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Ezekiel 37-40
Contemporary English Version

Dry Bones Live Again

37 Some time later, I felt the Lord's power take control of me, and his Spirit carried me to a valley full of bones. 2 The Lord showed me all around, and everywhere I looked I saw bones that were dried out. 3 He said, “Ezekiel, son of man, can these bones come back to life?”

I replied, “Lord God, only you can answer that.”

4 He then told me to say:

Dry bones, listen to what the Lord is saying to you, 5 “I, the Lord God, will put breath in you, and once again you will live. 6 I will wrap you with muscles and skin and breathe life into you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

7 I did what the Lord said, but before I finished speaking, I heard a rattling noise. The bones were coming together! 8 I saw muscles and skin cover the bones, but they had no life in them.

9 The Lord said:

Ezekiel, now say to the wind,[a] “The Lord God commands you to blow from every direction and to breathe life into these dead bodies, so they can live again.”

10 (A) As soon as I said this, the wind blew among the bodies, and they came back to life! They all stood up, and there were enough to make a large army.

11 The Lord said:

Ezekiel, the people of Israel are like dead bones. They complain that they are dried up and that they have no hope for the future. 12 So tell them, “I, the Lord God, promise to open your graves and set you free. I will bring you back to Israel, 13 and when that happens, you will realize that I am the Lord. 14 My Spirit will give you breath, and you will live again. I will bring you home, and you will know that I have kept my promise. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Judah and Israel Together Again

15 The Lord said:

16 Ezekiel, son of man, get a stick and write on it, “The kingdom of Judah.” Then get another stick and write on it, “The kingdom of Israel.”[b] 17 Hold these two sticks end to end, so they look like one stick. 18 And when your people ask you what this means, 19 tell them that I, the Lord, will join together the stick of Israel and the stick of Judah. I will hold them in my hand, and they will become one.

20 Hold these two sticks where they can be seen by everyone 21 and then say:

I, the Lord God, will gather the people of Israel and bring them home from the foreign nations where they now live. 22 I will make them into one nation and let them once again live in the land of Israel. Only one king will rule them, and they will never again be divided into two nations. 23 They will no longer worship idols and do things that make them unacceptable to me. I will wash away their sin and make them clean, and I will protect them from everything that makes them unclean. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

24-25 (B) Their king will always come from the family of my servant King David and will care for them like a shepherd. The people of Israel will faithfully obey my laws. They and their descendants will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, just as their ancestors did. 26 I solemnly promise to bless the people of Israel with unending peace. I will protect them and let them become a powerful nation. My temple will stand in Israel for all time, 27 (C) and I will live among my people and be their God. 28 Every nation on earth will know that my temple is in Israel and that I have chosen the Israelites to be my people.

Gog Invades Israel

38 The Lord said:

2 (D) Ezekiel, son of man, condemn Gog, that wicked ruler of the kingdoms of Meshech and Tubal in the land of Magog. Tell him:

3 I, the Lord God, am your enemy, 4 and I will make you powerless! I will put a hook in your jaw and drag away both you and your large army. You command cavalry troops that wear heavy armor and carry shields and swords. 5 Your army includes soldiers from Persia, Ethiopia,[c] and Libya, 6 as well as from Gomer and Beth-Togarmah in the north. Your army is enormous!

7 So keep your troops prepared to fight, 8 because in a few years, I will command you to invade Israel, a country that was ruined by war. It was deserted for a long time, but its people have returned from the foreign nations where they once lived. The Israelites now live in peace in the mountains of their own land. 9 But you and your army will attack them like a fierce thunderstorm and surround them like a cloud.

10 When that day comes, I know that you will have an evil plan 11 to take advantage of Israel, that weak and peaceful country where people live safely inside towns that have no walls or gates or locks. 12 You will rob the people in towns that were once a pile of rubble. These people lived as prisoners in foreign nations, but they have returned to Israel, the most important place in the world, and they own livestock and property. 13 The people of Sheba and Dedan, along with merchants from villages in[d] southern Spain,[e] will be your allies. They will want some of the silver and gold, as well as the livestock and property that your army takes from Israel.

