The Babylonian Exile

I will put my Spirit in you; and you will be alive. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, ADONAI, have spoken, and that I have done it,' says ADONAI."

The word of ADONAI came to me:

"You, human being, take one stick and write on it, 'For Y'hudah and those joined with him [among] the people of Isra'el.' Next, take another stick and write on it, 'For Yosef, the stick of Efrayim, and all the house of Isra'el who are joined with him.'

Finally, bring them together into a single stick, so that they become one in your hand.

When your people ask you what all this means,

tell them that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'I will take the stick of Yosef, which is in the hand of Efrayim, together with the tribes of Isra'el who are joined with him, and put them together with the stick of Y'hudah and make them a single stick, so that they become one in my hand.'

The sticks on which you write are to be in your hand as they watch.

Then say to them that Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I will take the people of Isra'el from among the nations where they have gone and gather them from every side and bring them back to their own land.

I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Isra'el; and one king will be king for all of them. They will no longer be two nations, and they will never again be divided into two kingdoms.

"'They will never again defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, or any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the places where they have been living and sinning; and I will cleanse them, so that they will be my people, and I will be their God.

My servant David will be king over them, and all of them will have one shepherd; they will live by my rulings and keep and observe my regulations.

They will live in the land I gave to Ya'akov my servant, where your ancestors lived; they will live there - they, their children, and their grandchildren, forever; and David my servant will be their leader forever.

I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give to them, increase their numbers, and set my sanctuary among them forever.

My home will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.

The nations will know that I am ADONAI, who sets Isra'el apart as holy, when my sanctuary is with them forever.'"

The word of ADONAI came to me:

"Human being, turn your face toward Gog (of the land of Magog), chief prince of Meshekh and Tuval; and prophesy against him.

Say that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshekh and Tuval.

I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with all your army, horses and horsemen, all completely equipped, a great horde with breastplates and shields, all wielding swords.

Paras, Ethiopia and Put are with them, all with breastplates and helmets;

Gomer with all its troops; the house of Togarmah in the far reaches of the north, with all its troops - many peoples are with you.

Prepare yourself, get ready, you and all your crowd gathered around you; and take charge of them.

After many days have passed, you will be mustered for service; in later years you will invade the land which has been brought back from the sword, gathered out of many peoples, the mountains of Isra'el. They had been lying in ruins for a long time, but now Isra'el has been extracted from the peoples and all of them are living there securely.

You will come up like a storm, you will be like a cloud covering the land - you and all your troops, and many other peoples with you.'

"Adonai ELOHIM says: 'When that day comes, thoughts will well up in your mind, and you will devise a sinister scheme.