Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close ERV

Ezekiel 37-40
Easy-to-Read Version

The Vision of the Dry Bones

37 The Lord’s power came on me. The Spirit[a] of the Lord carried me out of the city and put me down in the middle of the valley.[b] The valley was full of dead men’s bones. 2 There were many bones lying on the ground in the valley. The Lord made me walk all around among the bones. I saw the bones were very dry.

3 Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man,[c] can these bones come to life?”

I answered, “Lord God, only you know the answer to that question.”

4 Then he said to me, “Speak to these bones for me. Tell them, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Lord God says to you: I will cause breath[d] to come into you, and you will come to life! 6 I will put sinew and muscles on you, and I will cover you with skin. Then I will put breath in you, and you will come back to life! Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

7 So I spoke to the bones for the Lord, as he said. I was still speaking, when I heard the loud noise. The bones began to rattle, and bone joined together with bone! 8 There before my eyes, I saw sinew and muscles begin to cover the bones. Skin began to cover them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then the Lord said to me, “Speak to the wind[e] for me. Son of man, speak to the wind for me. Tell the wind that this is what the Lord God says: ‘Wind, come from every direction and breathe air into these dead bodies! Breathe into them and they will come to life again!’”

10 So I spoke to the wind for the Lord, as he said, and the breath came into the dead bodies. They came to life and stood up. There were many men—a very large army!

11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are like the whole family of Israel. The people of Israel say, ‘Our bones have dried up;[f] our hope is gone. We have been completely destroyed!’ 12 So speak to them for me. Tell them this is what the Lord God says: ‘My people, I will open your graves and bring you up out of them! Then I will bring you to the land of Israel. 13 My people, I will open your graves and bring you up out of your graves, and then you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit[g] in you, and you will come to life again. Then I will lead you back to your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You will know that I said this and that I made it happen.’” This is what the Lord said.

Judah and Israel to Become One Again

15 The word of the Lord came to me again. He said, 16 “Son of man, get one stick and write this message on it: ‘This stick belongs to Judah and his friends,[h] the people of Israel.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘This stick of Ephraim belongs to Joseph and his friends, the people of Israel.’ 17 Then join the two sticks together. In your hand, they will be one stick.

18 “Your people will ask you to explain what that means. 19 Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: ‘I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and his friends, the people of Israel. Then I will put that stick with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick. In my hand, they will become one stick!’

20 “Take the sticks that you wrote on and hold them in front of you. 21 Tell the people that this is what the Lord God says: ‘I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will gather them from all around and bring them back to their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in their land among the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over them all. They will no longer be two nations. They will not be split into two kingdoms anymore. 23 And they will no longer continue to make themselves filthy with their idols and horrible statues or with any of their other crimes. Instead, I will save them from all the places where they have sinned, and I will wash them and make them pure. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

24 “‘And my servant David will be the king over them. There will be only one shepherd over all of them. They will live by my rules and obey my laws. They will do the things I tell them. 25 They will live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob. Your ancestors lived in that place, and my people will live there. They and their children and their grandchildren will live there forever. My servant David will be their leader forever. 26 And I will make a peace agreement with them. This agreement will continue forever. I agree to give them their land. I agree to make them numerous and to put my holy place among them forever. 27 My Holy Tent will be with them. Yes, I will be their God and they will be my people. 28 The other nations will know that I am the Lord, and they will know that I make Israel my special people by putting my holy place there among them forever.’”

The Message Against Gog

38 The word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2 “Son of man,[i] look toward Gog in the land of Magog. He is the most important leader of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. Speak for me against Gog. 3 Tell him that this is what the Lord God says: ‘Gog, you are the most important leader of the nations of Meshech and Tubal, but I am against you. 4 I will capture you and bring you back. I will bring back all the men in your army, all the horses, and horse soldiers. I will put hooks in your mouths, and I will bring all of you back. All the soldiers will be wearing their uniforms with all their shields and swords. 5 Soldiers from Persia, Ethiopia, and Put will be with them. They will all be wearing their shields and helmets. 6 There will also be Gomer with all its groups of soldiers, and there will be the nation of Togarmah[j] from the far north with all its groups of soldiers. There will be many people in that parade of prisoners.

