Ezekiel 38

1 The word of YHWH came to me, saying,

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

2 "Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

“Son of man, face towards Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him

3 and say, 'Thus says YHWH: "Look, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

and declare that this is what the Lord God says: Watch out, I am condemning you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

4 and I will turn you around, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, with all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them armed with swords;

I will send you in a different direction, put hooks in your jaws, and drag you out with your whole army, including your horses, your horsemen in uniform, and a host of men with large and small shields and bucklers, all waving their swords.

5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;

Soldiers from Persia, Cush, and Put will join them, all equipped with shields and helmets,

6 Gomer, and all his troops; the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north, and all his hordes; even many peoples with you.

together with Gomer and all its armies, as well as Beth-togarmah from the distant places of the north with all its armies—and many other nations that join with you.

7 "'"Be ready and stay ready, you and all your companies who are assembled to you, and be a guard to them.

Get ready! Make sure you and your whole army with you is prepared. You're the one in charge of them.

8 After many days you shall be summoned: in the latter years you shall come to a land that is restored from war, a gathering from many peoples on the mountains of Israel, that had long been in ruins. Its people were brought out from the peoples, and all of them now live securely.

A long time later you will be called to battle. In the final years you will invade a country that has recovered from war. Its people will have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had been abandoned for a long time. They had been brought back from the nations, and were all living in safety.

9 You shall advance, coming like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you, all your troops, and the many other peoples with you."

You and your whole army, and the armies of many nations with you, will advance like an incoming storm, like a cloud that covers the land.

10 "'Thus says YHWH: "It shall happen on that day, that thoughts shall come into your mind, and you shall devise an an evil scheme:

This is what the Lord God says: On that day you will start thinking about things in your mind, and you will come up with an evil plan.

11 and you shall say, 'I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to those who who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates;

You tell yourself, ‘I'm going to attack a country of undefended villages, a peaceful people who don't suspect an attack. They all live in towns without defensive walls or barred gates.

12 to seize spoil and carry off plunder; to turn my hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, acquired livestock and goods, who live at the center of the earth.'

I'll be able to loot them—I'll rob them of their possessions. I'll attack those places that were once ruined but now are inhabited again. I'll attack a people brought back from the other nations, who now own livestock and possessions, living in the center of the country.’

13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all its young warriors will say to you, 'Have you assembled your armies to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to to seize great spoil?'"'

Sheba and Dedan and the traders from Tarshish with all its strong leaders will ask, ‘Are you going to loot the place? Have you gathered your armies to rob them, to carry away silver and gold, to take cattle and possessions—to grab a great deal of plunder?’

14 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and tell Gog, 'Thus says YHWH: "On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, you will take notice?

So prophesy, son of man, and tell Gog that this is what the Lord God says: On the day you attack aren't you going to notice that my people Israel are unsuspecting?

15 You shall come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army;

You'll advance from your place in the distant north, you and your many allies, everyone riding horses, a huge number of men, a massive army.

16 and you shall come up against my people Israel, as a cloud covering the land. But when this happens in future days, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me, Gog, when through you I show my holiness in their sight."

You will attack my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. Gog, in the last days I will send you to attack my land, so that the nations may acknowledge me as holy when I reveal myself to them by what I do through you.

17 "'Thus says YHWH: "Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them?"

This is what the Lord God says: Aren't you the one of whom I spoke about long ago through my servants, the prophets of Israel? During that time didn't they prophesy for years that I would have you come and attack them?

18 But it shall happen on that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel,' says YHWH, 'that my hot anger will be aroused.

Now on that day, the day when Gog comes to attack the country of Israel, I will become very angry, declares the Lord God.

19 For in my zeal, in the fire of my fury, I declare that on that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

In my passionate, furious anger I announce that at that time a violent earthquake will hit of the country of Israel.

20 so that the fish of the sea, and the birds of the sky, and the animals of the field, and all crawling creatures who crawl on the land, and all people who are on the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

Everything that lives on the earth will tremble at my presence—the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the wild animals, every creature that runs upon the ground, and every human being. The mountains will be torn down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will be knocked to the ground.

21 I will call for a sword against him on all my mountains,' says YHWH: 'every man's sword shall be against his brother.

I will call for an attack on Gog from all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Everyone will attack his brother with sword.

22 With pestilence and with bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him, and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, torrential rains and hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

I will punish him with disease and bloodshed. I will send rainstorms, hailstones, fire, and sulfur down on him and his army, and on the armies of his many allies.

23 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 YHWH.'

I will demonstrate my true power and holiness, revealing myself to many nations. Then they will acknowledge that I am the Lord.”