God Will Bless Judah and Ephraim

1Ask for rain from the LORD at the time of the spring rain—

The LORD who makes the [a]storm winds;

And He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each person.

2For the [b]household idols speak deception,

And the diviners see [c]an illusion

And tell deceitful dreams;

They comfort in vain.

Therefore the people [d]wander like sheep,

They are wretched because there is no shepherd.

3“My anger is kindled against the shepherds,

And I will punish the [e]male goats;

For the LORD of armies has visited His flock, the house of Judah,

And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.

4“From [f]them will come the cornerstone,

From [g]them the tent peg,

From [h]them the bow of battle,

From [i]them every tyrant, all of them together.

5“And they will be like warriors,

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 riders on horses will be put to shame.

6“And I will strengthen the house of Judah,

And I will save the house of Joseph,

And I will [j]bring them back,

Because I have had compassion on them;

And they will be as though I had not rejected them,

For I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.

7“Ephraim will be like a warrior,

And their heart will be joyful as if from wine;

Indeed, their children will see it and be joyful,

[k]Their heart will rejoice in the LORD.

8“I will whistle for them and gather them together,

For I have redeemed them;

And they will be as numerous as they [l]were before.

9“When I [m]scatter them among the peoples,

They will remember Me in distant countries,

And they with their children will live and come back.

10“I will bring them back from the land of Egypt

And gather them from Assyria;

And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon

[n]Until no room can be found for them.

11“And they will pass through the sea of distress

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 Egypt will depart.

12“And I will strengthen them in the LORD,

And in His name they will walk,” declares the LORD.