7 “‘Be prepared. Yes, prepare yourself and the armies that have joined with you. You must watch and be ready. 8 After a long time you will be called for duty. In the later years you will come into the land that has been healed from war. The people in that land were gathered from many nations and brought back to the mountains of Israel. In the past, the mountains of Israel had been destroyed again and again. But these people will have come back from those other nations. They all will have lived in safety. 9 But you will come to attack them. You will come like a storm. You will come like a thundercloud covering the land. You and all your groups of soldiers from many nations will come to attack them.’”

10 This is what the Lord God says: “At that time an idea will come into your mind. You will begin to make an evil plan. 11 You will say, ‘I will go attack the country that has towns without walls. The people there live in peace and think they are safe. There are no walls around the cities to protect them. They don’t have any locks on their gates—they don’t even have gates! 12 I will defeat them and take all their valuable things away from them. I will fight against the places that were destroyed but now have people living in them. I will fight against the people who were gathered from the nations. Now they have cattle and property. They live at the crossroads of the world.[k]’

13 “Sheba, Dedan, and merchants of Tarshish and all the cities they trade with will ask you, ‘Did you come to capture valuable things? Did you bring your groups of soldiers together to grab the good things and to carry away silver, gold, cattle, and property? Did you come to take all those valuable things?’

14 “Son of man, speak to Gog for me. Tell him that this is what the Lord God says: ‘You will come to attack my people while they are living in peace and safety. 15 You will come from your place out of the far north, and you will bring many people with you. All of them will ride on horses. You will be a large and a powerful army. 16 You will come to fight against my people Israel. You will be like a thundercloud covering the land. When that time comes, I will bring you to fight against my land. Then, Gog, the nations will learn how powerful I am! They will learn to respect me and know that I am holy. They will see what I will do to you!’”

17 This is what the Lord God says: “At that time people will remember that I spoke about you in the past. They will remember that I used my servants, the prophets of Israel. They will remember that the prophets of Israel spoke for me in the past and said that I would bring you to fight against them.”

18 The Lord God said, “At that time Gog will come to fight against the land of Israel. I will show my anger. 19 In my anger and strong emotions, I make this promise: I promise that there will be a strong earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 At that time all living things will shake with fear. The fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the wild animals in the fields, and all the little creatures crawling on the ground will shake with fear. The mountains will fall down and the cliffs will break apart. Every wall will fall to the ground!”

21 The Lord God says, “On the mountains of Israel, I will call for every kind of terror against[l] Gog. His soldiers will be so afraid that they will attack each other and kill each other with their swords. 22 I will punish Gog with diseases and death. I will cause hailstones, fire, and sulfur to rain down on Gog and his groups of soldiers from many nations. 23 Then I will show how great I am. I will prove that I am holy. Many nations will see me do these things, and they will learn who I am. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

The Death of Gog and His Army

39 “Son of man,[m] speak against Gog for me. Tell him that this is what the Lord God says: ‘Gog, you are the most important leader of the countries Meshech and Tubal, but I am against you. 2 I will capture you and bring you back. I will bring you from the far north. I will bring you to fight against the mountains of Israel. 3 But I will knock your bow from your left hand and your arrows from your right hand. 4 You will be killed on the mountains of Israel. You, your groups of soldiers, and all the other nations with you will be killed in the battle. I will give you as food to every kind of bird that eats meat and to all the wild animals. 5 You will not enter the city. You will be killed out in the open fields. I have spoken!’” This is what the Lord God said.

6 “I will send fire against Magog and those people living along the coast. They think they are safe, but they will know that I am the Lord. 7 And I will make my holy name known among my people Israel. I will not let people ruin my holy name anymore. The nations will know that I am the Lord. They will know that I am the Holy One in Israel. 8 That time is coming! It will happen!” This is what the Lord God said. “That is the day I am talking about.

