17FOR HOW! [WILL BE] GOODNESS ITS AND HOW! [WILL BE] BEAUTY ITS GRAIN YOUNG MEN AND NEW WINE IT WILL CAUSE TO THRIVE YOUNG WOMEN 17How lovely they will be, and how beautiful! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the young women.
1ASK FROM YAHWEH RAIN AT [THE] TIME OF SPRING RAIN YAHWEH [IS] MAKING THUNDER-CLOUDS AND RAIN OF RAIN HE GIVES TO THEM TO EVERYONE VEGETATION IN THE FIELD Judah and Israel Will Be Restored 1Ask the LORD for rain in springtime; the LORD makes the storm clouds, and He will give everyone showers of rain and crops in the field.
2FOR THE TERAPHIM THEY SPEAK WICKEDNESS AND THE DIVINERS THEY SEE FALSEHOOD AND [THE] DREAMS OF <THE> WORTHLESSNESS THEY SPEAK FUTILITY THEY COMFORT! THERE- -FORE THEY HAVE SET OUT LIKE SHEEP THEY ARE AFFLICTED FOR THERE NOT [IS] A SHEPHERD 2For idols speak deceit and diviners see illusions; they tell false dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
3TOWARDS THE SHEPHERDS IT HAS BURNED ANGER MY AND ON THE LEADERS I WILL VISIT [JUDGMENT] FOR HE VISITS YAHWEH OF HOSTS <OBJ.> FLOCK HIS <OBJ.> [THE] HOUSE OF JUDAH AND HE WILL MAKE <OBJ.> THEM LIKE [THE] HORSE OF MAJESTY HIS IN <THE> BATTLE 3“My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders.*NoteCloseOr these male goats For the LORD of Hosts attends to His flock, the house of Judah; He will make them like His royal steed in battle.
4FROM IT A CORNER FROM IT A PEG FROM IT A BOW OF WAR FROM IT HE WILL COME FORTH EVERY RULER TOGETHER 4The cornerstone will come from Judah, the tent peg from him, as well as the battle bow and every ruler together.
5AND THEY WILL BE LIKE WARRIORS TREADING DOWN IN [THE] MUD OF [THE] STREETS IN <THE> BATTLE AND THEY WILL FIGHT FOR YAHWEH [WILL BE] WITH THEM AND THEY WILL PUT TO SHAME RIDERS OF HORSES 5They will be like mighty men in battle, trampling the enemy in the mire of the streets. They will fight because the LORD is with them, and they will put the horsemen to shame.
6AND I WILL MAKE STRONG <OBJ.> [THE] HOUSE OF JUDAH AND <OBJ.> [THE] HOUSE OF JOSEPH I WILL SAVE AND I WILL RESTORE THEM FOR I HAVE COMPASSION ON THEM AND THEY WILL BE JUST AS NOT I HAD REJECTED THEM FOR I [AM] YAHWEH GOD THEIR AND I WILL ANSWER THEM 6I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have 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.
7AND THEY WILL BE LIKE A WARRIOR EPHRAIM AND IT WILL BE GLAD HEART THEIR LIKE WINE AND CHILDREN THEIR THEY WILL SEE AND THEY WILL BE GLAD IT MAY REJOICE HEART THEIR IN YAHWEH 7Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD.
8I WILL WHISTLE FOR THEM AND I WILL GATHER THEM FOR I HAVE REDEEMED THEM AND THEY WILL MULTIPLY AS THEY MULTIPLIED 8I will whistle for them to gather, for I have redeemed them; and they will be as numerous as they once were.
9AND I WILL SOW THEM AMONG THE PEOPLES AND IN THE DISTANT PLACES THEY WILL REMEMBER ME AND THEY WILL LIVE WITH CHILDREN THEIR AND THEY WILL RETURN 9Though I sow them among the nations, they will remember Me in distant lands; they and their children will live and return.
10AND I WILL BRING BACK THEM FROM [THE] LAND OF EGYPT AND FROM ASSYRIA I WILL GATHER THEM AND TO [THE] LAND OF GILEAD AND LEBANON I WILL BRING THEM AND NOT IT WILL BE FOUND FOR THEM 10I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon until no more room is found for them.
11AND HE WILL PASS IN THE SEA TROUBLE AND HE WILL STRIKE IN THE SEA WAVES AND THEY WILL DRY UP ALL [THE] DEPTHS OF [THE] RIVER AND IT WILL BE BROUGHT DOWN [THE] PRIDE OF ASSYRIA AND [THE] SCEPTER OF EGYPT IT WILL DEPART 11They will pass through the sea of distress and strike the waves of the sea; all the depths of the Nile will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt will depart.
12AND I WILL MAKE STRONG THEM BY YAHWEH AND IN NAME HIS THEY WILL GO ABOUT [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH 12I will strengthen them in the LORD, and in His name they will walk,” declares the LORD.