Zechariah 10

¹ Ask Yahweh for rain in autumn and at the time of the spring rains. Yahweh is the one to make thestorm-clouds. He wil give them showers of rain; to each, grass in his field.

² Since the domestic idols have talked nonsense, and the diviners have seen false signs, and dreamshave purveyed delusions, affording empty comfort, that is why they have strayed like sheep, in distress for wantof a shepherd.

³ My anger has been roused by the shepherds, and I shal vent it on the he-goats. When YahwehSabaoth comes to visit his flock, the House of Judah, he wil make it his royal war-horse.

⁴ From it wil emerge Cornerstone and Tent-peg, from it, Bow-ready-for-Battle, from it, every type ofleader. Together

⁵ they wil be like warriors trampling the dirt of the streets in battle; when they fight, because Yahweh iswith them, they wil put mounted men to rout.

⁶ Then I shal make the House of Judah mighty and the House of Joseph victorious. I shal restore them,because I have taken pity on them, and they wil be as though I had never cast them off, for I am Yahweh theirGod and shal answer their prayer.

⁷ Ephraim will be like a warrior. Their hearts will be cheered as though by wine. Their children wil seethis and rejoice, their hearts wil exult in Yahweh.

⁸ I shall whistle to them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them; they will be as numerous as theyused to be.

⁹ I shall scatter them among the peoples but in distant countries they will remember me, they wil instructtheir children and then return.

¹⁰ I shal bring them home from Egypt and gather them back from Assyria; I shal lead them into Gileadand the Lebanon, and even that wil not be large enough for them.

¹¹ They wil cross the sea of Egypt (and the waves of the sea wil be struck); al the depths of the Riverwil be dried up. The arrogance of Assyria wil be cast down and the sceptre of Egypt taken away.

¹² I shal make them mighty in Yahweh, and they wil march in my name -- Yahweh declares.