Ezekiel 38

1 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, of the land of Magog, prince of Resh, 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 saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, prince of Resh, 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 thee about, and put rings into thy jaws; and I will bring thee forth, thee and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in gorgeous apparel, even a great multitude with bucklers and shields, all of them handling 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 Persians, Ethiopians, and Lybians are with them, all of them with shields and helmets.

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

6 Gomer and all his bands, the house of Togarmah from the north quarters, and all their hosts, many nations are with thee.

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 prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou and all thy host that are assembled unto thee, and be thou their leader!

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 shalt thou be appointed over them. In the latter years shalt thou come into a land that is brought back from the sword, gathered out of many nations upon the mountains of Israel, which had been long desolate; but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell securely, all of them.

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 Thou shalt go up like a storm, thou shalt come like a cloud, to cover the land, thou and all thy bands, and many nations with thee.

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 saith the Lord Jehovah: At the same time shall thoughts come into thy mind, and thou shalt meditate an evil design,

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 shalt say, “I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that 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 take a spoil and to divide a prey, to turn my hand against the desolated places that have become inhabited, and against a people gathered out of the nations, possessing cattle and goods, dwelling in the heights 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, and all the chiefs thereof, shall say to thee, “Art thou come to take a spoil? Hast thou gathered thy company to divide a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, and to divide 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 prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In that day when my people Israel dwelleth securely, thou shalt observe it,

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 and thou shalt come up from the regions of the North, thou and many nations with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty host;

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 thou shalt come up against my people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land; in the latter days it shall come to pass, that I will bring thee against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified in regard to thee, before their eyes, O Gog!

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 saith the Lord Jehovah: Art thou not he of whom I spoke in old time by my servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days and years, that I would bring thee 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 And it shall come to pass in that day, in the day when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah, that my anger shall ascend in fury.

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 jealousy, in the fire of my wrath, have I spoken, Surely in 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 fishes of the sea, and the birds of the heavens, and the beasts of the field; and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the ground, and all the men that 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.

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 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord Jehovah, and they shall all turn their swords against each other,

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

22 And I will contend against him with pestilence, and with blood; and overflowing showers, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone, will I rain upon him and his hosts, and the many nations that are with him.

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 Thus will I show myself in my greatness and glory, and make myself known before the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

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