The Dry Bones Live

37 The (A)hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out (B)in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, (C)You know.”

Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will (D)cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. (E)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the [a]breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (F)“Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, (G)and [b]breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the (H)whole house of Israel. They indeed say, (I)‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, (J)O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and (K)bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I (L)will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”

One Kingdom, One King

15 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “As for you, son of man, (M)take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for (N)the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then (O)join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.

18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, (P)‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— 19 (Q)say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take (R)the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’ 20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand (S)before their eyes.

21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely (T)I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and (U)I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and (V)one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 (W)They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but (X)I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

24 (Y)“David My servant shall be king over them, and (Z)they shall all have one shepherd; (AA)they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. 25 (AB)Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, (AC)forever; and (AD)My servant David shall be their prince forever. 26 Moreover I will [c]make (AE)a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and (AF)multiply them, and I will set My (AG)sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 (AH)My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be (AI)their God, and they shall be My people. 28 (AJ)The nations also will know that I, the Lord, (AK)sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”

Gog and Allies Attack Israel

38 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (AL)“Son of man, (AM)set your face against (AN)Gog, of the land of (AO)Magog, [d]the prince of Rosh, (AP)Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. (AQ)I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and (AR)lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, (AS)all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, [e]Ethiopia, and [f]Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; (AT)Gomer and all its troops; the house of (AU)Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.

(AV)“Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. (AW)After many days (AX)you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword (AY)and gathered from many people on (AZ)the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them (BA)dwell safely. You will ascend, coming (BB)like a storm, covering the (BC)land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”

10 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of (BD)unwalled villages; I will (BE)go to a peaceful people, (BF)who dwell [g]safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’— 12 to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, (BG)and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. 13 (BH)Sheba, (BI)Dedan, the merchants (BJ)of Tarshish, and all (BK)their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’ ” ’

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (BL)“On that day when My people Israel (BM)dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 (BN)Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may (BO)know Me, when I am (BP)hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” 17 Thus says the Lord God: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?

Judgment on Gog

18 “And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My fury will show in My face. 19 For (BQ)in My jealousy (BR)and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: (BS)‘Surely in that day there shall be a great [h]earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so that (BT)the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. (BU)The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ 21 I will (BV)call for (BW)a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. (BX)“Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 And I will (BY)bring him to judgment with (BZ)pestilence and bloodshed; (CA)I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, (CB)great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself and (CC)sanctify Myself, (CD)and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’

Gog’s Armies Destroyed

39 “And (CE)you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, [i]the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; and I will (CF)turn you around and lead you on, (CG)bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. (CH)You shall [j]fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; (CI)I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall [k]fall on [l]the open field; for I have spoken,” says the Lord God. (CJ)“And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live [m]in security in (CK)the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord. (CL)So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them (CM)profane My holy name anymore. (CN)Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. (CO)Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord God. “This is the day (CP)of which I have spoken.

“Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the [n]javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years. 10 They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; (CQ)and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,” says the Lord God.

The Burial of Gog

11 “It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of [o]Hamon Gog. 12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, (CR)in order to cleanse the land. 13 Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain (CS)renown for it on the day that (CT)I am glorified,” says the Lord God. 14 “They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of [p]a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order (CU)to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. 15 The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall [q]set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. 16 The name of the city will also be [r]Hamonah. Thus they shall (CV)cleanse the land.” ’

A Triumphant Festival

17 “And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, (CW)‘Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field:

(CX)“Assemble yourselves and come;
Gather together from all sides to My (CY)sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you,
A great sacrificial meal (CZ)on the mountains of Israel,
That you may eat flesh and drink blood.
18 (DA)You shall eat the flesh of the mighty,
Drink the blood of the princes of the earth,
Of rams and lambs,
Of goats and bulls,
All of them (DB)fatlings of Bashan.
19 You shall eat fat till you are full,
And drink blood till you are drunk,
At My sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you.
20 (DC)You shall be filled at My table
With horses and riders,
(DD)With mighty men
And with all the men of war,” says the Lord God.

Israel Restored to the Land

21 (DE)“I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and (DF)My hand which I have laid on them. 22 (DG)So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward. 23 (DH)The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore (DI)I hid My face from them. I (DJ)gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 (DK)According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’

25 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: (DL)‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the (DM)whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name— 26 (DN)after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they (DO)dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. 27 (DP)When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I (DQ)am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, 28 (DR)then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them [s]captive any longer. 29 (DS)And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have (DT)poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.”

A New City, a New Temple

40 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after (DU)the city was [t]captured, on the very same day (DV)the hand of the Lord was upon me; and He took me there. (DW)In the visions of God He took me into the land of Israel and (DX)set me on a very high mountain; on it toward the south was something like the structure of a city. He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was (DY)like the appearance of bronze. (DZ)He had a line of flax (EA)and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.

And the man said to me, (EB)“Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and [u]fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. (EC)Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.” Now there was (ED)a wall all around the outside of the [v]temple. In the man’s hand was a measuring rod six [w]cubits long, each being a cubit and a handbreadth; and he measured the width of the wall structure, one rod; and the height, one rod.

The Eastern Gateway of the Temple

Then he went to the gateway which faced (EE)east; and he went up its stairs and measured the threshold of the gateway, which was one rod wide, and the other threshold was one rod wide. Each gate chamber was one rod long and one rod wide; between the gate chambers was a space of five cubits; and the threshold of the gateway by the vestibule of the inside gate was one rod. He also measured the vestibule of the inside gate, one rod. Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and the gateposts, two cubits. The vestibule of the gate was on the inside. 10 In the eastern gateway were three gate chambers on one side and three on the other; the three were all the same size; also the gateposts were of the same size on this side and that side.

11 He measured the width of the entrance to the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. 12 There was a [x]space in front of the gate chambers, one cubit on this side and one cubit on that side; the gate chambers were six cubits on this side and six cubits on that side. 13 Then he measured the gateway from the roof of one gate chamber to the roof of the other; the width was twenty-five cubits, as door faces door. 14 He measured the gateposts, sixty cubits high, and the court all around the gateway extended to the gatepost. 15 From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the vestibule of the inner gate was fifty cubits. 16 There were (EF)beveled window frames in the gate chambers and in their intervening archways on the inside of the gateway all around, and likewise in the vestibules. There were windows all around on the inside. And on each gatepost were (EG)palm trees.

The Outer Court

17 Then he brought me into (EH)the outer court; and there were (EI)chambers and a pavement made all around the court; (EJ)thirty chambers faced the pavement. 18 The pavement was by the side of the gateways, corresponding to the length of the gateways; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the width from the front of the lower gateway to the front of the inner court exterior, one hundred cubits toward the east and the north.

The Northern Gateway

20 On the outer court was also a gateway facing north, and he measured its length and its width. 21 Its gate chambers, three on this side and three on that side, its gateposts and its archways, had the same measurements as the first gate; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. 22 Its windows and those of its archways, and also its palm trees, had the same measurements as the gateway facing east; it was ascended by seven steps, and its archway was in front of it. 23 A gate of the inner court was opposite the northern gateway, just as the eastern gateway; and he measured from gateway to gateway, one hundred cubits.

The Southern Gateway

24 After that he brought me toward the south, and there a gateway was facing south; and he measured its gateposts and archways according to these same measurements. 25 There were windows in it and in its archways all around like those windows; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. 26 Seven steps led up to it, and its archway was in front of them; and it had palm trees on its gateposts, one on this side and one on that side. 27 There was also a gateway on the inner court, facing south; and he measured from gateway to gateway toward the south, one hundred cubits.

Gateways of the Inner Court

28 Then he brought me to the inner court through the southern gateway; he measured the southern gateway according to these same measurements. 29 Also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways were according to these same measurements; there were windows in it and in its archways all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 30 There were archways all around, (EK)twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. 31 Its archways faced the outer court, palm trees were on its gateposts, and going up to it were eight steps.