9 “At that time people living in the cities of Israel will go out to the fields. They will collect the enemy’s weapons and burn them. They will burn all the shields, bows and arrows, clubs and spears. They will use the weapons as firewood for seven years. 10 They will not have to gather wood from the fields or chop firewood from the forests because they will use the weapons as firewood. They will take the valuable things from the soldiers who wanted to steal from them. They will take the good things from the soldiers who took good things from them.” This is what the Lord God said.

11 “At that time I will choose a place in Israel to bury Gog. He will be buried in the Valley of the Travelers,[n] east of the Dead Sea. It will block the road for travelers, because Gog and all his army will be buried in that place. People will call it ‘The Valley of Gog’s Army.’ 12 It will take seven months for the family of Israel to bury them. They must do this to make the land pure. 13 The common people will bury the enemy soldiers, and the people will become famous on the day that I bring honor to myself.” The Lord God said those things.

14 “Workers will be given a full-time job burying the dead soldiers to make the land pure. The workers will work for seven months. They will go around looking for dead bodies. 15 They will go around looking, and if anyone sees a bone, a marker will be put up by it. The sign will stay there until the gravediggers come and bury the bone in the Valley of Gog’s Army. 16 The city of the dead will be named Hamonah.[o] In this way they will make the country pure.”

17 This is what the Lord God said: “Son of man, speak to all the birds and wild animals for me. Tell them, ‘Come here! Come here! Gather around. Come eat this sacrifice I am preparing for you. There will be a very big sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. Come, eat the meat and drink the blood. 18 You will eat the meat from the bodies of powerful soldiers and drink the blood from world leaders. They will be like rams, lambs, goats, and fat bulls from Bashan. 19 You can eat all the fat you want and drink blood until you are full. You will eat and drink from my sacrifice, which I will kill for you. 20 You will have plenty of meat to eat at my table. There will be horses and chariot drivers, powerful soldiers, and all the other fighting men.’” This is what the Lord God said.

21 “I will let the other nations see what I have done, and they will begin to respect me! They will see my power that I used against the enemy. 22 Then from that day on, the family of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. 23 And the nations will know why the family of Israel was carried away as prisoners to other countries. They will learn that my people turned against me, so I turned away from them. I let their enemies defeat them, so my people were killed in battle. 24 They sinned and made themselves filthy, so I punished them for the things they did. I turned away from them and refused to help them.”

25 So this is what the Lord God says: “Now I will bring the family of Jacob back from captivity. I will have mercy on the whole family of Israel. I will show my strong feelings for my holy name. 26 The people will forget their shame and all the times they turned against me. They will live in safety on their own land. No one will make them afraid. 27 I will bring my people back from other countries. I will gather them from the lands of their enemies. Then many nations will see how holy I am. 28 They will know that I am the Lord their God. That is because I made them leave their homes and go as prisoners to other countries. But then I gathered them together again and brought them back to their own land. 29 I will pour out my Spirit on the family of Israel, and I will never turn away from my people again.” This is what the Lord God said.

The New Temple

40 In the twenty-fifth year after we were taken away into captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month,[p] the Lord’s power came on me. This was fourteen years after the Babylonians took Jerusalem. On that day the Lord took me there in a vision.

2 In a vision, God carried me to the land of Israel. He put me down near a very high mountain. On the mountain in front of me was a building that looked like a city.[q] 3 He took me to that place. There was a man there who looked like polished bronze. He had a cloth tape measure and a measuring rod in his hand. He was standing by the gate. 4 The man said to me, “Son of man,[r] use your eyes and ears. Look at these things and listen to me. Pay attention to everything that I show you, because you have been brought here so that I can show you these things. You must tell the family of Israel all that you see.”

5 I saw a wall that went all the way around the outside of the Temple. In the man’s hand there was a ruler for measuring things. It was 6 cubits[s] long using the long measurement,[t] so the man measured the thickness of the wall. It was one ruler[u] thick. He measured the height of the wall. It was one ruler tall.

