1 Ask the Lord for rainin the season of spring rain.The Lord makes the rain clouds,and He will give them showers of rainand crops in the field for everyone.(A)
1 Ask (A)rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—The Lord who (B)makes the (a)storm clouds;And He will give them (C)showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man.
1 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.
1 "Ask the LORD for rain in the spring the LORD who fashions lightning thunderstorms, giving rain showers to mankind along with grain in the fields.
1 Ask for rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain.It is the Lord who makes the thunder clouds;And He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field to everyone.
2 For the idols speak falsehood,and the diviners(B) see illusions;they relate empty dreamsand offer empty comfort.Therefore the people wander like sheep;they suffer affliction because there is no shepherd.
2 For the (D)teraphim speak (b)iniquity,And the (E)diviners see (c)lying visionsAnd tell (F)false dreams;They comfort in vain.Therefore the people (d)wander like (G)sheep,They are afflicted, because there is no shepherd.
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.
2 Truly the family idols talk nonsense and the diviners discern lies, describing delusional dreams. Since their comfort is vacuous, they wander off on their own like sheep, because there is no shepherd.
2 For the teraphim (household idols) speak wickedness (emptiness, worthlessness),And the diviners see lying visionsAnd tell false dreams;They comfort in vain.Therefore the people wander like sheep,They are afflicted and suffer because there is no shepherd.
3 My anger burns against the shepherds,so I will punish the leaders.(a)For the Lord of Hosts has tended His flock,the house of Judah;He will make them like His majestic steed in battle.
3 “My (H)anger is kindled against the shepherds,And I will punish the (e)male goats;For the Lord of hosts has (I)visited His flock, the house of Judah,And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
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.
3 "Against the shepherds my anger rises I am punishing the leaders also, because the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, appointing them as his royal war horse for battle.
4 The cornerstone(C) will come from Judah.(b)The tent peg(D) will come from themand also the battle bow(E) and every(c) ruler.Together
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 (j)ruler, all of them together.
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.
4 From them arises the cornerstone and tent peg, from them the battle bow, from them arise all sorts of oppressive rulers.
5 they will be like warriors in battletrampling down the mud of the streets.They will fight because the Lord is with them,and they will put horsemen to shame.
5 “They will be as mighty men,(L)Treading down the enemy in the mire of the streets in battle;And they will fight, for the Lord will be with them;And the (M)riders on horses will be put to shame.
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.
5 They will be like mighty soldiers who trample mud in the streets during battle. They will fight because the LORD is with them, and the opposing horsemen will be confused.
5 “They will be like mighty menTrampling down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle;And they will fight because the Lord is with them,And the [enemies’] riders on horses will be shamed.
6 I will strengthen the house of Judahand deliver the house of Joseph.(d)I will restore(e) thembecause I have compassion on them,and they will beas though I had never rejected them.(F)For I am Yahweh their God,and I will answer them.
6 “I will (N)strengthen the house of Judah,And I will (O)save the house of Joseph,And I will (k)(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.
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.
6 "I will fortify the house of Judah, and the house of Joseph I will save. I will surely bring them back, because I care about them. They will be as if I had never cast them away. Since I am the LORD their God, I will answer them.
6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah [making it superior],And I will save the house of Joseph.I will bring them back [and allow them to live securely],Because I have had compassion on them.They will be as though I had not rejected them,For I am the Lord their God, and I will listen and answer them.
7 Ephraim(G) will be like a warrior,and their hearts will be glad as if with wine.Their children will see it and be glad;(H)their hearts will rejoice in Yahweh.
7 “Ephraim will be like a mighty man,And their heart will be glad as if from wine;Indeed, their (T)children will see it and be glad,(l)Their heart will rejoice in the Lord.
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.
7 "The people of Ephraim will become like mighty soldiers; they will be glad, like those who have wine. Their children will see this and rejoice; their hearts will find joy in the Lord.
8 I will whistle(I) and gather thembecause I have redeemed(J) them;they will be as numerous as they once were.
8 “I will (U)whistle for them to gather them together,For I have redeemed them;And they will be as (V)numerous as they (m)(W)were before.
8 I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.
8 I will whistle for them, gathering them together, because I have redeemed them, and they will multiply as they were before.
9 Though I sow(K) them among the nations,they will remember(L) Me in the distant lands;they and their children will live and return.
9 “When I (n)scatter them among the peoples,They will (X)remember Me in far countries,And they with their children will live and come back.
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.
9 I will scatter them among the nations, and so they will remember me in distant countries. They will rear their children, and they will return.
9 “When I scatter them among the nations,They will remember Me in far countries,And with their children they will live and come back [to Me and the land I gave them].
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egyptand gather them from Assyria.I will bring them to the land of Gilead(M)and to Lebanon,but it will not be enough for them.
10 “I will (Y)bring them back from the land of EgyptAnd gather them from Assyria;And I will bring them into the land of (Z)Gilead and Lebanon(o)Until (AA)no room can be found for them.
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.
10 I will bring them once again out of the land of Egypt, gathering them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, but there will not be enough space for them.
10 “I will bring them (all Israel) back home again from the land of EgyptAnd gather them from Assyria,And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon [the land on the east and on the west of the Jordan]Until no room can be found for them.
11 Yahweh(f) will pass through the sea of distressand strike the waves of the sea;all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(N)The pride of Assyria will be brought down,and the scepter of Egypt will come to an end.
11 “And they will pass through the (AB)sea of distressAnd 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 downAnd the scepter of (AE)Egypt will depart.
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.
11 They will pass through the sea of affliction, and they will strike the waves in that sea. All of the depths of the Nile will evaporate, Assyria's arrogance will be brought down low, and the ruling power of Egypt will disappear.
11 “And they will pass through the sea of distress and anxiety [with the Lord leading His people, as at the Red Sea]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 downAnd the scepter [of the taskmasters] of Egypt will pass away.
12 I will strengthen(O) them in Yahweh,and they will march(P) in His name—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
12 “And I will (AF)strengthen them in the Lord,And in His name (AG)they will walk,” declares the Lord.
12 And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.
12 "I will strengthen them in the LORD, and they will march here and there in his name," declares the LORD.
12 “And I will strengthen Israel in the Lord,And they will walk [and glory] in His name,” declares the Lord.
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