1
Ask arain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain-- The Lord who bmakes the storm clouds; And He will give them cshowers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man.
2
For the ateraphim speak iniquity, And the bdiviners see lying visions And tell cfalse dreams; They comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like dsheep, They are afflicted, because there is no shepherd.
3
"My aanger is kindled against the shepherds, And I will punish the male goats; For the Lord of hosts has bvisited His flock, the house of Judah, And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
4
"From them will come the acornerstone, From them the tent peg, From them the bow of bbattle, From them every ruler, all of them together.
5
"They will be as mighty men, aTreading down the enemy in the mire of the streets in battle; And they will fight, for the Lord will be with them; And the briders on horses will be put to shame.
6
"I will astrengthen the house of Judah, And I will bsave the house of Joseph, And I will cbring them back, Because I have had dcompassion on them; And they will be as though I had enot rejected them, For I am the Lord their God and I will fanswer them.
7
"Ephraim will be like a mighty man, And their heart will be glad as if from wine; Indeed, their achildren will see it and be glad, Their heart will rejoice in the Lord.
8
"I will awhistle for them to gather them together, For I have redeemed them; And they will be as bnumerous as they cwere before.
9
"When I scatter them among the peoples, They will aremember Me in far countries, And they with their children will live and come back.
10
"I will abring them back from the land of Egypt And gather them from Assyria; And I will bring them into the land of bGilead and Lebanon Until cno room can be found for them.
11
"And they will pass through the asea of distress And He will strike the waves in the sea, So that all the depths of the bNile will dry up; And the pride of cAssyria will be brought down And the scepter of dEgypt will depart.
12
"And I will astrengthen them in the Lord, And in His name bthey will walk," declares the Lord.