6 Then the man went to the east gate. He walked up its steps and measured the opening for the gate. It was one ruler wide. 7 The guardrooms were one ruler long and one ruler wide. The walls between the rooms were 5 cubits[v] thick. The opening by the porch at the end of the gateway that faced the Temple was also one ruler wide. 8 Then he measured the porch. 9 It was 8 cubits[w] long. He measured the walls on either side of the gate. Each side wall was 2 cubits[x] wide. The porch was at the end of the gateway that faced the Temple. 10 There were three little guardrooms on each side of the gateway. All these rooms and their side walls measured the same. 11 The man measured the entrance to the gateway. It was 10 cubits[y] wide and 13 cubits[z] long. 12 There was a low wall in front of each room. That wall was 1 cubit[aa] tall and 1 cubit thick. The rooms were square. Each wall was 6 cubits long.

13 The man measured the gateway from the outside edge of the roof of one room to the outside edge of the roof of the opposite room. It was 25 cubits.[ab] Each door was directly opposite the other door. 14 [ac] He measured the faces of all the side walls, including the side walls on either side of the porch at the courtyard. The total was 60 cubits.[ad] 15 From the inside edge of the outer gate to the far end of the porch was 50 cubits.[ae] 16 There were small windows[af] above all the guardrooms, the side walls, and the porch. The wide part of the windows faced into the gateway. There were carvings of palm trees on the walls that were on either side of the gateway.

The Outer Courtyard

17 Then the man led me into the outer courtyard. I saw thirty rooms and a pavement that went all the way around the courtyard. The rooms were along the wall and faced in toward the pavement. 18 The pavement was as wide as the gates were long. The pavement reached to the inside end of the gateway. This was the lower pavement. 19 The man measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner courtyard. It was 100 cubits[ag] on the east side as well as on the north side.

20 Then the man measured the length and width of the north gate that was in the wall surrounding the outer courtyard. 21 This gateway, its three rooms on each side, and its porch all measured the same as the first gate. The gateway was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide. 22 Its windows, its porch, and its carvings of palm trees measured the same as the east gate. On the outside, there were seven steps leading up to the gate. Its porch was at the inside end of the gateway. 23 Across the courtyard from the north gate, there was a gate to the inner courtyard. It was like the gate on the east. The man measured from the gate on the inner wall to the gate on the outer wall. It was 100 cubits from gate to gate.

24 Then the man led me to the south wall. I saw a gate in the south wall. He measured its side walls and its porch. They measured the same as the other gates. 25 The gateway and its porch had windows all around like the other gates. The gateway was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide. 26 There were seven steps going up to this gate. Its porch was at the inside end of the gateway. It had carvings of palm trees on the walls that were on either side of the gateway. 27 A gate was on the south side of the inner courtyard. The man measured from the gate on the inner wall to the gate on the outer wall. It was 100 cubits from gate to gate.

The Inner Courtyard

28 Then the man led me through the south gate into the inner courtyard. He measured this gate. This gateway measured the same as the other gates to the inner courtyard. 29 Its rooms, side walls, and porch also measured the same as the other gates. There were windows all around the gateway and its porch. The gateway was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide. 30 The porch was 25 cubits wide and 5 cubits long. 31 And its porch was at the end of the gateway next to the outer courtyard. Carvings of palm trees were on the walls on either side of the gateway. There were eight steps leading up to the gate.

32 Then the man led me into the inner courtyard on the east side. He measured the gate. It measured the same as the other gates. 33 Its rooms, side walls, and porch also measured the same as the other gates. There were windows all around the gateway and its porch. The gateway was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide. 34 And its porch was at the end of the gateway next to the outer courtyard. Carvings of palm trees were on the walls on either side of the gateway. There were eight steps leading up to the gate.

35 Then the man led me to the north gate. He measured it, and it measured the same as the other gates. 36 Its rooms, side walls, and porch also measured the same as the other gates. There were windows all around the gateway and its porch. The gateway was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide. 37 And its porch[ah] was at the end of the gateway next to the outer courtyard. Carvings of palm trees were on the walls on either side of the gateway. There were eight steps leading up to the gate.

