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Ezekiel 38
International Standard Version

The Prophecy against Gog

38 This message from the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of Man, turn your attention toward Gog,[a] from the land of Magog,[b] leader of the head[c] of Meshech,[d] and of Tubal.[e] Prophesy this against him: 3 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Watch out! I’m coming after you, Gog, leader of the head[f] of Meshech,[g] and of Tubal.[h] 4 I’m going to turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and bring you out—you and your whole army—along with your horses and cavalry riders, all of them richly attired, a magnificent company replete with buckler and shield, and all of them wielding battle swords. 5 Persia,[i] Cush,[j] and Libya[k] will be accompanying them, all of them equipped with shields and helmets. 6 Gomer[l] with all its troops, and the household of Togarmah[m] from the remotest parts of the north with all its troops—many people will accompany you. 7 Be prepared. Yes, prepare yourself—you and all of your many battalions that have gathered together around you to protect you.

8 “‘“Many days from now—in the latter years—you will be summoned to a land that has been restored from violence.[n] You will be gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which formerly had been a continuous waste, but which will be populated with people who have been brought back from the nations. All of them will be living there securely. 9 You’ll arise suddenly, like a tornado, coming like a windstorm[o] to cover the land, you and all your soldiers with you, along with many nations.”’”

The Invasion Strategy

10 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘This is what’s going to happen on the very day that you begin your invasion: You’ll be thinking,[p] making evil plans, 11 and boasting, “I’m going to invade a land comprised of open country[q] that is at rest, its people[r] living confidently, all of whose inhabitants will be living securely, with neither fortification nor bars on their doors. 12 I’m going to confiscate anything I can put my hands on. I’ll attack the restored ruins and the people who have been gathered together from the nations, who are acquiring livestock and other goods, and who live at the center of the world’s attention.”[s] 13 ‘Businessmen based in Sheba,[t] Dedan,[u] Tarshish,[v] and all of its growling lions will ask you, “Are you coming for war spoils? Have you assembled your armies to carry off silver and gold, and to gather lots of war booty?”’”

God’s Rebuke to Gog

14 “Therefore, Son of Man, prophesy to Gog and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “When the day comes when my people are living securely, won’t you be aware of it? 15 You’ll come in from your home[w] in the remotest parts of the north. You’ll come with many nations, all of them riding along on horses. You’ll be a huge, combined army. 16 You’ll come up to invade my people Israel like a storm cloud to cover the land. In the last days, Gog, I’ll bring you up to invade my land so that the world will learn to know me when I show them how holy I am before their very eyes.”’”

