,
diviners(D) see visions that lie;
they tell dreams(E) that are false,
they give comfort in vain.(F)
Therefore the people wander like sheep
oppressed for lack of a shepherd.(G)
3 “My anger burns against the shepherds,
and I will punish the leaders;(H)
for the Lord Almighty will care
for his flock, the people of Judah,
and make them like a proud horse in battle.(I)
4 From Judah will come the cornerstone,(J)
from him the tent peg,(K)
from him the battle bow,(L)
from him every ruler.
5 Together they[a] will be like warriors in battle
trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.(M)
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.(N)
6 “I will strengthen(O) Judah
and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
because I have compassion(P) on them.(Q)
They will be as though
I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
and I will answer(R) them.
7 The Ephraimites will become like warriors,
and their hearts will be glad as with wine.(S)
Their children will see it and be joyful;
their hearts will rejoice(T) in the Lord.
8 I will signal(U) for them
and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
they will be as numerous(V) as before.
9 Though I scatter them among the peoples,
yet in distant lands they will remember me.(W)
They and their children will survive,
and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.(X)
I will bring them to Gilead(Y) and Lebanon,
and there will not be room(Z) enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble;
the surging sea will be subdued
and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(AA)
Assyria’s pride(AB) will be brought down
and Egypt’s scepter(AC) will pass away.(AD)
12 I will strengthen(AE) them in the Lord
and in his name they will live securely,(AF)”
declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / 5 They
Zechariah 10
New American Standard Bible
Zechariah 10
New American Standard Bible
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.
2 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.
3 “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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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
- Zechariah 10:1 Or thunderbolts
- Zechariah 10:2 Heb teraphim
- Zechariah 10:2 Lit a lie
- Zechariah 10:2 Lit journey
- Zechariah 10:3 I.e., leaders
- Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
- Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
- Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
- Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
- Zechariah 10:6 Another reading is have them dwell
- Zechariah 10:7 Or Let their heart rejoice
- Zechariah 10:8 Lit were numerous
- Zechariah 10:9 Lit sow
- Zechariah 10:10 Lit And
Zechariah 10
English Standard Version
Zechariah 10
English Standard Version
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.
2 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.
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.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 10:3 Hebrew the male goats
Zechariah 10
King James Version
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
New English Translation
Zechariah 10
New English Translation
The Restoration of the True People
10 Ask the Lord for rain in the season of the late spring rains[a]—the Lord who causes thunderstorms—and he will give everyone showers of rain and green growth in the field. 2 For the household gods[b] have spoken wickedness, the soothsayers have seen a lie, and the dreamers have disclosed emptiness and give comfort in vain. Therefore the people set out like sheep and become scattered because they have no shepherd.[c] 3 “I am enraged at the shepherds and will punish the lead goats.
“For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has brought blessing to his flock, the house of Judah, and will transform them into his majestic warhorse. 4 From him will come the cornerstone,[d] the wall peg,[e] the battle bow, and every ruler.[f] 5 And they will be like warriors trampling the mud of the streets in battle. They will fight, for the Lord will be with them, and will defeat the enemy cavalry.[g]
6 “I (says the Lord) will strengthen the kingdom[h] of Judah and deliver the people of Joseph[i] and will bring them back[j] because of my compassion for them. They will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, and therefore I will hear them. 7 The Ephraimites will be like warriors and will rejoice as if they had drunk wine. Their children will see it and rejoice; they will celebrate in the things of the Lord. 8 I will signal for them and gather them, for I have already redeemed them; then they will become as numerous as they were before. 9 Though I scatter[k] them among the nations, they will remember in far-off places—they and their children will survive and return. 10 I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria.[l] I will bring them to the lands of Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be enough room for them. 11 The Lord[m] will cross the sea of storms and will calm its turbulence. The depths of the Nile will dry up, the pride of Assyria will be humbled, and the domination[n] of Egypt will be no more. 12 Thus I will strengthen them by my power,[o] and they will walk about[p] in my name,” says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 10:1 tn Heb “the latter rain.” This expression refers to the last concentration of heavy rainfall in the spring of the year in Palestine, about March or April. Metaphorically and eschatologically (as here) the “latter rain” speaks of God’s outpouring of blessing in the end times (cf. Hos 6:3; Joel 2:21-25).
