שַׁאֲלוּ מֵה' מָטָר בְּעֵת מַלְקוֹשׁ ה' עֹשֶׂה חֲזִיזִים וּמְטַר־גֶּשֶׁם יִתֵּן לָהֶם לְאִישׁ עֵשֶׂב בַּשָּׂדֶה

Ask rain of the Lord, even at the time of the late rain, toward the end of winter: the Lord makes lightning and He will give them a rain shower; to each man there will be vegetation in the field.

כִּי הַתְּרָפִים דִּבְּרוּ־אָוֶן וְהַקּוֹסְמִים חָזוּ שֶׁקֶר וַחֲלֹמוֹת הַשָּׁוְא יְדַבֵּרוּ הֶבֶל יְנַחֵמוּן עַל־כֵּן נָסְעוּ כְמוֹ־צֹאן יַעֲנוּ כִּי־אֵין רֹעֶה

For the teraphim, statuettes used as idols, spoke nothingness, the sorcerers envisioned lies, and the dreams speak falsehood. They comfort with futility; the dreamers predicted false comfort to Israel, and their listeners relied on them. Therefore, they traveled, alternatively, they were uprooted this way and that, like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd for them.

עַל־הָרֹעִים חָרָה אַפִּי וְעַל־הָעַתּוּדִים אֶפְקוֹד כִּי־פָקַד ה' צְבָאוֹת אֶת־עֶדְרוֹ אֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה וְשָׂם אוֹתָם כְּסוּס הוֹדוֹ בַּמִּלְחָמָה

Not only are those who prophesy falsely held guilty, but My wrath is also enflamed against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel, or the rulers of the nations, and I will reckon with the billy goats, who lead the herd, lord over them, and influence them. All these will be removed from their positions of authority, as the Lord of hosts Himself has reckoned with His flock, the house of Judah, and remembered them for the better, and has rendered it like a horse whose glory is in war, instead of passive sheep, subjugated by all.

מִמֶּנּוּ פִנָּה מִמֶּנּוּ יָתֵד מִמֶּנּוּ קֶשֶׁת מִלְחָמָה מִמֶּנּוּ יֵצֵא כָל־נוֹגֵשׂ יַחְדָּו

A cornerstone of the house, the foundation stone, or a tower at the corner of the city wall, will be from it, the nation itself, from it a post of a building, from it a bow of war; and then from it every oppressor will be gone together. All the nation’s oppressors will be removed from its midst.

וְהָיוּ כְגִבֹּרִים בּוֹסִים בְּטִיט חוּצוֹת בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְנִלְחֲמוּ כִּי ה' עִמָּם וְהֹבִישׁוּ רֹכְבֵי סוּסִים

They, the sons of Judah, will be like the mighty treading in the mud of the streets in war. They will crush their enemies like dust and mud. And they will make war, because the Lord is with them, and they will humiliate the enemy riders of horses.

וְגִבַּרְתִּי אֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־בֵּית יוֹסֵף אוֹשִׁיעַ וְהוֹשְׁבוֹתִים כִּי רִחַמְתִּים וְהָיוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא־זְנַחְתִּים כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְאֶעֱנֵם

I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph; I will return them to their place, for I have had mercy on them and it will be as if I had not forsaken them and had never left them; as I am the Lord their God, and I will respond to them now, at the time of the redemption.

וְהָיוּ כְגִבּוֹר אֶפְרַיִם וְשָׂמַח לִבָּם כְּמוֹ יָיִן וּבְנֵיהֶם יִרְאוּ וְשָׂמֵחוּ יָגֵל לִבָּם בַּה'

Ephraim will be like the valiant, and their hearts will rejoice as with wine; their children will see and rejoice, their hearts will exult in the Lord.

אֶשְׁרְקָה לָהֶם וַאֲקַבְּצֵם כִּי פְדִיתִים וְרָבוּ כְּמוֹ רָבוּ

I will whistle to them and I will gather them, like a shepherd whistles to gather his sheep, for I have redeemed them; they will increase as they have increased in the past, or: They shall increase greatly.

וְאֶזְרָעֵם בָּעַמִּים וּבַמֶּרְחַקִּים יִזְכְּרוּנִי וְחָיוּ אֶת בְּנֵיהֶם וָשָׁבוּ

I have sown them among the peoples, and in the distant places they will remember Me, they will answer My call and they will live with their children; and will return.

וַהֲשִׁבוֹתִים מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּמֵאַשּׁוּר אֲקַבְּצֵם וְאֶל־אֶרֶץ גִּלְעָד וּלְבָנוֹן אֲבִיאֵם וְלֹא יִמָּצֵא לָהֶם

I will return them from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria; I will bring them to the land of Gilad and Lebanon, and it will not be sufficient for them, all the exiles who will return.

וְעָבַר בַּיָּם צָרָה וְהִכָּה בַיָּם גַּלִּים וְהֹבִישׁוּ כֹּל מְצוּלוֹת יְאֹר וְהוּרַד גְּאוֹן אַשּׁוּר וְשֵׁבֶט מִצְרַיִם יָסוּר

Trouble will pass through the sea and waves will strike the sea; all the depths of the Nile will dry, the pride of Assyria will be taken down, and the staff, the rule, of Egypt will depart.

וְגִבַּרְתִּים בַּה' וּבִשְׁמוֹ יִתְהַלָּכוּ נְאֻם ה'

I will strengthen them, Israel, in the Lord, and they will walk in His name – the utterance of the Lord.