The Babylonian Exile

I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.’”

Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

“And you, son of man, take a single stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Judah and to the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and to all the house of Israel associated with him.’

Then join them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.

When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these?’

you are to 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 the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick, and they will become one in My hand.’

When the sticks on which you write are in your hand and in full view of the people,

you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land.

I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.

They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes.

They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever.

And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever.

My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever.’”

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

“Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him

and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army—your horses, your horsemen in full armor, and a great company armed with shields and bucklers, all brandishing their swords.

Persia, Cush, and Put will accompany them, all with shields and helmets,

as well as Gomer with all its troops, and Beth-togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.

Get ready; prepare yourself, you and all your company gathered around you; you will be their guard.

After a long time you will be summoned. In the latter years you will enter a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and all now dwell securely.

You and all your troops, and many peoples with you will go up, advancing like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.