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The Lord Will Take Care of Judah

10 People of Judah, ask the Lord
    to send rain in the spring.
    He is the one who sends the thunderstorms.
He sends down showers of rain on all people.
    He gives everyone the plants in the fields.
Other gods tell lies.
    Those who practice magic
    see visions that aren’t true.
They tell dreams that fool people.
    They give comfort that doesn’t do any good.
So the people wander around like sheep.
    They are crushed because they don’t have a shepherd.

The Lord who rules over all says,

“I am very angry with the shepherds.
    I will punish the leaders.
The Lord will take care of his flock.
    They are the people of Judah.
    He will make them like a proud horse in battle.
The most important building stone
    will come from the tribe of Judah.
    The tent stake will also come from it.
And the bow that is used in battle will come from it.
    In fact, every ruler will come from it.
Together they will be like warriors in battle.
    They will stomp their enemies
    into the mud of the streets.
The Lord will be with them.
    So they will fight against the horsemen
    and put them to shame.

“I will make the family of Judah strong.
    I will save the tribes of Joseph.
I will bring them back
    because I have tender love for them.
It will be as if
    I had not sent them away.
I am the Lord their God.
    I will help them.
The people of Ephraim will become like warriors.
    Their hearts will be glad
    as if they were drinking wine.
Their children will see it
    and be filled with joy.
    I will make their hearts glad.
I will signal for my people to come,
    and I will gather them in.
I will set them free.
    There will be as many of them as before.
I have scattered them among the nations.
    But in lands far away they will remember me.
They and their children will be kept alive.
    And they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt.
    I will gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon.
    There will not be enough room for them.
11 They will pass through a sea of trouble.
    The stormy sea will calm down.
    All the deep places in the Nile River will dry up.
Assyria’s pride will be brought down.
    Egypt’s right to rule will disappear.
12 I will make my people strong.
    They will live in safety because of me,”
    announces the Lord.

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