The Lord’s Promises
10 Ask the Lord for rain during the ·springtime [L latter] rains.
The Lord is the one who makes the storm clouds.
He sends the showers
and gives everyone ·green [plants in the] fields.
2 ·Idols [Household gods; L Teraphim; Gen. 31:19] ·tell lies [or give worthless counsel];
fortune-tellers see ·false [lying] visions
and tell about false dreams.
The comfort they give is ·worth nothing [in vain].
So the people ·are [wander] like lost sheep.
They are ·abused [oppressed; or in distress], because there is no shepherd.
3 The Lord says, “·I am angry [My anger burns] at my shepherds,
and I will punish the ·leaders [L lead goats].
I, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], care
for my flock, the ·people [L house] of Judah.
I will make them like my ·proud [majestic] war horses.
4 From ·Judah [L him] will come the cornerstone,
and the tent peg,
the battle bow,
and every ruler.
5 Together they will be like ·soldiers [mighty men]
·marching to battle [or trampling their enemies] through muddy streets.
The Lord is with them,
so they will fight and ·defeat [L put to shame] the horsemen.
6 “I will strengthen the ·people [L house] of Judah
and save the ·people [L house] of Joseph.
I will bring them back,
because I ·care about [have compassion on] them.
It will be as though
I had never ·left [rejected] them,
because I am the Lord their God,
and I will ·answer [hear] them.
7 The people of Ephraim will be strong like ·soldiers [mighty men];
·they will be glad [L their hearts will rejoice] as when they have drunk wine.
Their children will see it and rejoice;
they will ·be happy [rejoice] in the Lord.
8 I will ·call [signal/whistle for] my people
and gather them together.
I will ·save [redeem] them,
and they grow as numerous as they were before.
9 I have scattered them among the nations,
but in those faraway places, they will remember me.
They and their children will ·live [survive; sprout forth] and return.
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon
until there isn’t enough room for them all.
11 ·They [or The Lord; L He] will come through the sea of trouble [C as at the Red/or Reed Sea; Ex. 14:22].
The waves of the sea will be calm,
and the ·Nile River [L depths of the Nile/River] will dry up.
I will ·defeat [bring down; humble] Assyria’s pride
and destroy Egypt’s ·power over other countries [L scepter; C ruling authority].
12 I will make my people strong [L in the Lord],
and they will ·live as I say [L walk in my name],” says the Lord.