The Defeat of Gog

38 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, turn your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog,(A) the chief prince of[a] Meshech and Tubal.(B) Prophesy against him and say: This is what the Lord God says: Look, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws,(C) and bring you out with all your army, including horses and riders,(D) who are all splendidly dressed, a huge company armed with shields and bucklers, all of them brandishing swords. Persia,(E)Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shields and helmets; Gomer(F) with all its troops; and Beth-togarmah(G) from the remotest parts of the north along with all its troops—many peoples are with you.

“Be prepared and get yourself ready, you and all your company who have been mobilized around you; you will be their guard. After a long time you will be summoned. In the last years you will enter a land that has been restored from war[b] and regathered from many peoples to the mountains of Israel, which had long been a ruin.(H) They were brought out from the peoples, and all of them now live securely. You, all of your troops, and many peoples with you will advance, coming like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

10 “This is what the Lord God says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of open villages; I will come against a tranquil people who are living securely,(I) all of them living without walls and without bars or gates(J) 12 in order to seize spoil and carry off plunder,(K) to turn your hand against ruins now inhabited and against a people gathered from the nations, who have been acquiring cattle and possessions and who live at the center of the world.’ 13 Sheba(L) and Dedan(M) and the merchants of Tarshish(N) with all its rulers[c] will ask you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hordes to carry off plunder, to make off with silver and gold, to take cattle and possessions, to seize great spoil?’

14 “Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: This is what the Lord God says: On that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely,(O) will you not know this 15 and come from your place in the remotest parts of the north(P)—you and many peoples with you, who are all riding horses—a mighty horde, a huge army? 16 You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud covering the land. It will happen in the last days, Gog, that I will bring you against My land so that the nations may know Me, when I show Myself holy through you in their sight.(Q)

17 “This is what the Lord God says: Are you the one I spoke about in former times through My servants, the prophets of Israel, who for years prophesied in those times that I would bring you against them? 18 Now on that day, the day when Gog comes against the land of Israel”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“My wrath will flare up.[d] 19 I swear in My zeal and fiery rage:(R) On that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, every creature that crawls on the ground, and every human being on the face of the earth will tremble before Me. The mountains will be thrown down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains”—the declaration of the Lord God—“and every man’s sword will be against his brother.(S) 22 I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone on him, as well as his troops and the many peoples who are with him.(T) 23 I will display My greatness and holiness, and will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations.(U) Then they will know that I am Yahweh.

The Disposal of Gog

39 “As for you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: This is what the Lord God says: Look, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[e] Meshech and Tubal.(V) I will turn you around, drive you on,(W) and lead you up from the remotest parts of the north. I will bring you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will knock your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. You, all your troops, and the peoples who are with you will fall on the mountains of Israel. I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and to the wild animals. You will fall on the open field,(X) for I have spoken.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

“I will send fire against Magog(Y) and those who live securely on the coasts and islands. Then they will know that I am Yahweh. So I will make My holy name known among My people Israel and will no longer allow it to be profaned. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh, the Holy One in Israel.(Z) Yes, it is coming, and it will happen.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “This is the day I have spoken about.

“Then the inhabitants of Israel’s cities will go out, kindle fires, and burn the weapons—the bucklers and shields, the bows and arrows, the clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them to make fires. 10 They will not gather wood from the countryside or cut it down from the forests, for they will use the weapons to make fires. They will take the loot from those who looted them and plunder those who plundered them.”(AA) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

11 “Now on that day I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel—the Valley of the Travelers[f] east of the Sea. It will block those who travel through, for Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog.[g] 12 The house of Israel will spend seven months burying them in order to cleanse the land.(AB) 13 All the people of the land will bury them and their fame will spread(AC) on the day I display My glory.”(AD) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

14 “They will appoint men on a full-time basis to pass through the land and bury the invaders[h] who remain on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. They will make their search at the end of the seven months. 15 When they pass through the land and one of them sees a human bone, he will set up a marker next to it until the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog. 16 There will even be a city named Hamonah[i] there. So they will cleanse the land.

17 “Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: Tell every kind of bird and all the wild animals: Assemble and come! Gather from all around to My sacrificial feast that I am slaughtering for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel;(AE) you will eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the earth’s princes: rams, lambs, male goats, and all the fattened bulls of Bashan. 19 You will eat fat until you are satisfied(AF) and drink blood until you are drunk, at My sacrificial feast that I have prepared for you. 20 At My table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, of mighty men and all the warriors.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Israel’s Restoration to God

21 “I will display My glory among the nations,(AG) and all the nations will see the judgment I have executed and the hand I have laid on them. 22 From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am Yahweh their God. 23 And the nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile on account of their iniquity, because they dealt unfaithfully with Me.(AH) Therefore, I hid My face from them and handed them over to their enemies, so that they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and transgressions, and I hid My face from them.

