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The Lord Will Provide

10 Ask the Lord, who makes storm clouds,
    to give rain at the right time for the spring rains,
    and he will provide showers of rain,
    and there will be crops in the field for everyone.

But household gods speak wicked deception,
    and the omen readers see illusions.
    They report trivial dreams
    and give false comfort.
    That is why the people wander like sheep.
    They are in trouble[a] because they have no shepherd.

The Lord’s Warning and Promise

My anger burns against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders of the flock,
    because the Lord of Armies cares for his flock, the house of Judah,
    and he will make them like his majestic horse in battle.
From him will come the cornerstone,
    from him the tent peg,
    from him the battle bow,
    from him every commander.
Together they will be like strong warriors,
    going out into battle, trampling the enemy into the mud of the streets.
    They will fight, because the Lord is with them,
    and those who ride horses will be put to shame.

I will strengthen the house of Judah
    and save the house of Joseph.
    I will restore them,
    because I have compassion on them.
    It will be as if I had not rejected them,
    because I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them.
Then Ephraim will become like a strong warrior,
    and their hearts will be glad as if from wine.
    Their children will see it and be glad.
    Their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.
I will whistle for them and gather them in,
    for I have redeemed them.
    They will be as numerous as they were in the past.
Though I scattered them among the peoples,
    yet in distant places they will remember me.
    They will survive and return with their children.
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt,
    and I will gather them from Assyria.
    I will bring them to the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
    and there will not be enough room for them.
11 They[b] will pass through the sea of distress,
    but the Lord will strike the waves in the sea.
    All the depths of the Nile will become dry.
    The pride of Assyria will be brought low.
    The scepter of Egypt will depart.
12 I will make them strong in the Lord,
    and they will walk in his name, declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:2 Or are miserable
  2. Zechariah 10:11 Or he. The Hebrew verb is singular.

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.
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)

“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)
From Judah will come the cornerstone,(J)
    from him the tent peg,(K)
from him the battle bow,(L)
    from him every ruler.
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)

“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.
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.
I will signal(U) for them
    and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
    they will be as numerous(V) as before.
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

  1. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / They