3. ‘My anger burns against the shepherds,and I will punish the leaders;for the Lord Almighty will carefor his flock, the people of Judah,and make them like a proud horse in battle.
4. From Judah will come the cornerstone,from him the tent peg,from him the battle-bow,from him every ruler.
5. Together they will be like warriors in battletrampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.They will fight because the Lord is with them,and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.
6. ‘I will strengthen Judahand save the tribes of Joseph.I will restore thembecause I have compassion on them.They will be as thoughI had not rejected them,for I am the Lord their Godand I will answer them.
7. The Ephraimites will become like warriors,and their hearts will be glad as with wine.Their children will see it and be joyful;their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.
8. I will signal for themand gather them in.Surely I will redeem them;they will be as numerous as before.
9. Though I scatter them among the peoples,yet in distant lands they will remember me.They and their children will survive,and they will return.
10. I will bring them back from Egyptand gather them from Assyria.I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon,and there will not be room enough for them.
11. They will pass through the sea of trouble;the surging sea will be subduedand all the depths of the Nile will dry up.Assyria’s pride will be brought downand Egypt’s sceptre will pass away.