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IV. Hope for the Future

Chapter 33

The Prophet as Sentinel. The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: When I bring the sword against a land, if the people of that land select one of their number as a sentinel[a] for them,(A) and the sentinel sees the sword coming against the land, he should blow the trumpet to warn the people.(B) If they hear the trumpet but do not take the warning and a sword attacks and kills them, their blood will be on their own heads.(C) They heard the trumpet blast but ignored the warning; their blood is on them. If they had heeded the warning, they could have escaped with their lives. If, however, the sentinel sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the sword attacks and takes someone’s life, his life will be taken for his own sin, but I will hold the sentinel responsible for his blood.

(D)You, son of man—I have appointed you as a sentinel for the house of Israel; when you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them for me. When I say to the wicked, “You wicked, you must die,” and you do not speak up to warn the wicked about their ways, they shall die in their sins, but I will hold you responsible for their blood. If, however, you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, but they do not, then they shall die in their sins, but you shall save your life.

Individual Retribution. 10 As for you, son of man, speak to the house of Israel: You people say, “Our crimes and our sins weigh us down; we are rotting away because of them. How can we survive?”(E) 11 (F)Answer them: As I live—oracle of the Lord God—I swear I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! Why should you die, house of Israel?

12 As for you, son of man, say to your people: The justice of the just will not save them on the day they sin; the wickedness of the wicked will not bring about their downfall on the day they turn from their wickedness. No, the just cannot save their lives on the day they sin.(G) 13 Even though I say to the just that they shall surely live, if they, relying on their justice, do wrong, none of their just deeds shall be remembered; because of the wrong they have done, they shall die.(H) 14 And though I say to the wicked that they shall die, if they turn away from sin and do what is just and right— 15 returning pledges, restoring stolen goods, walking by statutes that bring life, doing nothing wrong—they shall surely live; they shall not die.(I) 16 None of the sins they committed shall be remembered against them. If they do what is right and just, they shall surely live.

17 Your people say, “The way of the Lord is not fair!” But it is their way that is not fair. 18 When the just turn away from justice and do wrong, they shall die for it.(J) 19 When the wicked turn away from wickedness and do what is right and just, because of this they shall live. 20 But still you say, “The way of the Lord is not fair!” I will judge each of you according to your ways, house of Israel.

The Survivor from Jerusalem. 21 On the fifth day of the tenth month,[b] in the twelfth year of our exile, the survivor came to me from Jerusalem and said, “The city is taken!”(K) 22 The hand of the Lord had come upon me the evening before the survivor arrived and opened my mouth when he reached me in the morning. My mouth was opened, and I was mute no longer.(L)

Those Left in Judah.[c] 23 The word of the Lord came to me: 24 Son of man, these who live among the ruins in the land of Israel are saying: “Abraham was only one person, yet he was given possession of the land. Since we are many, the land must be given to us as our possession.”(M) 25 Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord God: You eat on the mountains, you raise your eyes to your idols, you shed blood—yet you would keep possession of the land?(N) 26 You rely on your swords, you commit abominations, each defiles his neighbor’s wife—yet you would keep possession of the land? 27 Say this to them: Thus says the Lord God: As I live, those among the ruins shall fall by the sword; those in the open field I have made food for the wild beasts; and those in rocky hideouts and caves shall die by the plague. 28 I will make the land a desolate waste, so that its proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will cross them. 29 Thus they shall know that I am the Lord, when I make the land a desolate waste because of all the abominations they committed.

Popular Misunderstanding. 30 As for you, son of man, your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to one another, “Let’s go hear the latest word that comes from the Lord.” 31 My people come to you, gathering as a crowd and sitting in front of you to hear your words, but they will not act on them. Love songs are on their lips, but in their hearts they pursue dishonest gain.(O) 32 For them you are only a singer[d] of love songs, with a pleasant voice and a clever touch. They listen to your words, but they do not obey them. 33 But when it comes—and it is surely coming!—they shall know that there was a prophet among them.

Chapter 34

Parable of the Shepherds. The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds[e] of Israel. Prophesy and say to them: To the shepherds, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves!(P) Should not shepherds pasture the flock? You consumed milk, wore wool, and slaughtered fatlings, but the flock you did not pasture.(Q) You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the stray or seek the lost but ruled them harshly and brutally.(R) So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. They were scattered(S) and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; over the entire surface of the earth my sheep were scattered. No one looked after them or searched for them.

Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live—oracle of the Lord God—because my sheep became plunder, because my sheep became food for wild beasts, for lack of a shepherd, because my shepherds did not look after my sheep, but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep,(T) therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God: Look! I am coming against these shepherds. I will take my sheep out of their hand and put a stop to their shepherding my flock, so that these shepherds will no longer pasture them. I will deliver my flock from their mouths so it will not become their food.(U)

11 For thus says the Lord God: Look! I myself will search for my sheep and examine them. 12 As a shepherd examines his flock while he himself is among his scattered sheep, so will I examine my sheep. I will deliver them from every place where they were scattered on the day of dark clouds.(V) 13 I will lead them out from among the peoples and gather them from the lands; I will bring them back to their own country and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and every inhabited place in the land.(W) 14 In good pastures I will pasture them; on the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down on good grazing ground; in rich pastures they will be pastured on the mountains of Israel.(X) 15 I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest—oracle of the Lord God. 16 The lost I will search out, the strays I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, and the sick I will heal; but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them in judgment.

Separation of the Sheep. 17 As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.(Y) 18 Was it not enough for you to graze on the best pasture, that you had to trample the rest of your pastures with your hooves? Or to drink the clearest water, that you had to pollute the rest with your hooves? 19 Thus my flock had to graze on what your hooves had trampled and drink what your hooves had polluted. 20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will judge between the fat and the lean. 21 Because you push with flank and shoulder, and butt all the weak sheep with your horns until you drive them off, 22 I will save my flock so they can no longer be plundered; I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 (Z)I will appoint one shepherd[f] over them to pasture them, my servant David; he shall pasture them and be their shepherd. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince in their midst. I, the Lord, have spoken.(AA)

25 I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the country of wild beasts so they will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forests.(AB) 26 I will settle them around my hill and send rain in its season, the blessing of abundant rain. 27 The trees of the field shall bear their fruits, and the land its crops, and they shall dwell securely on their own soil. They shall know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke and deliver them from the power of those who enslaved them.(AC) 28 They shall no longer be plundered by the nations nor will wild beasts devour them, but they shall dwell securely, with no one to frighten them.(AD) 29 I will prepare for them peaceful fields for planting so they are never again swept away by famine in the land or bear taunts from the nations. 30 Thus they shall know that I, the Lord, their God, am with them, and that they are my people, the house of Israel—oracle of the Lord God.(AE) 31 Yes, you are my flock: you people are the flock of my pasture, and I am your God—oracle of the Lord God.(AF)

Chapter 35

Against Edom.[g] The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it. Say to it: Thus says the Lord God: Watch out! I am against you, Mount Seir. I will stretch out my hand against you and turn you into a desolate waste.(AG) Your cities I will turn into ruins, and you shall be a desolation; then you shall know that I am the Lord.(AH)

Because you nursed a long-standing hatred and handed the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their collapse, at the time of their final punishment,[h](AI) therefore, as I live—oracle of the Lord God—you are guilty of blood, and blood, I swear, shall pursue you. I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it anyone who travels across it and back.(AJ) I will fill its mountains with the slain; those slain by the sword shall fall on your hills, into your valleys and all your ravines.

I will make you a desolation forever,
    your cities will not be inhabited,
    and you shall know that I am the Lord.(AK)

10 Because you said: The two nations and the two lands[i] belong to me; let us take possession of them—although the Lord was there— 11 therefore, as I live—oracle of the Lord God—I will deal with you according to the anger and envy you dealt out to them in your hatred, and I will make myself known to them when I execute judgment on you,(AL) 12 then you shall know that I am the Lord.

I have heard all the insults you spoke against the mountains of Israel, saying: They are desolate; they have been given to us to devour. 13 You boasted against me with your mouths and used insolent words against me. I heard everything! 14 Thus says the Lord God: Because you rejoiced that the whole land was desolate, so I will do to you. 15 As you rejoiced over the devastation of the heritage of the house of Israel, the same I will do to you: you will become a ruin, Mount Seir, and the whole of Edom, all of it! Then they shall know that I am the Lord.(AM)

Chapter 36

Regeneration of the Land. As for you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy said about you, “Ha! the ancient heights have become our possession,” therefore prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God: because you have been ridiculed and hounded on all sides for becoming a possession for the remaining nations and have become a byword and a popular jeer,(AN) therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, plundered and mocked by the nations remaining around you:(AO) therefore thus says the Lord God: Truly, with burning jealousy I speak against the remaining nations and against Edom; they all took possession of my land for plunder with wholehearted joy and utter contempt. Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: Thus says the Lord God: See! in my jealous fury I speak, because you endured the reproach of the nations. Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I raise my hand and swear: the nations around you shall bear their own reproach.

