The Prophet Ezekiel

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 38 -

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the prince of the head of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy about him.(a)

(b)

And you shall say to him: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of the head of Meshech and Tubal.

And I will turn you around, and I will place a bit in your jaws. And I will lead you away, with all your army, the horses and the horsemen all clothed in armor, a great multitude, equipped with spears and light shields and swords,

the Persians, the Ethiopians, and the Libyans with them, all with heavy shields and helmets,

Gomer, and all his companies, the house of Togarmah, the northern parts, and all his strength, and the many peoples with you.

Prepare and equip yourself, with all your multitude which has been assembled to you. And you shall be like a commandment to them.

After many days, you will be visited. At the end of the years, you will arrive at the land which was turned back by the sword, and which has been gathered from many peoples to the mountains of Israel that have been continually abandoned. These ones have been led away from the peoples, and all of them will be living confidently within it.

But you will ascend and arrive like a tempest and like a cloud, so that you may cover the land, you and all your companies, and the many peoples with you.

Thus says the Lord God: In that day, words will climb into your heart, and you will invent a most wicked plan.

And you will say: ‘I will ascend to the land without a wall. I will go to those who are resting and dwelling securely. All these live without a wall; they have no bars or gates.’

Thus, you will plunder spoils, and you will take possession of prey, so that you may lay your hand upon those who had been abandoned, and afterwards were restored, and upon a people who were gathered away from the Gentiles, a people who have begun to possess, and to be the inhabitants of, the navel of the earth.

Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, and all its lions will say to you: ‘Could you have arrived in order to purchase from the spoils? Behold, you have gathered your multitude in order to plunder a prey, so that you may take silver and gold, and carry away equipment and substance, and plunder immeasurable wealth.’(c)

Because of this, son of man, prophesy, and you shall say to Gog: Thus says the Lord God: How is it that you do not know of that day, when my people, Israel, will be living in confidence?

And you will advance from your place, from the parts of the north, you and the many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and an immense army.

And you will rise up over my people, Israel, like a cloud, so that you may cover the earth. In the latter days, you will be. And I will lead you over my own land, so that the Gentiles may know me, when I will have been sanctified in you, O Gog, before their eyes.

Thus says the Lord God: Therefore, you are the one, about whom I spoke in the days of antiquity, by the hand of my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in the days of those times that I would lead you over them.

And this shall be in that day, in the day of the advent of Gog over the land of Israel, says the Lord God: my indignation will rise up in my fury.

And I have spoken, in my zeal and in the fire of my wrath, that there shall be a great commotion over the land of Israel, in that day.

And before my face there shall be stirred up: the fish of the sea, and the flying things of the air, and the beasts of the field, and every crawling thing that moves across the soil, and all the men who are upon the face of the earth. And the mountains will be overturned, and the hedges will fall, and every wall will fall in ruin to the ground.

And I will call for the sword against him on all my mountains, says the Lord God. Each one’s sword will be directed toward his brother.

And I will judge him by pestilence, and blood, and violent rainstorms, and immense hailstones. I will rain fire and brimstone upon him, and upon his army, and upon the many peoples who are with him.

And I will be magnified and sanctified. And I will be known in the eyes of the many nations. And they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

(a)38:2 Gog:This name, which signifies hidden or covered, is taken in this place, either for the persecutors of the church of God in general, or some arch-persecutor in particular: such as Antichrist shall be in the latter days. See Apoc. 20:8. And what is said of the punishment of Gog, is verified by the unhappy ends of persecutors.(Challoner)

(b)38:2 Magog:Scythia or Tartary, from whence the Turks, and other enemies of the church of Christ, originally sprung.(Challoner)

(c)38:13 The term ‘sumenda’ refers to taking something, but often in a limited manner, such as selecting some from many, or purchasing particular items. So the question is asked as to whether he has arrived to take select spoils. The answer is no, because his plundering is very extensive.(Conte)

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.

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

Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;

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

“‘“Be prepared, yes, prepare yourself, you, and all your companies who are assembled to you, and be a guard to them.

After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, on the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought out of the peoples and they will dwell securely, all of them.

You will ascend. You will come like a storm. You will be like a cloud to cover the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you.”

“‘The Lord GOD says: “It will happen in that day that things will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.

You will say, ‘I will go up to the land of unwalled villages. I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

to take the plunder and to take prey; to turn your hand against the waste places that are inhabited, and against the people who are gathered out of the nations, who have gotten livestock and goods, who dwell in the middle of the earth.’

Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all its young lions, will ask you, ‘Have you come to take the plunder? Have you assembled your company to take the prey, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”’

“Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and tell Gog, ‘The Lord GOD says: “In that day when my people Israel dwells securely, will you not know it?

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

You will come up against my people Israel as a cloud to cover the land. It will happen in the latter days that I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me when I am sanctified in you, Gog, before their eyes.”

“‘The Lord GOD says: “Are you he of whom I spoke in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for years that I would bring you against them?

It will happen in that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord GOD, “that my wrath will come up into my nostrils.

For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath I have spoken. Surely in that day there will be a great shaking in the land of Israel,

so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, all creeping things who creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the surface of the earth will shake at my presence. Then the mountains will be thrown down, the steep places will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground.

I will call for a sword against him to all my mountains,” says the Lord GOD. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.

I will enter into judgment with him with pestilence and with blood. I will rain on him, on his hordes, and on the many peoples who are with him, torrential rains with great hailstones, fire, and sulfur.

I will magnify myself and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”’