32 And he brought me into the inner court facing east; he measured the gateway according to these same measurements. 33 Also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways were according to these same measurements; and there were windows in it and in its archways all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 Its archways faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its gateposts on this side and on that side; and going up to it were eight steps.

35 Then he brought me to the north gateway and measured it according to these same measurements— 36 also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways. It had windows all around; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. 37 Its gateposts faced the outer court, palm trees were on its gateposts on this side and on that side, and going up to it were eight steps.

Where Sacrifices Were Prepared

38 There was a chamber and its entrance by the gateposts of the gateway, where they (EL)washed the burnt offering. 39 In the vestibule of the gateway were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to slay the burnt offering, (EM)the sin offering, and (EN)the trespass offering. 40 At the outer side of the vestibule, as one goes up to the entrance of the northern gateway, were two tables; and on the other side of the vestibule of the gateway were two tables. 41 Four tables were on this side and four tables on that side, by the side of the gateway, eight tables on which they slaughtered the sacrifices. 42 There were also four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, one cubit and a half long, one cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high; on these they laid the instruments with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43 Inside were hooks, a handbreadth wide, fastened all around; and the flesh of the sacrifices was on the tables.

Chambers for Singers and Priests

44 Outside the inner gate were the chambers for (EO)the singers in the inner court, one facing south at the side of the northern gateway, and the other facing north at the side of the [y]southern gateway. 45 Then he said to me, “This chamber which faces south is for (EP)the priests who have charge of the temple. 46 The chamber which faces north is for the priests (EQ)who have charge of the altar; these are the sons of (ER)Zadok, from the sons of Levi, who come near the Lord to minister to Him.”

Dimensions of the Inner Court and Vestibule(ES)

47 And he measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, foursquare. The altar was in front of the temple. 48 Then he brought me to the (ET)vestibule of the temple and measured the doorposts of the vestibule, five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side; and the width of the gateway was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side. 49 (EU)The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the width eleven cubits; and by the steps which led up to it there were (EV)pillars by the doorposts, one on this side and another on that side.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:9 Breath of life
  2. Ezekiel 37:10 Breath of life
  3. Ezekiel 37:26 Lit. cut
  4. Ezekiel 38:2 Tg., Vg., Aquila the chief prince of Meshech, also v. 3
  5. Ezekiel 38:5 Heb. Cush
  6. Ezekiel 38:5 Heb. Put
  7. Ezekiel 38:11 securely
  8. Ezekiel 38:19 Lit. shaking
  9. Ezekiel 39:1 Tg., Vg., Aquila the chief prince of Meshech
  10. Ezekiel 39:4 Be slain
  11. Ezekiel 39:5 Be slain
  12. Ezekiel 39:5 Lit. the face of the field
  13. Ezekiel 39:6 securely or confidently
  14. Ezekiel 39:9 Lit. hand staffs
  15. Ezekiel 39:11 Lit. The Multitude of Gog
  16. Ezekiel 39:14 Lit. those who pass through
  17. Ezekiel 39:15 build
  18. Ezekiel 39:16 Lit. Multitude
  19. Ezekiel 39:28 Lit. there
  20. Ezekiel 40:1 Lit. struck
  21. Ezekiel 40:4 Lit. set your heart
  22. Ezekiel 40:5 Lit. house
  23. Ezekiel 40:5 A royal cubit of about 21 inches
  24. Ezekiel 40:12 Lit. border
  25. Ezekiel 40:44 So with LXX; MT, Vg. eastern

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) 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.(E)

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

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;(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: “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 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[d] Meshek and Tubal.(AX) 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) Persia, Cush[e](BA) and Put(BB) will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 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.

“‘Get ready; be prepared,(BF) you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. 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) 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) 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) Then I will strike your bow(CU) from your left hand and make your arrows(CV) 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(CW) and to the wild animals.(CX) You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CY) 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.

“‘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) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day(DG) 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,(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. 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. 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. 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

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.

Then he went to the east gate.(ES) He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. 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.

Then he measured the portico of the gateway; 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. 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