Zechariah

¹ Ask for rain from the LORD at the time of the spring rain. It is the LORD who makes the thunder clouds; And He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field to everyone.

² For the teraphim (household idols) speak wickedness (emptiness, worthlessness), And the diviners see lying visions And tell false dreams; They comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep, They are afflicted and suffer because there is no shepherd.

³ "My anger is kindled against the shepherds [who are not true shepherds], And I shall punish the male goats (leaders); For the LORD of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah (the Southern Kingdom), And will make them like His beautiful and majestic horse in the battle.

⁴ "From them (Judah) shall come the Cornerstone, From them the tent peg, From them the bow of battle, From them every ruler, all of them together.

⁵ "They will be like mighty men Trampling down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle; And they will fight because the LORD is with them, And the [enemies'] riders on horses will be shamed.

⁶ "I will strengthen the house of Judah [making it superior], And I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back [and allow them to live securely], Because I have had compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, For I am the LORD their God, and I will listen and answer them.

⁷ "Then Ephraim will be like a mighty warrior, And their heart will rejoice as if from wine; Yes, their children will see it and rejoice; Their heart will rejoice and shout triumphantly in the LORD.

⁸ "I will whistle for them and gather them together, For I have redeemed them; And they will increase [again] as they have increased before [in Egypt].

⁹ "When I scatter them among the nations, They will remember Me in far countries, And with their children they will live and come back [to Me and the land I gave them].

¹⁰ "I will bring them (all Israel) back home again from the land of Egypt And gather them from Assyria, And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon [the land on the east and on the west of the Jordan] Until no room can be found for them.

¹¹ "And they will pass through the sea of distress and anxiety [with the LORD leading His people, as at the Red Sea] And He will strike the waves in the sea, So that all the depths of the Nile will dry up; And the pride of Assyria will be brought down And the scepter [of the taskmasters] of Egypt will pass away.

¹² "And I will strengthen Israel in the LORD, And they will walk [and glory] in His name," declares the LORD.