Ezekiel 38

God’s Message to Gog

1 And the word of Yahweh came*Literally "was" to me, saying,*Literally "to say"2 "Son of man,*Or "mortal," or "son of humankind" set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the head*Or "chief" 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*Or "chief" leader of Meshach and Tubal, 4 and I will turn you around, and I will place*Or "give" hooks in your cheeks, and I will bring you out and all of your horses and horsemen fully armed,*Literally "clothed of fullness" all of them, a great crowd, holding a shield,*Or "buckler" and small shield, and holding*Or "wielding" 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,*Literally "for you" you and all of your assembly,*Or "battalions" or "hoards" the assembling*Or "assemblies" around you, and you must be*Or "serve" for them as a guard. 8 After many days you will be mustered; in the last years*Or "final years"; literally "in the last of the years" you will come to a restored land from the sword, gathered from many peoples on the mountains of Israel which were as permanent ruins*Literally "ruins continually/permanently" but from peoples it was brought out, and they will dwell in safety,*Literally "with confidence/assurance/trust" all of them. 9 And you will advance like a storm; you will come, and you will be like a cloud covering*Literally "to cover" the land, and all of your troops and many nations along with you."

10 " ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "And then*Literally "and it will be" on that day, things*Or "thoughts" will come up on*Or "in" 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*Or "go" to the people being at rest in safety,*Literally "with confidence" all of them dwelling without a wall*Or "walls" and crossbars*Hebrew "crossbar" and without doors,*Literally "and doors there are not for them"12 to*Or "for" loot loot,*Or "war-booty"; this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew and to plunder*Or "seize"; this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew plunder, to assail*Literally "to bring back your hand against"; NJPS, "to turn your hand against" 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,*Or "all of its violent leaders" they will ask you, ‘To*Or "for" loot loot*Or "war-booty" this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew are you coming? To plunder*Or "seize"; this word is chosen because of the alliteration in Hebrew plunder have you summoned your assembly, to take away silver and gold, to take livestock and goods, to loot great amounts*Hebrew "amount" of loot?" ’

14 "Therefore prophesy, son of man,*Or "mortal," or "son of humankind" and you must say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Will you not realize*LXX reads, "stir up/rouse yourself" on that day when my people Israel are dwelling in safety,*Literally "with confidence/trust"15 and so you will come from your place, from the remote areas of the north, you and many people with you, horsemen*Literally "riders of horsemen" all of them, a great crowd and a vast army, 16 and you will advance against my people Israel like a cloud covering*Literally "to cover" the land; it will be*Or "occur" 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*Literally "declaration of" the Lord Yahweh, ‘my rage will come up in my anger. 19 And in my passion, in the fire of my wrath, I spoke*Or "I asserted" that certainly*Literally "if not" on that day a great earthquake will be on the land of Israel. 20 And the fish of the sea and the birds*Hebrew "bird" of the heaven*Or "sky" and the animals*Hebrew "animal" of the field and all of the creeping things that creep on the earth and all of the humans*Or "every human being" who are on the surface of the earth will shake at my presence;*Literally "from the face of me" and the mountains will be demolished, and the steep mountain sides will fall, and every wall on*Or "to" the earth will fall. 21 And I will call against him*Or "summon against him" (cf. NJPS) in all of my mountains a sword,’ declares*Literally "declaration of" the Lord Yahweh, ‘And the sword of each person will be against his brother. 22 And I will execute justice with*Or "with respect to him" him with a plague and with blood and torrents of rain,*Literally "rain flooding/pouring down" 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.’ "