But you, mountains of Israel, you will sprout branches and bear fruit for my people Israel, for they are coming soon.(AP) Look! I am for you! I will turn my face toward you; you will be plowed and planted.(AQ) 10 Upon you I will multiply the whole house of Israel; cities shall be resettled and ruins rebuilt.(AR) 11 Upon you I will multiply people and animals so they can multiply and be fruitful. I will resettle you as in the past, and make you more prosperous than at your beginning; then you shall know that I am the Lord.(AS)

12 Upon you I will have them walk, my people Israel. They shall possess you, and you shall be their heritage. Never again shall you rob them of their children.

13 Thus says the Lord God: Because they say of you, “You devour your own people,[j] you rob your nation of its children,”(AT) 14 therefore, you shall never again devour your people or rob your nation of its children—oracle of the Lord God. 15 I will no longer make you listen to the reproach of nations. You will never again endure insults from the peoples. Never again shall you rob your nation of its children—oracle of the Lord God.

Regeneration of the People. 16 The word of the Lord came to me: 17 Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in its land, they defiled it with their behavior and their deeds. In my sight their behavior was like the impurity of a woman in menstruation.(AU) 18 So I poured out my fury upon them for the blood they poured out on the ground and for the idols with which they defiled it. 19 I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through other lands; according to their behavior and their deeds I carried out judgment against them.(AV) 20 [k]But when they came to the nations, where they went, they desecrated my holy name, for people said of them: “These are the people of the Lord, yet they had to leave their land.” 21 So I relented because of my holy name which the house of Israel desecrated among the nations to which they came. 22 Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Not for your sake do I act, house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you desecrated among the nations to which you came.(AW) 23 But I will show the holiness of my great name, desecrated among the nations, in whose midst you desecrated it. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord—oracle of the Lord God—when through you I show my holiness before their very eyes.(AX) 24 I will take you away from among the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you back to your own soil. 25 [l](AY)I will sprinkle clean water over you to make you clean; from all your impurities and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 (AZ)I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.(BA) 27 I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them.(BB) 28 You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.(BC) 29 I will deliver you from all your impurities. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful; I will not send famine against you. 30 I will increase the fruit on your trees and the crops in your fields so that you no longer endure reproach from the nations because of famine.(BD) 31 Then you will remember your evil behavior and your deeds that were not good; you will loathe yourselves for your sins and your abominations. 32 Not for your sake do I act—oracle of the Lord God. Let this be known to you! Be ashamed and humbled because of your behavior, house of Israel.

33 Thus says the Lord God: When I cleanse you of all your guilt, I will resettle the cities and the ruins will be rebuilt.(BE) 34 The desolate land will be tilled—once a wasteland in the eyes of every passerby. 35 They will say, “This once-desolate land has become like the garden of Eden. The cities once ruined, laid waste and destroyed, are now resettled and fortified.”(BF) 36 Then the surrounding nations that remain shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was destroyed and replanted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken: I will do it. 37 Thus says the Lord God: This also I will be persuaded to do for the house of Israel: to multiply them like sheep. 38 Like sheep for sacrifice, like the sheep of Jerusalem on its feast days, the ruined cities shall be filled with flocks of people; then they shall know that I am the Lord.(BG)

Chapter 37

Vision of the Dry Bones.[m] The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he led me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me in the center of the broad valley. It was filled with bones. He made me walk among them in every direction. So many lay on the surface of the valley! How dry they were! He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come back to life? “Lord God,” I answered, “you alone know that.”(BH) Then he said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Listen! I will make breath enter you so you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put breath into you so you may come to life. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I prophesied as I had been commanded. A sound started up, as I was prophesying, rattling like thunder. The bones came together, bone joining to bone. As I watched, sinews appeared on them, flesh grew over them, skin covered them on top, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me: Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man! Say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: From the four winds come, O breath, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.[n](BI) 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them; they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.(BJ) 11 He said to me: Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel! They are saying, “Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off.” 12 Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Look! I am going to open your graves; I will make you come up out of your graves, my people, and bring you back to the land of Israel.(BK) 13 You shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and make you come up out of them, my people! 14 I will put my spirit in you that you may come to life, and I will settle you in your land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have spoken; I will do it—oracle of the Lord.(BL)

The Two Sticks. 15 [o]Thus the word of the Lord came to me: 16 As for you, son of man, take one stick and write on it, “Judah and those Israelites associated with it.” Then take another stick and write on it: “Joseph, Ephraim’s stick, and the whole house of Israel associated with it.” 17 Join the two sticks together so they become one stick in your hand. 18 When your people ask you, “Will you not tell us what you mean by all this?” 19 answer them: Thus says the Lord God: I will take the stick of Joseph, now in Ephraim’s hand, and the tribes of Israel associated with it, and join to it the stick of Judah, making them one stick; they shall become one in my hand.(BM) 20 The sticks on which you write, you must hold in your hand in their sight. 21 Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will soon take the Israelites from among the nations to which they have gone and gather them from all around to bring them back to their land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one king for them all. They shall never again be two nations, never again be divided into two kingdoms.(BN)