The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices

38 There was also a doorway in the side walls of the gates. That doorway led into a room where the priests washed the sacrifices. 39 There were two tables on each side of the door of this porch. The animals for the burnt offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings were killed on these tables. 40 There were also two tables on each side of the door on the outside wall of this porch. 41 So there were four tables on the inside wall and four tables on the outside wall—eight tables that the priests used when they killed the animals for sacrifices. 42 There were also four tables made from cut stone for the burnt offerings. These tables were 1 1/2 cubits[ai] long, 1 1/2 cubits wide, and 1 cubit high. On these tables, the priests put their tools that they used to kill the animals for the burnt offerings and other sacrifices. 43 There were meat hooks three inches long[aj] on all the walls in this area. The meat of the offerings was put on the tables.

The Priests’ Rooms

44 There were two rooms[ak] in the inner courtyard. One was by the north gate facing south. The other room was by the south[al] gate facing north. 45 The man said to me, “The room that looks to the south is for the priests who are on duty and serving in the Temple area. 46 But the room that looks to the north is for the priests who are on duty and serving at the altar. The priests are from the tribe of Levi. But the priests in this second group are the descendants of Zadok. They are the only people who can carry the sacrifices to the altar to serve the Lord.[am]”

47 The man measured the inner courtyard. The courtyard was a perfect square. It was 100 cubits long and 100 cubits wide. The altar was in front of the Temple.

The Porch of the Temple

48 Then the man led me to the porch of the Temple and measured the walls on either side of the porch. Each side wall was 5 cubits thick and 3 cubits[an] wide. The opening between them was 14 cubits.[ao] 49 The porch was 20 cubits[ap] wide and 12 cubits[aq] long.[ar] Ten steps went up to the porch. There were two columns for the walls on either side of the porch—one at each wall.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:1 Spirit Or “wind.”
  2. Ezekiel 37:1 the valley Possibly, Jezreel Valley, a fertile area where many battles were fought. It is often called simply “The Valley.”
  3. Ezekiel 37:3 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verses 9, 11, 16.
  4. Ezekiel 37:5 breath Or “wind” or “a spirit.”
  5. Ezekiel 37:9 wind Or “breath” or “spirit.” Also in verse 10.
  6. Ezekiel 37:11 bones … dried up This is a way of saying, “We have lost our strength.”
  7. Ezekiel 37:14 Spirit Or “spirit” or “wind.”
  8. Ezekiel 37:16 friends This is a wordplay. The Hebrew word is like the word meaning “joined together.”
  9. Ezekiel 38:2 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verse 14.
  10. Ezekiel 38:6 nation of Togarmah Or “Beth Togarmah.”
  11. Ezekiel 38:12 They live … the world The powerful countries must travel through there to get to all the other powerful countries.
  12. Ezekiel 38:21 every kind of terror against This is from the ancient Greek version. The standard Hebrew text has “a sword against.”
  13. Ezekiel 39:1 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verse 17.
  14. Ezekiel 39:11 Valley of the Travelers This is a wordplay on the name Arabah Valley.
  15. Ezekiel 39:16 Hamonah This Hebrew word means “crowd.”
  16. Ezekiel 40:1 tenth day of the month This was the Day of Atonement, 573 B.C. See Lev. 23:26; 25:9.
  17. Ezekiel 40:2 On the mountain … city Or “On the mountain, there was a building that looked like a city with a city south of it.”
  18. Ezekiel 40:4 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel.
  19. Ezekiel 40:5 6 cubits 10' 2 7/16" (3.11 m). Also in verse 12.
  20. Ezekiel 40:5 long measurement Literally, “a cubit and a handbreadth.” This cubit equals 20 5/8" (51.83 cm).
  21. Ezekiel 40:5 one ruler That is, 6 cubits (10' 2 7/16" or 3.11 m). Also in verses 6, 7.
  22. Ezekiel 40:7 5 cubits 8' 6" (2.6 m). Also in verses 30, 48.
  23. Ezekiel 40:9 8 cubits 13' 7 1/4" (4.2 m).
  24. Ezekiel 40:9 2 cubits 3' 4 13/16" (104 cm).
  25. Ezekiel 40:11 10 cubits 17' 1/16" (5.18 m).
  26. Ezekiel 40:11 13 cubits 22' 1 1/4" (6.74 m).
  27. Ezekiel 40:12 1 cubit 20 3/8" (51.83 cm). Also in verse 42.
  28. Ezekiel 40:13 25 cubits 42' 6 1/8" (12.96 m). Also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33, 36.
  29. Ezekiel 40:14 The meaning of this verse in the Hebrew text is uncertain.
  30. Ezekiel 40:14 60 cubits 102' 3/8" (31.1 m).
  31. Ezekiel 40:15 50 cubits 85' 5/16" (25.92 m). Also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33, 36.
  32. Ezekiel 40:16 small windows These let the soldiers defending the city shoot arrows out at the enemy. The narrow part of the window was on the enemy’s side of the wall to give the smallest target.
  33. Ezekiel 40:19 100 cubits 170' 5/8" (51.83 m). Also in verse 23, 27, 47.
  34. Ezekiel 40:37 porch The Hebrew text has “side walls.”
  35. Ezekiel 40:42 1 1/2 cubits 30 5/8" (77.75 cm).
  36. Ezekiel 40:43 meat hooks … long Or “Double shelves three inches wide ….”
  37. Ezekiel 40:44 two rooms Or “rooms for the singers.”
  38. Ezekiel 40:44 south This is from the ancient Greek version. The Hebrew text has “east.”
  39. Ezekiel 40:46 carry the sacrifices … the Lord Literally, “approach the Lord to serve him.”
  40. Ezekiel 40:48 3 cubits 5' 1 3/16" (1.55 m).
  41. Ezekiel 40:48 14 cubits 23' 9 11/16" (7.26 m).
  42. Ezekiel 40:49 20 cubits 34' 1/8" (10.37 m). Also in 41:2, 4.
  43. Ezekiel 40:49 12 cubits 20' 4 7/8" (6.22 m).
  44. Ezekiel 40:49 20 … long Literally, “20 cubits long … 12 cubits wide.”
Listen to Ezekiel 37-40
Close NIV

