Zechariah 10

The Lord Will Care for Judah

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 house 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 will be like mighty 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 the house of Judah

and save the house 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 mighty 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.

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.

They will pass through the sea of trouble;

the surging sea will be subdued

and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.^a

Assyria’s pride^b will be brought down

and Egypt’s scepter^c will pass away.^d

I will strengthen^e them in the Lord

and in his name they will live securely,^f”

declares the Lord.