23 No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their apostasy through which they sinned. I will cleanse them so that they will be my people, and I will be their God.(BO) 24 (BP)David my servant shall be king over them; they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my ordinances, observe my statutes, and keep them. 25 They shall live on the land I gave to Jacob my servant, the land where their ancestors lived; they shall live on it always, they, their children, and their children’s children, with David my servant as their prince forever. 26 (BQ)I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them. I will multiply them and put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.(BR) 28 Then the nations shall know that I, the Lord, make Israel holy, by putting my sanctuary among them forever.

Chapter 38

First Prophecy Against Gog. The word of the Lord came to me:[p] Son of man, turn your face against Gog[q] of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.(BS) Say: Thus says the Lord God: See! I am coming against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws to lead you out with all your army, horses and riders, all well armed, a great company, all of them with bucklers and shields, carrying swords: (BT)Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all with shields and helmets; Gomer and all its troops, Beth-togarmah from the recesses of Zaphon and all its troops—many nations will accompany you. Prepare and get ready, you and the company mobilized for you, but in my service. After many days you will be called to battle; in the last years you will invade a land that has survived the sword—a people gathered from many nations back to the long-deserted mountains of Israel, brought forth from the nations to dwell securely.(BU) You shall come up like a sudden storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and the many nations with you.(BV)

10 Thus says the Lord God: On that day thoughts shall cross your mind, and you shall devise an evil plan. 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of open villages and attack a peaceful people who live in security—all of them living without city walls, bars, or gates”—(BW) 12 in order to plunder and pillage, turning your hand against resettled ruins, against a people gathered from the nations, a people whose concern is cattle and goods, dwelling at the center[r] of the earth. 13 Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish and all its “young lions” shall ask you: “Have you come here to plunder? Have you summoned your army for pillage, to carry off silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to seize much plunder?”(BX)

Second Prophecy Against Gog. 14 Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: Thus says the Lord God: On that day, when my people Israel dwell securely, will you not take action, 15 leaving your base in the recesses of Zaphon,[s] you and many nations with you, all mounted on horses, a great company, a mighty army?(BY) 16 You shall rise up over my people Israel like a cloud covering the land. In those last days, I will let you invade my land so that the nations acknowledge me, when in their sight I show my holiness through you, Gog.

17 Thus says the Lord God: About you I spoke in earlier times through my servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied at that time that I would let you invade them. 18 But on that day, the day Gog invades the land of Israel—oracle of the Lord God—my fury will flare up in my anger, 19 and in my jealousy, with fiery wrath, I swear on that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.(BZ) 20 Before me will tremble the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, the beasts of the field and everything that crawls on the ground, and everyone on the face of the earth. Mountains will be overturned, terraces will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground.(CA) 21 Against him I will summon every terror—oracle of the Lord God; every man’s sword will be raised against his brother.(CB) 22 I will execute judgment on him: disease and bloodshed; flooding rain and hailstones, fire and brimstone, I will rain down on him, on his troops and on the many nations with him.(CC) 23 And so I will show my greatness and holiness and make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.(CD)

Chapter 39

Third Prophecy Against Gog. You, son of man, prophesy against Gog, saying: Thus says the Lord God: Here I am, Gog, coming at you, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, even though I urged you on and brought you up from the recesses of Zaphon and let you attack the mountains of Israel.(CE) Then I will strike the bow from your left hand and make the arrows drop from your right. Upon the mountains of Israel you shall fall, you and all your troops and the peoples with you. I will give you as food to birds of prey of every kind and to wild beasts to be eaten. In the open field you shall fall, for I have spoken—oracle of the Lord God.(CF)

I will send fire against Magog and against those who live securely on the seacoast, and they will know that I am the Lord.(CG) I will reveal my holy name among my people Israel, and I will never again allow my holy name to be defiled. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.(CH) Yes, it is coming! It shall happen—oracle of the Lord God. This is the day I decreed.

Everyone living in the cities of Israel shall go out and set fire to the weapons, buckler and shield, bows and arrows, clubs and spears; for seven years they shall make fires with them.(CI) 10 They will not need to bring in wood from the fields or cut down trees in the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons, plundering those who plundered them, pillaging those who pillaged them—oracle of the Lord God.

