1. The Lord said:
2. Ezekiel, son of man, condemn Gog, that wicked ruler of the kingdoms of Meshech and Tubal in the land of Magog. Tell him:
3. I, the Lord God, am your enemy,
4. and I will make you powerless! I will put a hook in your jaw and drag away both you and your large army. You command cavalry troops that wear heavy armour and carry shields and swords.
5. Your army includes soldiers from Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya,
6. as well as from Gomer and Beth-Togarmah in the north. Your army is enormous!
7. So keep your troops prepared to fight,
8. because in a few years, I will command you to invade Israel, a country that was ruined by war. It was deserted for a long time, but its people have returned from the foreign nations where they once lived. The Israelites now live in peace in the mountains of their own land.
9. But you and your army will attack them like a fierce thunderstorm and surround them like a cloud.
10. When that day comes, I know that you will have an evil plan
11. to take advantage of Israel, that weak and peaceful country where people live safely inside towns that have no walls or gates or locks.