1  Ask rain from the Lord

in the season of the spring rain,

from the Lord who makes the storm clouds,

and he will give them showers of rain,

to everyone the vegetation in the field.

2  For the ^vhousehold gods utter nonsense,

and the diviners see lies;

they tell false dreams

and give empty consolation.

Therefore the people wander like sheep;

they are afflicted for ^wlack of a shepherd.

3  “My anger is hot against the ^xshepherds,

and I will punish the leaders;¹

for the Lord of hosts cares for his ^yflock, the house of Judah,

and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.

4  From him shall come the ^zcornerstone,

from him the tent ^apeg,

from him the battle bow,

from him every ruler—all of them together.

5  They shall be like mighty men in battle,

trampling the foe in the mud of the streets;

they shall fight because the Lord is with them,

and they shall put to shame the riders on horses.

6  “I will strengthen the house of Judah,

and I will save the house of Joseph.

I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,

and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,

for ^bI am the Lord their God and I will answer them.

7  Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,

and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.

Their children shall see it and be glad;

their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.

8  “I will ^cwhistle for them and gather them in,

for I have redeemed them,

and they shall be as many as they were before.

9  Though I scattered them among the nations,

yet in far countries they shall remember me,

and with their children they shall live and return.

10  I will bring them home ^dfrom the land of Egypt,

and gather them from Assyria,

and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,

^etill there is no room for them.

11  He shall pass through the sea of troubles

and strike down the waves of the sea,

and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.

The pride of Assyria shall be laid low,

and ^fthe scepter of Egypt shall depart.

12  I will make them strong in the Lord,

and ^gthey shall walk in his name,”

declares the Lord.