11 On that day I will give Gog a place for his tomb in Israel, the Valley of Abarim,[t] east of the sea. It will block the way of travelers. There Gog shall be buried with all his horde; it shall be called “Valley of Hamon-Gog.”(CJ) 12 For seven months the house of Israel shall bury them in order to cleanse the land. 13 All the people of the land shall take part in the burials, making a name for themselves on the day I am glorified—oracle of the Lord God. 14 Men shall be permanently assigned to pass through the land, burying those who lie unburied in order to cleanse the land. For seven months they shall keep searching. 15 When these pass through the land and see a human bone, they must set up a marker beside it, until the gravediggers bury it in the Valley of Hamon-Gog. 16 Also the name of the city is Hamonah. Thus the land will be cleansed.

17 As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God: Say to birds of every kind and to every wild beast: “Assemble! Come from all sides for the sacrifice I am making for you, a great slaughter on the mountains of Israel. You shall eat flesh and drink blood! 18 You shall eat the flesh of warriors and drink the blood of the princes of the earth: rams, lambs, and goats, bulls and fatlings from Bashan, all of them.(CK) 19 From the sacrifice I slaughtered for you, you shall eat fat until you are sated and drink blood until you are drunk. 20 At my table you shall be sated with horse and rider, with warrior and soldier of every kind—oracle of the Lord God.

Israel’s Return. 21 Then I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the judgment I executed, the hand I laid upon them. 22 From that day forward the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord, their God. 23 The nations shall know that the house of Israel went into exile because of its sins. Because they betrayed me, I hid my face from them, handing them over to their foes, so they all fell by the sword.(CL) 24 According to their defilement and their crimes I dealt with them, hiding my face from them.(CM)

25 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and take pity on the whole house of Israel; I am zealous for my holy name.(CN) 26 They will forget their shame and all the infidelities they committed against me when they live securely on their own land with no one to frighten them. 27 When I bring them back from the nations and gather them from the lands of their enemies, I will show my holiness through them in the sight of many nations.(CO) 28 Thus they shall know that I, the Lord, am their God, since I who exiled them among the nations will gather them back to their land, not leaving any of them behind. 29 I will no longer hide my face from them once I pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel—oracle of the Lord God.(CP)

