Ezekiel 38

God’s Message to Gog

1And 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.
3And you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am against you, Gog, the head
Or “chief”
leader of Meshach and Tubal,
4and 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.
5Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them, with a small shield and helmet. 6Gomer and all of its troops, Beth Togarmah, the remote areas of the north, and with all of its troops and many peoples with them. 7Be 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.
8After 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.
9And 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.
11And 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”
12to
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.
13Sheba 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”
15and 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,
16and 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? 18And 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.
19And 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.
20And 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.
21And 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.
22And 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.
23And 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.’ ”
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