25 “So this is what the Lord God says: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob(AI) and have compassion on the whole house of Israel,(AJ) and I will be jealous for My holy name. 26 They will feel remorse for[j][k] their disgrace(AK) and all the unfaithfulness they committed against Me, when they live securely in their land with no one to frighten them. 27 When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the countries of their enemies, I will demonstrate My holiness through them in the sight of many nations.(AL) 28 They will know that I am Yahweh their God when I regather them to their own land after having exiled them among the nations. I will leave none of them behind.[l] 29 I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel.”(AM) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 38:2 Or the prince of Rosh,
  2. Ezekiel 38:8 Lit from the sword
  3. Ezekiel 38:13 Lit young lions, or villages
  4. Ezekiel 38:18 Lit up in My anger
  5. Ezekiel 39:1 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
  6. Ezekiel 39:11 Hb obscure
  7. Ezekiel 39:11 = Hordes of Gog
  8. Ezekiel 39:14 Or basis, some to pass through the land, and with them some to bury those
  9. Ezekiel 39:16 In Hb, Hamonah is related to the word “horde.”
  10. Ezekiel 39:26 Some emend to will forget
  11. Ezekiel 39:26 Lit will bear
  12. Ezekiel 39:28 Lit behind there any longer

The Lord’s Great Victory Over the Nations

38 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Gog,(A) of the land of Magog,(B) the chief prince of[a] Meshek and Tubal;(C) prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[b] Meshek and Tubal.(D) I will turn you around, put hooks(E) in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.(F) Persia, Cush[c](G) and Put(H) will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer(I) with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah(J) from the far north(K) with all its troops—the many nations with you.

“‘Get ready; be prepared,(L) you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. After many days(M) you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations(N) to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.(O) You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm;(P) you will be like a cloud(Q) covering the land.(R)

10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind(S) and you will devise an evil scheme.(T) 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people(U)—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.(V) 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.[d] 13 Sheba(W) and Dedan(X) and the merchants of Tarshish(Y) and all her villages[e] will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?(Z)”’

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety,(AA) will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the far north,(AB) you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army.(AC) 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud(AD) that covers the land.(AE) In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy(AF) through you before their eyes.(AG)

17 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. 18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake(AH) in the land of Israel.(AI) 20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble(AJ) at my presence. The mountains will be overturned,(AK) the cliffs will crumble(AL) and every wall will fall to the ground.(AM) 21 I will summon a sword(AN) against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.(AO) 22 I will execute judgment(AP) on him with plague and bloodshed;(AQ) I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones(AR) and burning sulfur(AS) on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.(AT) 23 And so 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 the Lord.(AU)

39 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog(AV) and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[f] Meshek(AW) and Tubal.(AX) I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north(AY) and send you against the mountains of Israel.(AZ) Then I will strike your bow(BA) from your left hand and make your arrows(BB) drop from your right hand. On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds(BC) and to the wild animals.(BD) You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BE) I will send fire(BF) on Magog(BG) and on those who live in safety in the coastlands,(BH) and they will know(BI) that I am the Lord.

“‘I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned,(BJ) and the nations will know(BK) that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.(BL) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day(BM) I have spoken of.

“‘Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up—the small and large shields, the bows and arrows,(BN) the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel.(BO) 10 They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel. And they will plunder(BP) those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BQ)

11 “‘On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried(BR) there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog.[g](BS)

12 “‘For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.(BT) 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I display my glory(BU) will be a memorable day for them, declares the Sovereign Lord. 14 People will be continually employed in cleansing the land. They will spread out across the land and, along with others, they will bury any bodies that are lying on the ground.

“‘After the seven months they will carry out a more detailed search. 15 As they go through the land, anyone who sees a human bone will leave a marker beside it until the gravediggers bury it in the Valley of Hamon Gog, 16 near a town called Hamonah.[h] And so they will cleanse the land.’

17 “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Call out to every kind of bird(BV) and all the wild animals: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood.(BW) 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan.(BX) 19 At the sacrifice(BY) I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. 20 At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.(BZ)

21 “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them.(CA) 22 From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. 23 And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.(CB) 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.(CC)

25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob[i](CD) and will have compassion(CE) on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.(CF) 26 They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety(CG) in their land with no one to make them afraid.(CH) 27 When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations.(CI) 28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them(CJ) to their own land, not leaving any behind.(CK) 29 I will no longer hide my face(CL) from them, for I will pour out my Spirit(CM) on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CN)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 38:2 Or the prince of Rosh,
  2. Ezekiel 38:3 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
  3. Ezekiel 38:5 That is, the upper Nile region
  4. Ezekiel 38:12 The Hebrew for this phrase means the navel of the earth.
  5. Ezekiel 38:13 Or her strong lions
  6. Ezekiel 39:1 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
  7. Ezekiel 39:11 Hamon Gog means hordes of Gog.
  8. Ezekiel 39:16 Hamonah means horde.
  9. Ezekiel 39:25 Or now bring Jacob back from captivity