Footnotes

  1. 33:2 Sentinel: the theme of the sentinel’s duty initiates a new commission to announce salvation (chaps. 33–48), just as the same command (3:17–21) opened Ezekiel’s ministry to announce judgment (chaps. 3–24).
  2. 33:21–22 The fifth day of the tenth month: January 8, 585 B.C. According to Jeremiah (39:2), Jerusalem was taken in July, 587. Some manuscripts read “eleventh” for “twelfth” year (January, 586); even so, there was ample time between the fall of Jerusalem and the arrival of the survivor from that city to journey to Babylon. However, this is the survivor sent to fulfill the promise of Ez 24:25–27, the eyewitness whose arrival would release Ezekiel from his muteness; cf. 3:26–27.
  3. 33:23–29 News brought by the survivor furnished the occasion for this prophecy. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel rejects the idea that those left in Judah have any claim to the land. The new Israel is to be formed from the exiles.
  4. 33:32 Singer: perhaps the term indicates an entertainer whom one enjoys and then forgets.
  5. 34:2 Shepherds: the leaders of the people. A frequent title for kings and deities in the ancient Near East; the ideal ruler took care of his subjects and anticipated their needs. Ezekiel’s oracle broadens the reference to include the whole class of Jerusalem’s leaders (v. 17). The prophet assures his audience, the exiles in Babylon, that God holds these leaders responsible for what has happened to Jerusalem and will give Israel a new shepherd worthy of the title.
  6. 34:23 One shepherd: a future king to rule over a unified, restored Israel, in the image of the idealized David present in the Book of Kings (cf., e.g., 1 Kgs 3:3; 11:38; 2 Kgs 14:3; 22:2). My servant David: a common characterization of David; e.g., 1 Kgs 11:34, 36, 38; 2 Kgs 8:19; Ps 36:1; 78:70. See Ez 37:25.
  7. 35:1–15 After the fall of Jerusalem, Edom assisted the Babylonians in devastating the land and subduing the population in order to occupy part of Judah’s former territory. For this reason these oracles against Edom are found in the context of the city’s fall.
  8. 35:5 Final punishment: throughout this oracle the prophet echoes the threat against the mountains of Israel found in chaps. 6–7.
  9. 35:10 The two nations and the two lands: by presenting Edom’s excursion into the southern territory of Judah as its claim to both kingdoms, Ezekiel exaggerates Edom’s greed and arrogance. Lord was there: Edom’s betrayal of Judah becomes an attack on Judah’s God, the land’s sovereign. In 11:15 and 33:24, Ezekiel condemns Judahites who annex land that does not belong to them. Now the exiles in Babylon learn that even though God had left Jerusalem (chap. 11), he witnesses Edom’s insolence and pronounces judgment against it. Cf. 48:35, “The Lord is there!”
  10. 36:13 You devour your own people: i.e., the land destroys its own population; this phrase also occurs in Nm 13:32, where Israelite spies describe Canaan as “a land that devours its inhabitants.”
  11. 36:20–24 These verses make clear that Israel’s restoration is God’s initiative, independent of the people’s shame and repentance (v. 31). By their wickedness, Israel provoked the exile; its presence among the nations gave the impression that God could not protect his people. God’s gracious return of Israel to its land will restore his honor among these same nations.
  12. 36:25–26 God’s initiative to cleanse Israel (cf. 24:13–14) is the first act in the creation of a new people, no longer disposed to repeating Israel’s wicked past (chap. 20). To make this restoration permanent, God replaces Israel’s rebellious and obdurate interiority (“heart of stone”) with an interiority (“heart of flesh”) susceptible to and animated by God’s intentions (“my spirit,” v. 27).
  13. 37:1–14 This account is a figurative description of God’s creation of a new Israel. Even though that creation begins with the remains of the old Israel, the exiles under the image of dry bones, depicting a totally hopeless situation, the new Israel is radically different: it is an ideal people, shaped by God’s spirit to live the covenant faithfully, something the old Israel, exiles included, were unable to do. While this passage in its present context is not about the doctrine of individual or communal resurrection, many Jewish and Christian commentators suggest that the doctrine is foreshadowed here.
  14. 37:9 The Hebrew word rûah has multiple related meanings expressed by different English words: wind, spirit, breath. In this translation, rûah is rendered “spirit,” a powerful force that creates vision and insight (v. 1); “breath,” physical energy that quickens and enlivens (vv. 5–6); “wind,” invisible physical energy, sometimes destructive, sometimes invigorating (e.g., the rain-bearing winter winds), also a metaphor for restoration and new life (vv. 9–10); “my spirit,” a share in God’s power so the people observe the law that assures them life in the land (v. 14).
  15. 37:15–22 The symbolic action of joining two sticks into one continues Ezekiel’s description of God’s future saving action: the unification of Judah and Israel under an ideal ruler.
  16. 38:1–39:20 These three oracles against Gog (38:2–13; 14–23; 39:1–20) describe a mythic attack of God against a final enemy of his people sometime in the future. Like the oracles against the nations, their purpose is to strengthen Israel’s hope in God, since they end with God’s triumph on behalf of the people.
  17. 38:2 Gog: the name is symbolic, probably derived from Gyges, king of Lydia. The gloss Magog may be an Akkadian expression, mat-Gog, “the land of Gog.” Meshech and Tubal, as well as Gomer and Beth-togarmah (v. 6), were countries around the Black Sea, the northernmost countries known to the Israelites. The north was the traditional direction from which invasion was expected; cf. Jer 1:13–15.
  18. 38:12 Center: lit., “navel.” Many ancient peoples spoke of their own homelands as “the navel,” that is, the center of the earth.
  19. 38:15 Zaphon: cf. note on Jb 37:22.
  20. 39:11 The Valley of Abarim: in the Abarim mountains, east of the Jordan. “Abarim” plays on the word ’oberim, “travelers.” Hamon-Gog: “the horde of Gog.”

Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword(A) against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,(B) and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet(C) to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning(D) and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.(E) Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head.(F) If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves.(G) But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’(H)

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman(I) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(J) When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,(K)’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(L) But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so,(M) they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.(N)

10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away(O) because of[b] them. How then can we live?(P)”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.(Q) Turn!(R) Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’(S)

12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people,(T) ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’(U) 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.(V) 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just(W) and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge(X) for a loan, return what they have stolen,(Y) follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.(Z) 16 None of the sins(AA) that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.(AB)

17 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil,(AC) they will die for it.(AD) 19 And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.(AE) 20 Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”(AF)

Jerusalem’s Fall Explained

21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped(AG) from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!(AH) 22 Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was on me,(AI) and he opened my mouth(AJ) before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.(AK)

23 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, the people living in those ruins(AL) in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many;(AM) surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’(AN) 25 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat(AO) meat with the blood(AP) still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?(AQ) 26 You rely on your sword, you do detestable things,(AR) and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife.(AS) Should you then possess the land?’