A Prediction for the Distant Future

17 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Surely you’re the one about whom I spoke years ago in the writings[x] of my servants, Israel’s prophets, aren’t you? They predicted back then that I would bring you up after many years, didn’t they? 18 So it will be that on that day, when Gog[y] invades the land of Israel,’ declares the Lord God, ‘my zeal will ignite my anger. 19 Because of my zeal and burning anger, at that time[z] there will be a massive earthquake throughout the land of Israel. 20 I’m going to shake the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the wild beasts, all the creatures that crawl on the earth, and every single human being who lives on the surface of the earth. Mountains will collapse, as will their mountain passages, and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 Then I’ll call for war against Gog[aa] on top of every mountain,’ declares the Lord God, ‘and every weapon of war will be turned against their fellow soldier. 22 I’ll judge them with disease and bloodshed. I’ll shower him, his soldiers, and the vast army that accompanies him with a torrential flood, hailstones, fire, and sulfur. 23 I will exalt myself and demonstrate my holiness, making myself known to many people, who will learn that I am the Lord.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 38:2 I.e. a mountain tribe north of Assyria, and so through chapter 39
  2. Ezekiel 38:2 I.e. a son of Noah’s son Japheth; the area includes what is now modern eastern Turkey
  3. Ezekiel 38:2 Or of Rosh,
  4. Ezekiel 38:2 I.e. a son of Noah’s son Japheth; this people resided in what is now modern Armenia
  5. Ezekiel 38:2 I.e. a son of Noah’s son Japheth; the area includes what is now modern eastern Turkey
  6. Ezekiel 38:3 Or of Rosh,
  7. Ezekiel 38:3 I.e. a son of Noah’s son Japheth; this people resided in what is now modern Armenia
  8. Ezekiel 38:3 I.e. a son of Noah’s son Japheth; this people resided in what is now modern eastern Turkey
  9. Ezekiel 38:5 I.e. the area includes what is now modern Iran
  10. Ezekiel 38:5 I.e. this area includes what is now modern Ethiopia and Somalia
  11. Ezekiel 38:5 Lit. Put; the Heb. name means bow
  12. Ezekiel 38:6 I.e. a son of Noah’s son Jepheth; the area encompasses what is now modern Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
  13. Ezekiel 38:6 I.e. named after Gomer, the region encompasses what is now Armenia
  14. Ezekiel 38:8 Lit. from the sword
  15. Ezekiel 38:9 Or cloud
  16. Ezekiel 38:10 Lit. thinking in your heart
  17. Ezekiel 38:11 I.e. territory characterized by a lack of military fortifications
  18. Ezekiel 38:11 The Heb. lacks its people
  19. Ezekiel 38:12 The Heb. lacks ‘s attention
  20. Ezekiel 38:13 I.e. what is now southwest Saudi Arabia
  21. Ezekiel 38:13 I.e. what is now southern Saudi Arabia
  22. Ezekiel 38:13 I.e. a city accessible from the Red Sea to which ships based on the Elanitic Gulf could sail
  23. Ezekiel 38:15 Lit. place
  24. Ezekiel 38:17 Lit. ago by the hand
  25. Ezekiel 38:18 I.e. a mountain tribe north of Assyria
  26. Ezekiel 38:19 Lit. day
  27. Ezekiel 38:21 I.e. a mountain tribe north of Assyria
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Ezekiel 38
Lexham English Bible

God’s Message to Gog

38 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] 2 “Son of man,[c] set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the head[d] leader of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. 3 And you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am against you, Gog, the head[e] leader of Meshach and Tubal, 4 and I will turn you around, and I will place[f] hooks in your cheeks, and I will bring you out and all of your horses and horsemen fully armed,[g] all of them, a great crowd, holding a shield,[h] and small shield, and holding[i] swords, all of them. 5 Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them, with a small shield and helmet. 6 Gomer and all of its troops, Beth Togarmah, the remote areas of the north, and with all of its troops and many peoples with them. 7 Be ready, and prepare yourselves,[j] you and all of your assembly,[k] the assembling[l] around you, and you must be[m] for them as a guard. 8 After many days you will be mustered; in the last years[n] you will come to a restored land from the sword, gathered from many peoples on the mountains of Israel which were as permanent ruins[o] but from peoples it was brought out, and they will dwell in safety,[p] all of them. 9 And you will advance like a storm; you will come, and you will be like a cloud covering[q] the land, and all of your troops and many nations along with you.”

10 “‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “And then[r] on that day, things[s] will come up on[t] your mind, and you will devise evil plans. 11 And you will say, ‘I will go up against a land of open country; I will come[u] to the people being at rest in safety,[v] all of them dwelling without a wall[w] and crossbars[x] and without doors,[y] 12 to[z] loot loot,[aa] and to plunder[ab] plunder, to assail[ac] inhabited ruins and a people gathered together from various peoples and who are acquiring livestock and goods and dwelling at the center of the world. 13 Sheba and Dedan and traders of Tarshish and all its strong lions,[ad] they will ask you, ‘To[ae] loot loot[af] are you coming? To plunder[ag] plunder have you summoned your assembly, to take away silver and gold, to take livestock and goods, to loot great amounts[ah] of loot?”’

14 “Therefore prophesy, son of man,[ai] and you must say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Will you not realize[aj] on that day when my people Israel are dwelling in safety,[ak] 15 and so you will come from your place, from the remote areas of the north, you and many people with you, horsemen[al] all of them, a great crowd and a vast army, 16 and you will advance against my people Israel like a cloud covering[am] the land; it will be[an] in the last days, and I will bring you against my land, so that the nations know me, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes, O Gog!”’