- Zechariah 10:2 tn The Hebrew word תְּרָפִים (terafim, “teraphim”) refers to small images used as means of divination and in other occult practices (cf. Gen 31:19, 34-35; 1 Sam 19:13, 16; Hos 3:4). A number of English versions transliterate the Hebrew term (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV) or simply use the generic term “idols” (so KJV, NIV, TEV).
- Zechariah 10:2 sn Shepherd is a common OT metaphor for the king (see esp. Jer 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 23:1-2; 50:6; Ezek 34).
- Zechariah 10:4 sn On the NT use of the image of the cornerstone, see Luke 20:17; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:6.
- Zechariah 10:4 sn The metaphor of the wall peg (יָתֵד, yated), together with the others in this list, describes the remarkable change that will take place at the inauguration of God’s eschatological kingdom. Israel, formerly sheep-like, will be turned into a mighty warhorse. The peg refers to a wall hook (although frequently translated “tent peg,” but cf. ASV “nail”; TWOT 1:419) from which tools and weapons were suspended, but figuratively also to the promise of God upon which all of Israel’s hopes were hung (cf. Isa 22:15-25; Ezra 9:8).
- Zechariah 10:4 tn This is not the usual word to describe a king of Israel or Judah (such as מֶלֶךְ, melekh, or נָשִׂיא, nasiʾ), but נוֹגֵשׂ, noges, “dictator” (cf. KJV “oppressor”). The author is asserting by this choice of wording that in the messianic age God’s rule will be by force.
- Zechariah 10:5 tn Heb “and the riders on horses will be put to shame,” figurative for the defeat of mounted troops. The word “enemy” in the translation is supplied from context.
- Zechariah 10:6 tn Heb “the house.”
- Zechariah 10:6 tn Or “the kingdom of Israel”; Heb “the house of Joseph.”sn Joseph is mentioned here instead of the usual Israel (but see 2 Sam 19:20; Pss 78:67; 80:1; 81:5; Ezek 37:16; Amos 5:6, 15; 6:6) because of the exodus motif that follows in vv. 8-11.
- Zechariah 10:6 tc The anomalous MT reading וְחוֹשְׁבוֹתִים (vekhoshevotim) should probably be וַהֲשִׁי בוֹתִם (vahashi votim), the Hiphil perfect consecutive of שׁוּב (shuv), “return” (cf. Jer 12:15).
- Zechariah 10:9 tn Or “sow” (so KJV, ASV). The imagery is taken from the sowing of seed by hand.
- Zechariah 10:10 sn I will bring them back from Egypt…from Assyria. The gathering of God’s people to their land in eschatological times will be like a reenactment of the exodus, but this time they will come from all over the world (cf. Isa 40:3-5; 43:1-7, 14-21; 48:20-22; 51:9-11).
- Zechariah 10:11 tn Heb “he,” in which case the referent is the Lord. This reading is followed by KJV, ASV, NAB (which renders it as first person), and NASB. The LXX reads “they,” referring to the Israelites themselves, a reading followed by many modern English versions (e.g., NIV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
- Zechariah 10:11 tn Heb “scepter,” referring by metonymy to the dominating rule of Egypt (cf. NLT).
- Zechariah 10:12 tc Heb “I will strengthen them in the Lord.” Because of the perceived problem of the Lord saying he will strengthen the people “in the Lord,” both BHK and BHS suggest emending גִּבַּרְתִּים (gibbartim, “I will strengthen them”) to גְּבֻרָתָם (gevuratam, “their strength”). This is unnecessary, however, for the Lord frequently refers to himself in that manner (see Zech 2:11).
- Zechariah 10:12 tc The LXX and Syriac presuppose יִתְהַלָּלוּ (yithallalu, “they will glory”) for יִתְהַלְּכוּ (yithallekhu, “they will walk about”). Since walking about is a common idiom in Zechariah (cf. 1:10, 11; 6:7 [3x]) to speak of dominion, and dominion is a major theme of the present passage, there is no reason to reject the MT reading, which is followed by most modern English versions.
New International Version (NIV) 
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New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
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New English Translation (NET)
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