14 I, the Lord God, know that when you see[f] my people Israel living in peace, 15 you will lead your powerful cavalry from your kingdom in the north. 16 You will attack my people like a storm-cloud that covers their land. I will let you invade my country Israel, so that every nation on earth will know that I, the Lord, am holy.

Judgment on Gog

17 The Lord said to Gog:

Long ago, I ordered my prophets to warn the people of Israel that someday I would send an enemy to attack them. You, Gog, are that enemy, and that day is coming. 18 When you invade Israel, I will become furious, 19 and in my anger I will send a terrible earthquake to shake Israel. 20 Every living thing on earth will tremble in fear of me—every fish and bird, every wild animal and reptile, and every human. Mountains will crumble, cliffs will fall, and cities will collapse. 21 I, the Lord, will make the mountains of Israel turn against you.[g] Your troops will be so terrified that they will attack each other. 22 I will strike you with diseases and punish you with death. You and your army will be pounded with rainstorms, hailstones, and burning sulfur. 23 I will do these things to show the world that I, the Lord, am holy.

Gog Is Defeated

The Lord said:

39 Ezekiel, son of man, condemn Gog and tell him:

You are the ruler of Meshech and Tubal, but I, the Lord, am your enemy! 2 I will turn you around and drag you from the north until you reach the mountains of Israel. 3 I will knock the bow out of your left hand and the arrows out of your right hand, 4 (E) and you and your army will die on those mountains. Then birds and wild animals will eat the flesh 5 of your dead bodies left lying in open fields. I, the Lord, have spoken.

6 I will set fire to the land of Magog and to those nations along the seacoast that think they are so secure, and they will know that I am the Lord.

7 My people Israel will know me, and they will no longer disgrace my holy name. Everyone on earth will know that I am the holy Lord God of Israel. 8 The day is coming when these things will happen, just as I have promised.

9 When that day comes, the people in the towns of Israel will collect the weapons of their dead enemies. They will use these shields, bows and arrows, spears, and clubs as firewood, and there will be enough to last for seven years. 10 They will burn these weapons instead of gathering sticks or chopping down trees. That's how the Israelites will take revenge on those who robbed and abused them. I, the Lord, have spoken.

The Burial of Gog

The Lord said:

11 After Gog has been destroyed, I will bury him and his army in Israel, in Travelers'[h] Valley, east of the Dead Sea. That graveyard will be so large that it will block the way of anyone who tries to walk through the valley,[i] which will then be known as “The Valley of Gog's Army.”[j] 12 The Israelites will spend seven months burying dead bodies and cleaning up their land. 13 Everyone will help with the burial, and they will be honored for this on the day the brightness of my glory is seen. 14 After those seven months, the people will appoint a group of men to look for any dead bodies left unburied. This must be done for seven months to make sure that the land is no longer unclean. 15 Whenever they find a human bone, they will set up a marker next to it. Then the gravediggers will bury it in “The Valley of Gog's Army” 16 near the town of “Gog's Army.” After that, the land will be pure again.

17 (F) Ezekiel, son of man, I am going to hold a feast on Israel's mountains and offer sacrifices there. So invite all the birds and wild animals to come from every direction and eat the meat of sacrifices and drink the blood. The birds and animals 18 will feast on the bodies of warriors and foreign rulers that I will sacrifice like sheep, goats, and bulls. 19 I want the birds and animals to eat until they are full and drink until they are drunk. 20 They will come to my table and stuff themselves with the flesh of horses and warriors of every kind. I, the Lord God, have spoken.

Israel Will Be Restored

The Lord said:

21 When I punish the nations of the earth, they will see the brightness of my glory. 22 The people of Israel will know from then on that I am the Lord their God. 23 Foreign nations will realize that the Israelites were forced to leave their own land because they sinned against me. I turned my back on my people and let enemies attack and kill them. 24 Their lives were wicked and corrupt, and they deserved to be punished.

25 Now I will show mercy to the people of Israel and bring them back from the nations where they are living. They are Jacob's descendants, so I will bless them and show that I am holy. 26 They will live safely in their own land, but will be ashamed when they remember their evil ways and how they disgraced me.[k] 27 Foreign nations will watch as I take the Israelites from enemy lands and bring them back home, and those nations will see that I am holy.