27 “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague.(AT) 28 I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains(AU) of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.(AV) 29 Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolate(AW) waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’(AX)

30 “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before(AY) you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy(AZ) for unjust gain.(BA) 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs(BB) with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.(BC)

33 “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.(BD)

The Lord Will Be Israel’s Shepherd

34 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?(BE) You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.(BF) You have not strengthened the weak or healed(BG) the sick or bound up(BH) the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.(BI) So they were scattered because there was no shepherd,(BJ) and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.(BK) My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.(BL) They were scattered(BM) over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.(BN)

“‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered(BO) and has become food for all the wild animals,(BP) and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,(BQ) therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against(BR) the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue(BS) my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.(BT)

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep(BU) and look after them. 12 As a shepherd(BV) looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.(BW) 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather(BX) them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.(BY) I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.(BZ) 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel(CA) will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture(CB) on the mountains of Israel.(CC) 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,(CD) declares the Sovereign Lord.(CE) 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up(CF) the injured and strengthen the weak,(CG) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.(CH) I will shepherd the flock with justice.(CI)

17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.(CJ) 18 Is it not enough(CK) for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet?(CL) Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.(CM) 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns(CN) until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.(CO) 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend(CP) them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.(CQ) 24 I the Lord will be their God,(CR) and my servant David(CS) will be prince among them.(CT) I the Lord have spoken.(CU)

25 “‘I will make a covenant(CV) of peace(CW) with them and rid the land of savage beasts(CX) so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.(CY) 26 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.[c](CZ) I will send down showers in season;(DA) there will be showers of blessing.(DB) 27 The trees will yield their fruit(DC) and the ground will yield its crops;(DD) the people will be secure(DE) in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke(DF) and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.(DG) 28 They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety,(DH) and no one will make them afraid.(DI) 29 I will provide for them a land renowned(DJ) for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine(DK) in the land or bear the scorn(DL) of the nations.(DM) 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.(DN) 31 You are my sheep,(DO) the sheep of my pasture,(DP) and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

A Prophecy Against Edom

35 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir;(DQ) prophesy against it and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand(DR) against you and make you a desolate waste.(DS) I will turn your towns into ruins(DT) and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(DU)

“‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword(DV) at the time of their calamity,(DW) the time their punishment reached its climax,(DX) therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed(DY) and it will pursue you.(DZ) Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste(EA) and cut off from it all who come and go.(EB) I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines.(EC) I will make you desolate forever;(ED) your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(EE)

10 “‘Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession(EF) of them,” even though I the Lord was there, 11 therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the anger(EG) and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.(EH) 12 Then you will know that I the Lord have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour.(EI) 13 You boasted(EJ) against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it.(EK) 14 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.(EL) 15 Because you rejoiced(EM) when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir,(EN) you and all of Edom.(EO) Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Hope for the Mountains of Israel

36 “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel(EP) and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says:(EQ) The enemy said of you, “Aha!(ER) The ancient heights(ES) have become our possession.(ET)”’ Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because they ravaged(EU) and crushed you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people’s malicious talk and slander,(EV) therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys,(EW) to the desolate ruins(EX) and the deserted(EY) towns that have been plundered and ridiculed(EZ) by the rest of the nations around you(FA) this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my burning(FB) zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.’(FC) Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations.(FD) Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand(FE) that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.(FF)

“‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit(FG) for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,(FH) 10 and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins(FI) rebuilt.(FJ) 11 I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful(FK) and become numerous. I will settle people(FL) on you as in the past(FM) and will make you prosper more than before.(FN) Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance;(FO) you will never again deprive them of their children.

13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because some say to you, “You devour people(FP) and deprive your nation of its children,” 14 therefore you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign Lord. 15 No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign Lord.(FQ)’”

Israel’s Restoration Assured

16 Again the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman’s monthly uncleanness(FR) in my sight.(FS) 18 So I poured out(FT) my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered(FU) through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.(FV) 20 And wherever they went among the nations they profaned(FW) my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’(FX) 21 I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.(FY)

22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,(FZ) which you have profaned(GA) among the nations where you have gone.(GB) 23 I will show the holiness of my great name,(GC) which has been profaned(GD) among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,(GE) declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy(GF) through you before their eyes.(GG)

24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.(GH) 25 I will sprinkle(GI) clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse(GJ) you from all your impurities(GK) and from all your idols.(GL) 26 I will give you a new heart(GM) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone(GN) and give you a heart of flesh.(GO) 27 And I will put my Spirit(GP) in you and move you to follow my decrees(GQ) and be careful to keep my laws.(GR) 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,(GS) and I will be your God.(GT) 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine(GU) upon you. 30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.(GV) 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.(GW) 32 I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed(GX) and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!(GY)

33 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse(GZ) you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins(HA) will be rebuilt.(HB) 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden;(HC) the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.(HD) 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’(HE)

37 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea(HF) and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,(HG) 38 as numerous as the flocks for offerings(HH) at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(HI)