Ezekiel 37-40
New International Version

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,(A) and he brought me out by the Spirit(B) of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley;(C) it was full of bones.(D) 2 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. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

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

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!(F) 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life.(G) 6 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.(H)’”

7 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. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

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

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.’(M) 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.(N) 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord,(O) when I open your graves and bring you up from them.(P) 14 I will put my Spirit(Q) in you and you will live, and I will settle(R) you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.(S)’”

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(T) associated with him.(U)’ 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.(V)

18 “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’(W) 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.’(X) 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.(Y) 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.(Z) There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.(AA) 23 They will no longer defile(AB) themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,[b](AC) and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.(AD)

24 “‘My servant David(AE) will be king(AF) over them, and they will all have one shepherd.(AG) They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.(AH) 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.(AI) They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever,(AJ) and David my servant will be their prince forever.(AK) 26 I will make a covenant of peace(AL) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.(AM) I will establish them and increase their numbers,(AN) and I will put my sanctuary among them(AO) forever.(AP) 27 My dwelling place(AQ) will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.(AR) 28 Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy,(AS) when my sanctuary is among them forever.(AT)’”

The Lord’s Great Victory Over the Nations

38 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog,(AU) of the land of Magog,(AV) the chief prince of[c] Meshek and Tubal;(AW) prophesy against him 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[d] Meshek and Tubal.(AX) 4 I will turn you around, put hooks(AY) 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.(AZ) 5 Persia, Cush[e](BA) and Put(BB) will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer(BC) with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah(BD) from the far north(BE) with all its troops—the many nations with you.

7 “‘Get ready; be prepared,(BF) you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. 8 After many days(BG) 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(BH) 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.(BI) 9 You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm;(BJ) you will be like a cloud(BK) covering the land.(BL)

10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind(BM) and you will devise an evil scheme.(BN) 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people(BO)—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.(BP) 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.[f]” 13 Sheba(BQ) and Dedan(BR) and the merchants of Tarshish(BS) and all her villages[g] 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?(BT)”’

