« | Ezekiel 38 | » |
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, set your face against Gog, and the land of Magog, Rosh, prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3 and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you O Gog, Rosh prince of Meshach and Tubal:
4 and I will gather you, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all wearing breastplates, with a great multitude, shields and helmets and swords;
5 Persians, Ethiopians, and Libyans; all with helmets and shields.
6 Gomer, and all belonging to him; the house of Togarmah, from the end of the north, and all belonging to him; and many nations with you.
7 Be prepared, prepare yourself, you, and all your multitude that is assembled with you, and you shall be to Me for a guard.
8 He shall be prepared after many days, and he shall come at the end of years, and shall come to a land that is brought back from the sword, when [the people] have been gathered from many nations against the land of Israel, which was entirely desolate; and he has come forth out of the nations, and they shall all dwell securely.
9 And you shall go up as rain, and shall arrive as a cloud to cover the land, and there shall be you, and all that are about you, and many nations with you.
10 Thus says the Lord God: It shall also come to pass in that day, that thoughts shall rise up into your heart, and you shall devise an evil plan.
11 And you shall say, I will go up to the rejected land; I will come upon them that are at ease in tranquility, and dwelling in peace, all inhabiting a land in which there is no wall, nor bars, nor have they doors;
12 to seize plunder, and to take their spoil; to turn my hands against the desolate land that is [now] inhabited, and against a nation that is gathered from many nations, that have acquired property, dwelling in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, Dedan, and Carthaginian merchants, and all their villages shall say to you, You have come for plunder to take a prey, and to get spoils; you have gathered your multitude to take silver and gold, to carry off property, to take spoils.
14 Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord: Will you not arise in that day, when my people Israel are dwelling securely,
15 and come out of your place from the farthest north, and many nations with you? All of them mounted on horses, a great gathering, and a large force?
16 And you shall come up upon My people Israel as a cloud to cover the land; it shall come to pass in the last days, that I will bring you up upon My land, that all the nations may know Me, when I am sanctified in you before them.
17 Thus says the Lord God, to Gog: You are [the one] concerning whom I spoke in former times, by the hand of My servants the prophets of Israel, in those days and years, that I would bring you up against them.
18 And it shall come to pass in that day, in the day when Gog shall come against the Land of Israel, says the Lord God,
19 [that] My wrath and My jealousy shall arise, I have spoken in the fire of My anger, verily in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
20 and the fish of the sea shall quake at the presence of the Lord, and the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the field, and all the reptiles that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are on the face of the earth; and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the valleys shall fall, and every wall on the land shall fall.
21 And I will summon against it even every fear, says the Lord; the sword of [every] man shall be against his brother.
22 And I will judge him with pestilence, and blood, and sweeping rain, and hailstones; and I will rain upon him fire and brimstone, and upon all that are with him, and upon many nations with him.
23 And I will be magnified, and sanctified, and glorified; and I will be known in the presence of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC)
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC) is a modern translation of the Bible that strives to offer a clear and faithful rendering of the scriptures in contemporary language. This translation is designed to be accessible to a wide audience, providing an easy-to-read yet accurate version of the biblical text. The ABC translation aims to bridge the gap between the ancient languages in which the Bible was originally written and the modern vernacular, making it an ideal choice for both personal study and public reading.
One of the notable features of the Apostles’ Bible Complete is its dedication to maintaining the integrity of the original manuscripts. The translators of the ABC worked meticulously with the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts to ensure that their translation accurately reflects the original meaning and intent of the scriptures. By employing a balance of formal equivalence (word-for-word) and dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) translation techniques, the ABC aims to preserve the nuances and richness of the original languages while ensuring readability and clarity for modern readers.
The ABC also incorporates extensive cross-references and study aids to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These tools include footnotes that provide historical and cultural context, as well as explanations of difficult or ambiguous passages. This approach helps readers to grasp the deeper meanings of the scriptures and to see how different parts of the Bible interconnect. The inclusion of these study aids makes the ABC particularly useful for those who are new to the Bible, as well as for more experienced readers who are looking to deepen their understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the Apostles’ Bible Complete has faced some criticisms. Some readers feel that the translation could benefit from further refinement in certain passages, as the balance between formal and dynamic equivalence can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in style and tone. Others have noted that while the study aids are helpful, they can occasionally overwhelm the main text, making it difficult to focus on the scripture itself. Nonetheless, the ABC remains a valuable and respected translation, appreciated for its commitment to accuracy, clarity, and accessibility, and for its ability to bring the ancient words of the Bible to life for contemporary readers.