17 “Thus says the Lord Yahweh, ‘Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by the hand of my servants the prophets of Israel who were prophesying in those days for years that I would bring you against them? 18 And so then in that day, on the day of the coming of God against the land of Israel,’ declares[ao] the Lord Yahweh, ‘my rage will come up in my anger. 19 And in my passion, in the fire of my wrath, I spoke[ap] that certainly[aq] on that day a great earthquake will be on the land of Israel. 20 And the fish of the sea and the birds[ar] of the heaven[as] and the animals[at] of the field and all of the creeping things that creep on the earth and all of the humans[au] who are on the surface of the earth will shake at my presence;[av] and the mountains will be demolished, and the steep mountain sides will fall, and every wall on[aw] the earth will fall. 21 And I will call against him[ax] in all of my mountains a sword,’ declares[ay] the Lord Yahweh, ‘And the sword of each person will be against his brother. 22 And I will execute justice with[az] him with a plague and with blood and torrents of rain,[ba] and hailstones; fire and sulfur I will cause to fall on him and on his troops and on many peoples who are with him. 23 And so I will exalt myself, and I will show myself holy, and I will make myself known before the eyes of many nations, and they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 38:1 Literally “was”
  2. Ezekiel 38:1 Literally “to say”
  3. Ezekiel 38:2 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  4. Ezekiel 38:2 Or “chief”
  5. Ezekiel 38:3 Or “chief”
  6. Ezekiel 38:4 Or “give”
  7. Ezekiel 38:4 Literally “clothed of fullness”
  8. Ezekiel 38:4 Or “buckler”
  9. Ezekiel 38:4 Or “wielding”
  10. Ezekiel 38:7 Literally “for you”
  11. Ezekiel 38:7 Or “battalions” or “hoards”
  12. Ezekiel 38:7 Or “assemblies”
  13. Ezekiel 38:7 Or “serve”
  14. Ezekiel 38:8 Or “final years”; literally “in the last of the years”
  15. Ezekiel 38:8 Literally “ruins continually/permanently”
  16. Ezekiel 38:8 Literally “with confidence/assurance/trust”
  17. Ezekiel 38:9 Literally “to cover”
  18. Ezekiel 38:10 Literally “and it will be”
  19. Ezekiel 38:10 Or “thoughts”
  20. Ezekiel 38:10 Or “in”
  21. Ezekiel 38:11 Or “go”
  22. Ezekiel 38:11 Literally “with confidence”
  23. Ezekiel 38:11 Or “walls”
  24. Ezekiel 38:11 Hebrew “crossbar”
  25. Ezekiel 38:11 Literally “and doors there are not for them”
  26. Ezekiel 38:12 Or “for”
  27. Ezekiel 38:12 Or “war-booty”; this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew
  28. Ezekiel 38:12 Or “seize”; this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew
  29. Ezekiel 38:12 Literally “to bring back your hand against”; NJPS, “to turn your hand against”
  30. Ezekiel 38:13 Or “all of its violent leaders”
  31. Ezekiel 38:13 Or “for”
  32. Ezekiel 38:13 Or “war-booty” this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew
  33. Ezekiel 38:13 Or “seize”; this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew
  34. Ezekiel 38:13 Hebrew “amount”
  35. Ezekiel 38:14 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  36. Ezekiel 38:14 LXX reads, “stir up/rouse yourself”
  37. Ezekiel 38:14 Literally “with confidence/trust”
  38. Ezekiel 38:15 Literally “riders of horsemen”
  39. Ezekiel 38:16 Literally “to cover”
  40. Ezekiel 38:16 Or “occur”
  41. Ezekiel 38:18 Literally “declaration of”
  42. Ezekiel 38:19 Or “I asserted”
  43. Ezekiel 38:19 Literally “if not”
  44. Ezekiel 38:20 Hebrew “bird”
  45. Ezekiel 38:20 Or “sky”
  46. Ezekiel 38:20 Hebrew “animal”
  47. Ezekiel 38:20 Or “every human being”
  48. Ezekiel 38:20 Literally “from the face of me”
  49. Ezekiel 38:20 Or “to”
  50. Ezekiel 38:21 Or “summon against him” (cf. NJPS)
  51. Ezekiel 38:21 Literally “declaration of”
  52. Ezekiel 38:22 Or “with respect to him”
  53. Ezekiel 38:22 Literally “rain flooding/pouring down”
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Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel 39
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