28 My people will realize that I, the Lord their God, sent them away as prisoners and now will bring them back to their own land. 29 Never again will I turn my back on the people of Israel, and my Spirit will live in them. I, the Lord, have spoken.

Ezekiel Sees the Future Temple in Jerusalem

40 1-2 (G) Twenty-five years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, and 14 years after the Babylonians had captured Jerusalem, the Lord's power took control of me on the tenth day of the first month.[l] The Lord showed me some visions in which I was carried to the top of a high mountain in Jerusalem. I looked to the south and saw what looked like a city full of buildings. 3 (H) In my vision the Lord took me closer, and I saw a man who was sparkling like polished bronze. He was standing near one of the gates and was holding a tape measure in one hand and a measuring stick in the other. 4 The man said, “Ezekiel, son of man, pay close attention to everything I'm going to show you—that's why you've been brought here. Listen carefully, because you must tell the people of Israel what you see.”

The East Gate

5 (I) The first thing I saw was an outer wall that completely surrounded the temple area. The man took his measuring stick, which was three meters long, and measured the wall; it was three meters high and three meters thick. 6-7 Then he went to the east gate, where he walked up steps that led to a long passageway. On each side of this passageway were three guardrooms, which were three meters square, and they were separated by walls two and a half meters thick. The man measured the distance between the opening of the gate and the first guardroom, and it was three meters, the thickness of the outer wall.

At the far end of this passageway, I saw an entrance room that faced the courtyard of the temple itself. There was also a distance of three meters between the last guardroom and the entrance room 8-9 at the end of the passageway. The man measured this room: It was four meters from the doorway to the opposite wall, and the distance from the doorway to the wall on either side was one meter. 10 The three guardrooms on each side of the passageway were the same size, and the walls that separated them were the same thickness.

11 Next, the man measured the width of the passageway, and it was six and a half meters, but the two doors of the gate were only five meters wide.[m] 12 In front of the guardrooms, which were three meters square, was a railing about 50 centimeters high and 50 centimeters thick. 13 The man measured the distance from the back wall[n] of one of these rooms to the same spot in the room directly across the passageway, and it was twelve and a half meters. 14 He measured the entrance room at the far end of the passageway, and it was ten meters wide.[o] 15 Finally, he measured the total length of the passageway, from the outer wall to the entrance room, and it was 25 meters. 16 The three walls in the guardrooms had small windows in them, just like the ones in the entrance room.[p] The walls along the passageway were decorated with carvings of palm trees.

The Outer Courtyard

17 The man then led me through the passageway and into the outer courtyard of the temple, where I saw 30 rooms built around the outside of the courtyard.[q] These side rooms were built against the outer wall, and in front of them was a sidewalk that circled the courtyard. 18 This was known as the lower sidewalk, and it was 25 meters wide.

19 I saw the gates that led to the inner courtyard of the temple and noticed that they were higher than those leading to the outer courtyard. The man measured the distance between the outer and inner gates, and it was 50 meters.[r]

The North Gate

20 Next, the man measured the north gate that led to the outer courtyard. 21 This gate also had three guardrooms on each side of a passageway. The measurements of these rooms, the walls between them, and the entrance room at the far end of the passageway were exactly the same as those of the east gate. The north gate was also 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide, 22 and the windows, the entrance room, and the carvings of palm trees were just like those in the east gate. The entrance room also faced the courtyard of the temple and had seven steps leading up to it. 23 Directly across the outer courtyard was a gate that led to the inner courtyard, just as there was for the east gate. The man measured the distance between the outer and inner gate, and it was 50 meters.

The South Gate

24 The man then took me to the south gate. He measured the walls and the entrance room of this gate, and the measurements were exactly the same as those of the other two gates. 25 There were windows in the guardrooms of this gate and in the entrance room, just like the others, and this gate was also 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide. 26 Seven steps led up to the gate; the entrance room was at the far end of the passageway and faced the courtyard of the temple. Carvings of palm trees decorated the walls along the passageway. 27 And directly across the outer courtyard was a gate on the south side of the inner courtyard. The man measured the distance between the outer and inner gate, and it was also 50 meters.