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,(HJ) and he brought me out by the Spirit(HK) of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley;(HL) it was full of bones.(HM) He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.(HN)

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!(HO) This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[d] enter you, and you will come to life.(HP) I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(HQ)’”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath;(HR) prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds(HS) and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded(HT) me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.(HU)

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’(HV) 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.(HW) 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord,(HX) when I open your graves and bring you up from them.(HY) 14 I will put my Spirit(HZ) in you and you will live, and I will settle(IA) you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.(IB)’”

One Nation Under One King

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites(IC) associated with him.(ID)’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17 Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.(IE)

18 “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’(IF) 19 say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’(IG) 20 Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21 and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.(IH) 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.(II) There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.(IJ) 23 They will no longer defile(IK) themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,[e](IL) and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.(IM)

24 “‘My servant David(IN) will be king(IO) over them, and they will all have one shepherd.(IP) They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.(IQ) 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.(IR) They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever,(IS) and David my servant will be their prince forever.(IT) 26 I will make a covenant of peace(IU) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.(IV) I will establish them and increase their numbers,(IW) and I will put my sanctuary among them(IX) forever.(IY) 27 My dwelling place(IZ) will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.(JA) 28 Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy,(JB) when my sanctuary is among them forever.(JC)’”

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,(JD) of the land of Magog,(JE) the chief prince of[f] Meshek and Tubal;(JF) prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[g] Meshek and Tubal.(JG) I will turn you around, put hooks(JH) 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.(JI) Persia, Cush[h](JJ) and Put(JK) will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer(JL) with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah(JM) from the far north(JN) with all its troops—the many nations with you.

“‘Get ready; be prepared,(JO) you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. After many days(JP) 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(JQ) 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.(JR) You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm;(JS) you will be like a cloud(JT) covering the land.(JU)

10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind(JV) and you will devise an evil scheme.(JW) 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people(JX)—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.(JY) 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.[i] 13 Sheba(JZ) and Dedan(KA) and the merchants of Tarshish(KB) and all her villages[j] 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?(KC)”’

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,(KD) will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the far north,(KE) you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army.(KF) 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud(KG) that covers the land.(KH) In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy(KI) through you before their eyes.(KJ)

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(KK) in the land of Israel.(KL) 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(KM) at my presence. The mountains will be overturned,(KN) the cliffs will crumble(KO) and every wall will fall to the ground.(KP) 21 I will summon a sword(KQ) against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.(KR) 22 I will execute judgment(KS) on him with plague and bloodshed;(KT) I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones(KU) and burning sulfur(KV) on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.(KW) 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.(KX)

39 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog(KY) and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[k] Meshek(KZ) and Tubal.(LA) I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north(LB) and send you against the mountains of Israel.(LC) Then I will strike your bow(LD) from your left hand and make your arrows(LE) 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(LF) and to the wild animals.(LG) You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(LH) I will send fire(LI) on Magog(LJ) and on those who live in safety in the coastlands,(LK) and they will know(LL) 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,(LM) and the nations will know(LN) that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.(LO) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day(LP) 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,(LQ) the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel.(LR) 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(LS) those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign Lord.(LT)

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(LU) there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog.[l](LV)

12 “‘For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.(LW) 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I display my glory(LX) 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.[m] 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(LY) 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.(LZ) 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.(MA) 19 At the sacrifice(MB) 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.(MC)

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.(MD) 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.(ME) 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.(MF)

25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob[n](MG) and will have compassion(MH) on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.(MI) 26 They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety(MJ) in their land with no one to make them afraid.(MK) 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.(ML) 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(MM) to their own land, not leaving any behind.(MN) 29 I will no longer hide my face(MO) from them, for I will pour out my Spirit(MP) on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.(MQ)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:8 Or in; also in verse 9
  2. Ezekiel 33:10 Or away in
  3. Ezekiel 34:26 Or I will cause them and the places surrounding my hill to be named in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or I will cause them and the places surrounding my hill to be seen as blessed
  4. Ezekiel 37:5 The Hebrew for this word can also mean wind or spirit (see verses 6-14).
  5. Ezekiel 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts all their dwelling places where they sinned
  6. Ezekiel 38:2 Or the prince of Rosh,
  7. Ezekiel 38:3 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
  8. Ezekiel 38:5 That is, the upper Nile region
  9. Ezekiel 38:12 The Hebrew for this phrase means the navel of the earth.
  10. Ezekiel 38:13 Or her strong lions
  11. Ezekiel 39:1 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
  12. Ezekiel 39:11 Hamon Gog means hordes of Gog.
  13. Ezekiel 39:16 Hamonah means horde.
  14. Ezekiel 39:25 Or now bring Jacob back from captivity