10 Ask the Lord for rain in spring.
It is the Lord who makes the clouds and the storms.
He gives the rain to men.
He gives the plants of the field to everyone.
2 People ask idols for help,
but the idols do not speak true words.
Some people explain what a dream means.
But they do not speak true words.
The help that they give is not good.
So the people move from place to place like sheep.
They are not safe. They have no leaders.
3 ‘I am angry with the leaders.
I will cause them to be sorry.
Judah's people are mine,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘I will watch over them.
I will make them as strong as horses that are ready for war.
4 From Judah's descendants will come a strong leader.
He is like a strong stone at the corner of a building.
He is like a strong peg in a wall.
He is like a bow that is ready to shoot arrows.
Every strong ruler will come from Judah's descendants.
5 Together they will be like brave soldiers
who march through the mud in the streets of their enemies.
The Lord is with them and they will fight their enemies.
They will pull down the soldiers from their horses.
6 I will make Judah's people strong,
and I will make Israel's people become free.
I will bring them back to me,
because I am sorry for them.
I am their God,
and I will answer them.
It will be as if I had never turned away from them.
7 Israel's people will become like strong men.
They will be as happy as men that drink wine.
Their children will see their happy fathers
and so the children will be happy.
They will sing to the Lord .
8 I will cause my people to come to me and I will bring them all together.
I will buy them and I will make them free people.
And there will be as many people as there were before.
9 I will send them to foreign countries among foreign people.
But, in these far countries, they will remember me.
They and their children will not die.
They will return to Jerusalem.
10 I will bring my people back from Egypt,
and I will bring them here together from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead and to Lebanon.
There will not be enough room for them all.
11 And he will come to the difficult sea.
But it will be no trouble to him.
He will stop the waves in the sea.
He will make the river Nile dry. [ a ]
Proud Assyria will have nothing to be proud about and
the power of Egypt's people will finish.’
12 ‘I will make my people strong.
They will obey me because they love my name.’
10 Pray to the Lord for rain in the springtime. The Lord will send the lightning and the rain will fall, and he will make the plants grow in each person’s field.
2 People use their little statues and magic to learn what will happen in the future, but that is useless. They see visions and tell about their dreams, but it is nothing but worthless lies. So the people are like sheep wandering here and there crying for help, but there is no shepherd to lead them.
3 The Lord says, “I am very angry with the shepherds. I made them responsible for what happens to my sheep.” (The people of Judah are his flock, and the Lord All-Powerful really does take care of his flock. He cares for them as a soldier cares for his beautiful war horse.)
4 “The cornerstone, the tent peg, the war bow, and the advancing soldiers will all come from Judah together. 5 They will defeat their enemy —it will be like soldiers marching through mud in the streets. They will fight, and since the Lord is with them, they will defeat even the enemy soldiers riding horses. 6 I will make Judah’s family strong. I will help Joseph’s family win the war. I will bring them back safely and comfort them. It will be as if I never left them. I am the Lord their God, and I will help them. 7 The people of Ephraim will be as happy as soldiers who have too much to drink. Their children will be rejoicing and they, too, will be happy. They will all have a happy time together with the Lord .
8 “I will whistle for them and call them all together. I really will save them. There will be many people. 9 Yes, I have been scattering my people throughout the nations. But in those faraway places, they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will come back. 10 I will bring them back from Egypt and Assyria. I will bring them to the area of Gilead. And since there will not be enough room, I will also let them live in nearby Lebanon. 11 They will go through a sea of troubles, but the waves will be stopped. Even the deepest waters of the Nile River will dry up. I will destroy Assyria’s pride and take away Egypt’s power. 12 I, the Lord , will make my people strong, and they will live for me.” This is what the Lord said.
10 Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
2 For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.
3 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
4 Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.
5 And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.
6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them.
7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord .
8 I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.
9 And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.
10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.
11 And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.
12 And I will strengthen them in the Lord ; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord .
10 Ask for ( A ) rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—
The Lord who ( B ) makes the [ a ] storm winds;
And He will give them ( C ) showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each person.
2 For the [ b ] ( D ) household idols speak deception,
And the ( E ) diviners see [ c ] an illusion
And tell ( F ) deceitful dreams;
They comfort in vain.
Therefore the people [ d ] wander like ( G ) sheep,
They are wretched because there is no shepherd.
3 “My ( H ) anger is kindled against the shepherds,
And I will punish the [ e ] male goats;
For the Lord of armies has ( I ) visited His flock, the house of Judah,
And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
4 From [ f ] them will come the ( J ) cornerstone,
From [ g ] them the tent peg,
From [ h ] them the bow of ( K ) battle,
From [ i ] them every tyrant, all of them together.
5 And they will be like warriors,
( L ) Trampling down the enemy in the mud of the streets in battle;
And they will fight, because the Lord will be with them;
And the ( M ) riders on horses will be put to shame.
6 And I will ( N ) strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will ( O ) save the house of Joseph,
And I will [ j ] ( P ) bring them back,
Because I have had ( Q ) compassion on them;
And they will be as though I had ( R ) not rejected them,
For I am the Lord their God and I will ( S ) answer them.
7 Ephraim will be like a warrior,
And their heart will be joyful as if from wine;
Indeed, their ( T ) children will see it and be joyful,
[ k ] Their heart will rejoice in the Lord .
8 I will ( U ) whistle for them and gather them together,
For I have redeemed them;
And they will be as ( V ) numerous as they [ l ] ( W ) were before.
9 When I [ m ] scatter them among the peoples,
They will ( X ) remember Me in distant countries,
And they with their children will live and come back.
10 I will ( Y ) bring them back from the land of Egypt
And gather them from Assyria;
And I will bring them into the land of ( Z ) Gilead and Lebanon
[ n ] Until ( AA ) no room can be found for them.
11 And they will pass through the ( AB ) sea of distress
And He will strike the waves in the sea,
So that all the depths of the ( AC ) Nile will dry up;
And the pride of ( AD ) Assyria will be brought down,
And the scepter of ( AE ) Egypt will depart.
12 And I will ( AF ) strengthen them in the Lord ,
And in His name ( AG ) they will walk,” declares the Lord .
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.
2 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 )
3 “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 )
4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, ( J )
from him the tent peg, ( K )
from him the battle bow, ( L )
from him every ruler.
5 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 )
6 “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.
7 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 .
8 I will signal ( U ) for them
and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
they will be as numerous ( V ) as before.
9 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 .