The Gates Leading to the Inner Courtyard

28 We then went into the inner courtyard, through the gate on the south side of the temple. The man measured the gate, and it was the same size as the gates in the outer wall. 29-30 In fact, everything along the passageway was also the same size, including the guardrooms, the walls separating them, the entrance room at the far end, and the windows. This gate, like the others, was 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide. 31 The entrance room of this gate faced the outer courtyard, and carvings of palm trees decorated the walls of the passageway. Eight steps led up to this gate.

32 Next, we went through the east gate to the inner courtyard. The man measured this gate, and it was the same size as the others. 33 The guardrooms, the walls separating them, and its entrance room had the same measurements as the other gates. The guardrooms and the entrance room had windows, and the gate was 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide. 34 The entrance room faced the outer courtyard, and the walls in the passageway were decorated with carvings of palm trees. Eight steps also led up to this gate.

35 Then the man took me to the north gate. He measured it, and it was the same size as the others, 36 including the guardrooms, the walls separating them, and the entrance room. There were also windows in this gate. It was 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide, 37 and like the other inner gates, its entrance room faced the outer courtyard, and its walls were decorated with carvings of palm trees. Eight steps also led up to this gate.

The Rooms for Sacrificing Animals

38-39 Inside the entrance room of the north gate, I saw four tables, two on each side of the room, where the animals to be sacrificed were killed. Just outside[s] this room was a small building used for washing the animals before they were offered as sacrifices to please the Lord[t] or sacrifices for sin[u] or sacrifices to make things right.[v] 40 Four more tables were in the outer courtyard, two on each side of the steps leading into the entrance room. 41 So there was a total of eight tables, four inside and four outside, where the animals were killed, 42-43 and where the meat was placed until it was sacrificed on the altar.[w]

Next to the tables in the entrance room were four stone tables 50 centimeters high and 75 centimeters square; the equipment used for killing the animals was kept on top of these tables. All around the walls of this room was a 75-millimeter shelf.[x]

The Rooms Belonging to the Priests

44 The man then took me to the inner courtyard, where I saw two buildings, one beside the inner gate on the north and the other beside the inner gate on the south.[y] 45 He said, “The building beside the north gate belongs to the priests who serve in the temple, 46 and the building beside the south gate belongs to those who serve at the altar. All of them are descendants of Zadok and are the only Levites allowed to serve as the Lord's priests.”

The Inner Courtyard and the Temple

47 Now the man measured the inner courtyard; it was 50 meters square. I also saw an altar in front of the temple.

48 We walked to the porch of the temple, and the man measured the doorway of the porch: It was seven meters long,[z] two and a half meters wide, and the distance from the doorway to the wall on either side was one and a half meters. 49 The porch itself was ten meters by six[aa] meters, with steps[ab] leading up to it. There was a column on each side of these steps.

Footnotes

  1. 37.9 wind: Or “breath.” The Hebrew word may mean either.
  2. 37.16 Israel: The Hebrew text has “Joseph, that is, Ephraim,” the leading tribe in the northern kingdom.
  3. 38.5 Ethiopia: See the note at 29.10.
  4. 38.13 from villages in: One ancient translation; Hebrew “and soldiers from.”
  5. 38.13 southern Spain: See the note at 27.12.
  6. 38.14 when you see: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  7. 38.21 I, the Lord … against you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  8. 39.11 Travelers': Hebrew “Abarim.”
  9. 39.11 That graveyard … the valley: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  10. 39.11 Gog's Army: Hebrew “Hamon-Gog.”
  11. 39.26 me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 26.
  12. 40.1,2 Twenty-five years … first month: Probably March of 573 b.c.
  13. 40.11 the width of the passageway … six and a half meters … the two doors of the gate … five meters wide: The doors themselves probably were hung on stone sockets, which could explain the two meters difference in width between the passageway and the doors.
  14. 40.13 back wall: One ancient translation; Hebrew “roof.”
  15. 40.14 wide: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
  16. 40.16 just like the ones in the entrance room: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  17. 40.17 30 rooms built around the outside of the courtyard: These were probably used by worshipers as places to meet and share sacrificial meals (see, for example, Jeremiah 35.2).
  18. 40.19 meters: The Hebrew text adds “the east and the north.”
  19. 40.38,39 Just outside: Or “Inside.”
  20. 40.38,39 sacrifices to please the Lord: These sacrifices have traditionally been called “whole burnt offerings” because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the Lord with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called “sacrifices to please the Lord.”
  21. 40.38,39 sacrifices for sin: See Leviticus 4.1,2; 6.24-30.
  22. 40.38,39 sacrifices to make things right: See Leviticus 5.14-19; 7.1-10.
  23. 40.42,43 where the meat … altar: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  24. 40.42,43 was a 75-millimeter shelf: Or “were 75-millimeter pegs.”
  25. 40.44 south: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 44.
  26. 40.48 seven meters long: One ancient translation; these words are not in the Hebrew text of this verse.
  27. 40.49 six: One ancient translation; Hebrew “five and a half.”
  28. 40.49 steps: Hebrew; one ancient translation “ten steps.”
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Ezekiel 37-40
New International Version

