Ezekiel 38
Modern English Version
A Prophecy Against Gog
38 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshek and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say: Thus says the Lord God: I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshek and Tubal. 4 And I will turn you back and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses, and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet. 6 I will do so to Gomer and all its troops, Beth Togarmah of the north quarters and all its troops, and many peoples with you.
7 Be prepared and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled to you, and be a guard to them. 8 After many days you shall be called. In the latter years you shall come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered out of many peoples, against the mountains of Israel which had been always a waste. But its people were brought out of the nations, and they, all of them, are dwelling safely. 9 You shall ascend and come like a storm; you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.
10 Thus says the Lord God: It shall come to pass on that day that things shall come into your mind and you shall think an evil thought, 11 and you shall say, “I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates,” 12 to take spoil and to seize prey, to turn your hand against the desolate places that are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered out of the nations, who have obtained livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the world. 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages shall say to you, “Have you come to take spoil? Have you gathered your company to seize prey, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great spoil?”
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: Thus says the Lord God: On that day when My people of Israel dwell safely, shall you not know it? 15 And you shall come from your place out of the north parts, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 And you shall come up against My people of Israel as a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the latter days that I will bring you against My land so that the nations may know Me when I shall be sanctified in you, O Gog, before their eyes.
Judgment on Gog
17 Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them? 18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog comes against the land of Israel, says the Lord God, that My fury shall come up in My anger. 19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea and the fowl of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep upon the earth and all the men who are upon the face of the earth shall shake at My presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. 21 I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains, says the Lord God. Every man’s sword shall be against his brother. 22 I will enter into judgment with him with pestilence and with blood. And I will rain upon him and upon his troops and upon the many peoples who are with him, an overflowing rain and hailstones, fire and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
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
- Ezekiel 38:1 Literally “was”
- Ezekiel 38:1 Literally “to say”
- Ezekiel 38:2 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
- Ezekiel 38:2 Or “chief”
- Ezekiel 38:3 Or “chief”
- Ezekiel 38:4 Or “give”
- Ezekiel 38:4 Literally “clothed of fullness”
- Ezekiel 38:4 Or “buckler”
- Ezekiel 38:4 Or “wielding”
- Ezekiel 38:7 Literally “for you”
- Ezekiel 38:7 Or “battalions” or “hoards”
- Ezekiel 38:7 Or “assemblies”
- Ezekiel 38:7 Or “serve”
- Ezekiel 38:8 Or “final years”; literally “in the last of the years”
- Ezekiel 38:8 Literally “ruins continually/permanently”
- Ezekiel 38:8 Literally “with confidence/assurance/trust”
- Ezekiel 38:9 Literally “to cover”
- Ezekiel 38:10 Literally “and it will be”
- Ezekiel 38:10 Or “thoughts”
- Ezekiel 38:10 Or “in”
- Ezekiel 38:11 Or “go”
- Ezekiel 38:11 Literally “with confidence”
- Ezekiel 38:11 Or “walls”
- Ezekiel 38:11 Hebrew “crossbar”
- Ezekiel 38:11 Literally “and doors there are not for them”
- Ezekiel 38:12 Or “for”
- Ezekiel 38:12 Or “war-booty”; this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew
- Ezekiel 38:12 Or “seize”; this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew
- Ezekiel 38:12 Literally “to bring back your hand against”; NJPS, “to turn your hand against”
- Ezekiel 38:13 Or “all of its violent leaders”
- Ezekiel 38:13 Or “for”
- Ezekiel 38:13 Or “war-booty” this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew
- Ezekiel 38:13 Or “seize”; this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew
- Ezekiel 38:13 Hebrew “amount”
- Ezekiel 38:14 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
- Ezekiel 38:14 LXX reads, “stir up/rouse yourself”
- Ezekiel 38:14 Literally “with confidence/trust”
- Ezekiel 38:15 Literally “riders of horsemen”
- Ezekiel 38:16 Literally “to cover”
- Ezekiel 38:16 Or “occur”
- Ezekiel 38:18 Literally “declaration of”
- Ezekiel 38:19 Or “I asserted”
- Ezekiel 38:19 Literally “if not”
- Ezekiel 38:20 Hebrew “bird”
- Ezekiel 38:20 Or “sky”
- Ezekiel 38:20 Hebrew “animal”
- Ezekiel 38:20 Or “every human being”
- Ezekiel 38:20 Literally “from the face of me”
- Ezekiel 38:20 Or “to”
- Ezekiel 38:21 Or “summon against him” (cf. NJPS)
- Ezekiel 38:21 Literally “declaration of”
- Ezekiel 38:22 Or “with respect to him”
- Ezekiel 38:22 Literally “rain flooding/pouring down”
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