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

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(CB) in the land of Israel.(CC) 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(CD) at my presence. The mountains will be overturned,(CE) the cliffs will crumble(CF) and every wall will fall to the ground.(CG) 21 I will summon a sword(CH) against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.(CI) 22 I will execute judgment(CJ) on him with plague and bloodshed;(CK) I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones(CL) and burning sulfur(CM) on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.(CN) 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.(CO)’

39 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog(CP) and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[h] Meshek(CQ) and Tubal.(CR) 2 I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north(CS) and send you against the mountains of Israel.(CT) 3 Then I will strike your bow(CU) from your left hand and make your arrows(CV) drop from your right hand. 4 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(CW) and to the wild animals.(CX) 5 You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CY) 6 I will send fire(CZ) on Magog(DA) and on those who live in safety in the coastlands,(DB) and they will know(DC) that I am the Lord.

7 “‘I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned,(DD) and the nations will know(DE) that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.(DF) 8 It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day(DG) I have spoken of.

9 “‘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,(DH) the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel.(DI) 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(DJ) those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign Lord.(DK)

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(DL) there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog.[i](DM)

12 “‘For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.(DN) 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I display my glory(DO) 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.[j] 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(DP) 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.(DQ) 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.(DR) 19 At the sacrifice(DS) 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.(DT)

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.(DU) 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.(DV) 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.(DW)

25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob[k](DX) and will have compassion(DY) on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.(DZ) 26 They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety(EA) in their land with no one to make them afraid.(EB) 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.(EC) 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(ED) to their own land, not leaving any behind.(EE) 29 I will no longer hide my face(EF) from them, for I will pour out my Spirit(EG) on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.(EH)”

The Temple Area Restored

40 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city(EI)—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me(EJ) and he took me there. 2 In visions(EK) of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain,(EL) on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. 3 He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze;(EM) he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod(EN) in his hand. 4 The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you,(EO) for that is why you have been brought here. Tell(EP) the people of Israel everything you see.(EQ)”

The East Gate to the Outer Court

5 I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits,[l] each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured(ER) the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.

6 Then he went to the east gate.(ES) He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. 7 The alcoves(ET) for the guards were one rod long and one rod wide, and the projecting walls between the alcoves were five cubits[m] thick. And the threshold of the gate next to the portico facing the temple was one rod deep.

8 Then he measured the portico of the gateway; 9 it[n] was eight cubits[o] deep and its jambs were two cubits[p] thick. The portico of the gateway faced the temple.

10 Inside the east gate were three alcoves on each side; the three had the same measurements, and the faces of the projecting walls on each side had the same measurements. 11 Then he measured the width of the entrance of the gateway; it was ten cubits and its length was thirteen cubits.[q] 12 In front of each alcove was a wall one cubit high, and the alcoves were six cubits square. 13 Then he measured the gateway from the top of the rear wall of one alcove to the top of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits[r] from one parapet opening to the opposite one. 14 He measured along the faces of the projecting walls all around the inside of the gateway—sixty cubits.[s] The measurement was up to the portico[t] facing the courtyard.[u](EU) 15 The distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its portico was fifty cubits.[v] 16 The alcoves and the projecting walls inside the gateway were surmounted by narrow parapet openings all around, as was the portico; the openings all around faced inward. The faces of the projecting walls were decorated with palm trees.(EV)

The Outer Court

17 Then he brought me into the outer court.(EW) There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms(EX) along the pavement.(EY) 18 It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court;(EZ) it was a hundred cubits[w](FA) on the east side as well as on the north.

The North Gate

20 Then he measured the length and width of the north gate, leading into the outer court. 21 Its alcoves(FB)—three on each side—its projecting walls and its portico(FC) had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 22 Its openings, its portico(FD) and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them.(FE) 23 There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred cubits.(FF)

The South Gate

24 Then he led me to the south side and I saw the south gate. He measured its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements(FG) as the others. 25 The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.(FH) 26 Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them; it had palm tree decorations on the faces of the projecting walls on each side.(FI) 27 The inner court(FJ) also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits.(FK)

The Gates to the Inner Court

28 Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements(FL) as the others. 29 Its alcoves,(FM) its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.(FN) 30 (The porticoes(FO) of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits wide and five cubits deep.) 31 Its portico(FP) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its jambs, and eight steps led up to it.(FQ)

32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements(FR) as the others. 33 Its alcoves,(FS) its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 Its portico(FT) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.