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,(A) and he brought me out by the Spirit(B) of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley;(C) it was full of bones.(D) 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.(E)”

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!(F) 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life.(G) 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(H)’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath;(I) prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds(J) and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded(K) me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.(L)

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’(M) 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.(N) 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord,(O) when I open your graves and bring you up from them.(P) 14 I will put my Spirit(Q) in you and you will live, and I will settle(R) you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.(S)’”

One Nation Under One King

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites(T) associated with him.(U)’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17 Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.(V)

18 “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’(W) 19 say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’(X) 20 Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21 and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.(Y) 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.(Z) There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.(AA) 23 They will no longer defile(AB) themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,[b](AC) and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.(AD)

24 “‘My servant David(AE) will be king(AF) over them, and they will all have one shepherd.(AG) They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.(AH) 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.(AI) They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever,(AJ) and David my servant will be their prince forever.(AK) 26 I will make a covenant of peace(AL) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.(AM) I will establish them and increase their numbers,(AN) and I will put my sanctuary among them(AO) forever.(AP) 27 My dwelling place(AQ) will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.(AR) 28 Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy,(AS) when my sanctuary is among them forever.(AT)’”

The Lord’s Great Victory Over the Nations

38 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog,(AU) of the land of Magog,(AV) the chief prince of[c] Meshek and Tubal;(AW) prophesy against him 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[d] Meshek and Tubal.(AX) 4 I will turn you around, put hooks(AY) in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.(AZ) 5 Persia, Cush[e](BA) and Put(BB) will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer(BC) with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah(BD) from the far north(BE) with all its troops—the many nations with you.

7 “‘Get ready; be prepared,(BF) you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. 8 After many days(BG) you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations(BH) to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.(BI) 9 You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm;(BJ) you will be like a cloud(BK) covering the land.(BL)

10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind(BM) and you will devise an evil scheme.(BN) 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people(BO)—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.(BP) 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.[f]” 13 Sheba(BQ) and Dedan(BR) and the merchants of Tarshish(BS) and all her villages[g] will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?(BT)”’

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety,(BU) will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the far north,(BV) you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army.(BW) 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud(BX) that covers the land.(BY) In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy(BZ) through you before their eyes.(CA)

17 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. 18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake(CB) in the land of Israel.(CC) 20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble(CD) at my presence. The mountains will be overturned,(CE) the cliffs will crumble(CF) and every wall will fall to the ground.(CG) 21 I will summon a sword(CH) against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.(CI) 22 I will execute judgment(CJ) on him with plague and bloodshed;(CK) I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones(CL) and burning sulfur(CM) on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.(CN) 23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(CO)’

39 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog(CP) and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[h] Meshek(CQ) and Tubal.(CR) 2 I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north(CS) and send you against the mountains of Israel.(CT) 3 Then I will strike your bow(CU) from your left hand and make your arrows(CV) drop from your right hand. 4 On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds(CW) and to the wild animals.(CX) 5 You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CY) 6 I will send fire(CZ) on Magog(DA) and on those who live in safety in the coastlands,(DB) and they will know(DC) that I am the Lord.

7 “‘I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned,(DD) and the nations will know(DE) that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.(DF) 8 It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day(DG) I have spoken of.

9 “‘Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up—the small and large shields, the bows and arrows,(DH) the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel.(DI) 10 They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel. And they will plunder(DJ) those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign Lord.(DK)

11 “‘On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried(DL) there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog.[i](DM)

12 “‘For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.(DN) 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I display my glory(DO) will be a memorable day for them, declares the Sovereign Lord. 14 People will be continually employed in cleansing the land. They will spread out across the land and, along with others, they will bury any bodies that are lying on the ground.

“‘After the seven months they will carry out a more detailed search. 15 As they go through the land, anyone who sees a human bone will leave a marker beside it until the gravediggers bury it in the Valley of Hamon Gog, 16 near a town called Hamonah.[j] And so they will cleanse the land.’

17 “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Call out to every kind of bird(DP) and all the wild animals: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood.(DQ) 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan.(DR) 19 At the sacrifice(DS) I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. 20 At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.(DT)

21 “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them.(DU) 22 From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. 23 And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.(DV) 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.(DW)

25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob[k](DX) and will have compassion(DY) on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.(DZ) 26 They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety(EA) in their land with no one to make them afraid.(EB) 27 When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations.(EC) 28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them(ED) to their own land, not leaving any behind.(EE) 29 I will no longer hide my face(EF) from them, for I will pour out my Spirit(EG) on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.(EH)”

The Temple Area Restored

40 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city(EI)—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me(EJ) and he took me there. 2 In visions(EK) of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain,(EL) on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. 3 He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze;(EM) he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod(EN) in his hand. 4 The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you,(EO) for that is why you have been brought here. Tell(EP) the people of Israel everything you see.(EQ)”

The East Gate to the Outer Court

5 I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits,[l] each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured(ER) the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.

6 Then he went to the east gate.(ES) He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. 7 The alcoves(ET) for the guards were one rod long and one rod wide, and the projecting walls between the alcoves were five cubits[m] thick. And the threshold of the gate next to the portico facing the temple was one rod deep.

8 Then he measured the portico of the gateway; 9 it[n] was eight cubits[o] deep and its jambs were two cubits[p] thick. The portico of the gateway faced the temple.

10 Inside the east gate were three alcoves on each side; the three had the same measurements, and the faces of the projecting walls on each side had the same measurements. 11 Then he measured the width of the entrance of the gateway; it was ten cubits and its length was thirteen cubits.[q] 12 In front of each alcove was a wall one cubit high, and the alcoves were six cubits square. 13 Then he measured the gateway from the top of the rear wall of one alcove to the top of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits[r] from one parapet opening to the opposite one. 14 He measured along the faces of the projecting walls all around the inside of the gateway—sixty cubits.[s] The measurement was up to the portico[t] facing the courtyard.[u](EU) 15 The distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its portico was fifty cubits.[v] 16 The alcoves and the projecting walls inside the gateway were surmounted by narrow parapet openings all around, as was the portico; the openings all around faced inward. The faces of the projecting walls were decorated with palm trees.(EV)

The Outer Court

17 Then he brought me into the outer court.(EW) There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms(EX) along the pavement.(EY) 18 It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court;(EZ) it was a hundred cubits[w](FA) on the east side as well as on the north.

The North Gate

20 Then he measured the length and width of the north gate, leading into the outer court. 21 Its alcoves(FB)—three on each side—its projecting walls and its portico(FC) had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 22 Its openings, its portico(FD) and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them.(FE) 23 There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred cubits.(FF)

The South Gate

24 Then he led me to the south side and I saw the south gate. He measured its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements(FG) as the others. 25 The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.(FH) 26 Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them; it had palm tree decorations on the faces of the projecting walls on each side.(FI) 27 The inner court(FJ) also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits.(FK)

The Gates to the Inner Court

28 Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements(FL) as the others. 29 Its alcoves,(FM) its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.(FN) 30 (The porticoes(FO) of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits wide and five cubits deep.) 31 Its portico(FP) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its jambs, and eight steps led up to it.(FQ)

32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements(FR) as the others. 33 Its alcoves,(FS) its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 Its portico(FT) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.

35 Then he brought me to the north gate(FU) and measured it. It had the same measurements(FV) as the others, 36 as did its alcoves,(FW) its projecting walls and its portico, and it had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 37 Its portico[x](FX) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.(FY)

The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices

38 A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings(FZ) were washed. 39 In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings,(GA) sin offerings[y](GB) and guilt offerings(GC) were slaughtered.(GD) 40 By the outside wall of the portico of the gateway, near the steps at the entrance of the north gateway were two tables, and on the other side of the steps were two tables. 41 So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. 42 There were also four tables of dressed stone(GE) for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high.[z] On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices.(GF) 43 And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth[aa] long, were attached to the wall all around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings.

The Rooms for the Priests

44 Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one[ab] at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south[ac] gate and facing north. 45 He said to me, “The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple,(GG) 46 and the room facing north(GH) is for the priests who guard the altar.(GI) These are the sons of Zadok,(GJ) who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.(GK)”

47 Then he measured the court: It was square—a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.(GL)

The New Temple

48 He brought me to the portico of the temple(GM) and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits wide on either side. The width of the entrance was fourteen cubits[ad] and its projecting walls were[ae] three cubits[af] wide on either side. 49 The portico(GN) was twenty cubits[ag] wide, and twelve[ah] cubits[ai] from front to back. It was reached by a flight of stairs,[aj] and there were pillars(GO) on each side of the jambs.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:5 The Hebrew for this word can also mean wind or spirit (see verses 6-14).
  2. Ezekiel 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts all their dwelling places where they sinned
  3. Ezekiel 38:2 Or the prince of Rosh,
  4. Ezekiel 38:3 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
  5. Ezekiel 38:5 That is, the upper Nile region
  6. Ezekiel 38:12 The Hebrew for this phrase means the navel of the earth.
  7. Ezekiel 38:13 Or her strong lions
  8. Ezekiel 39:1 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
  9. Ezekiel 39:11 Hamon Gog means hordes of Gog.
  10. Ezekiel 39:16 Hamonah means horde.
  11. Ezekiel 39:25 Or now bring Jacob back from captivity
  12. Ezekiel 40:5 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters; also in verse 12. The long cubit of about 21 inches or about 53 centimeters is the basic unit of measurement of length throughout chapters 40–48.
  13. Ezekiel 40:7 That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verse 48
  14. Ezekiel 40:9 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts gateway facing the temple; it was one rod deep. 9 Then he measured the portico of the gateway; it
  15. Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 14 feet or about 4.2 meters
  16. Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1 meter
  17. Ezekiel 40:11 That is, about 18 feet wide and 23 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 6.9 meters long
  18. Ezekiel 40:13 That is, about 44 feet or about 13 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 30, 33 and 36
  19. Ezekiel 40:14 That is, about 105 feet or about 32 meters
  20. Ezekiel 40:14 Septuagint; Hebrew projecting wall
  21. Ezekiel 40:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  22. Ezekiel 40:15 That is, about 88 feet or about 27 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33 and 36
  23. Ezekiel 40:19 That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 23, 27 and 47
  24. Ezekiel 40:37 Septuagint (see also verses 31 and 34); Hebrew jambs
  25. Ezekiel 40:39 Or purification offerings
  26. Ezekiel 40:42 That is, about 2 2/3 feet long and wide and 21 inches high or about 80 centimeters long and wide and 53 centimeters high
  27. Ezekiel 40:43 That is, about 3 1/2 inches or about 9 centimeters
  28. Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew were rooms for singers, which were
  29. Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew east
  30. Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
  31. Ezekiel 40:48 Septuagint; Hebrew entrance was
  32. Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.6 meters
  33. Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters
  34. Ezekiel 40:49 Septuagint; Hebrew eleven
  35. Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
  36. Ezekiel 40:49 Hebrew; Septuagint Ten steps led up to it
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