35 Then he brought me to the north gate(FU) and measured it. It had the same measurements(FV) as the others, 36 as did its alcoves,(FW) its projecting walls and its portico, and it had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 37 Its portico[x](FX) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.(FY)

The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices

38 A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings(FZ) were washed. 39 In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings,(GA) sin offerings[y](GB) and guilt offerings(GC) were slaughtered.(GD) 40 By the outside wall of the portico of the gateway, near the steps at the entrance of the north gateway were two tables, and on the other side of the steps were two tables. 41 So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. 42 There were also four tables of dressed stone(GE) for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high.[z] On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices.(GF) 43 And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth[aa] long, were attached to the wall all around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings.

The Rooms for the Priests

44 Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one[ab] at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south[ac] gate and facing north. 45 He said to me, “The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple,(GG) 46 and the room facing north(GH) is for the priests who guard the altar.(GI) These are the sons of Zadok,(GJ) who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.(GK)”

47 Then he measured the court: It was square—a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.(GL)

The New Temple

48 He brought me to the portico of the temple(GM) and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits wide on either side. The width of the entrance was fourteen cubits[ad] and its projecting walls were[ae] three cubits[af] wide on either side. 49 The portico(GN) was twenty cubits[ag] wide, and twelve[ah] cubits[ai] from front to back. It was reached by a flight of stairs,[aj] and there were pillars(GO) on each side of the jambs.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:5 The Hebrew for this word can also mean wind or spirit (see verses 6-14).
  2. Ezekiel 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts all their dwelling places where they sinned
  3. Ezekiel 38:2 Or the prince of Rosh,
  4. Ezekiel 38:3 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
  5. Ezekiel 38:5 That is, the upper Nile region
  6. Ezekiel 38:12 The Hebrew for this phrase means the navel of the earth.
  7. Ezekiel 38:13 Or her strong lions
  8. Ezekiel 39:1 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
  9. Ezekiel 39:11 Hamon Gog means hordes of Gog.
  10. Ezekiel 39:16 Hamonah means horde.
  11. Ezekiel 39:25 Or now bring Jacob back from captivity
  12. Ezekiel 40:5 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters; also in verse 12. The long cubit of about 21 inches or about 53 centimeters is the basic unit of measurement of length throughout chapters 40–48.
  13. Ezekiel 40:7 That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verse 48
  14. Ezekiel 40:9 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts gateway facing the temple; it was one rod deep. 9 Then he measured the portico of the gateway; it
  15. Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 14 feet or about 4.2 meters
  16. Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1 meter
  17. Ezekiel 40:11 That is, about 18 feet wide and 23 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 6.9 meters long
  18. Ezekiel 40:13 That is, about 44 feet or about 13 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 30, 33 and 36
  19. Ezekiel 40:14 That is, about 105 feet or about 32 meters
  20. Ezekiel 40:14 Septuagint; Hebrew projecting wall
  21. Ezekiel 40:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  22. Ezekiel 40:15 That is, about 88 feet or about 27 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33 and 36
  23. Ezekiel 40:19 That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 23, 27 and 47
  24. Ezekiel 40:37 Septuagint (see also verses 31 and 34); Hebrew jambs
  25. Ezekiel 40:39 Or purification offerings
  26. Ezekiel 40:42 That is, about 2 2/3 feet long and wide and 21 inches high or about 80 centimeters long and wide and 53 centimeters high
  27. Ezekiel 40:43 That is, about 3 1/2 inches or about 9 centimeters
  28. Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew were rooms for singers, which were
  29. Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew east
  30. Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
  31. Ezekiel 40:48 Septuagint; Hebrew entrance was
  32. Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.6 meters
  33. Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters
  34. Ezekiel 40:49 Septuagint; Hebrew eleven
  35. Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
  36. Ezekiel 40:49 Hebrew; Septuagint Ten steps led up to it
Next
Ezekiel 36
Ezekiel 41
Next
dropdown
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV