Ezekiel 37
1 The Lord picked me up and carried me away by his Spirit. He set me down in the middle of a valley that was full of bones.
The LORD’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in the LORD’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.
2 He led me around them, and in all directions I saw many, many bones on the valley floor. They were really dry.
He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry.
3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come back to life?” “Lord God, only you know the answer,” I replied.
He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord GOD, you know.”
4 He told me, “Prophesy to these bones and tell them, Dry bones, listen to this message from the Lord!
Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear the LORD’s word.
5 This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will breathe into you, and you will come back to life.
The Lord GOD says to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live.
6 I will give you tendons and have flesh grow over you and cover you with skin. I will breathe into you so that you will come back to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”
7 So I prophesied just as I had been ordered. When I started prophesying, suddenly I heard a rattling noise. The bones joined together, bone attached to bone.
So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 As I watched, I saw tendons and flesh grow on them, and skin covered them; but the bodies didn't breathe.
I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he told me, “Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath that this is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds, and breathe into these bodies, so that they can come back to life!”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’”
10 So I prophesied just as he had ordered me, and the breath went into the bodies, and they came back to life and stood up, a huge army!
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 He told me, “Son of man, these bones represent all the people of Israel. Listen to what the people are saying, ‘Our bones have dried up, and our hope has been crushed. We have been wiped out!’
Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’
12 So prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord God says: My people, I'm going to open your graves and lift you out of them, and I will take you back to the country of Israel.
Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and lift you out of them, my people.
You will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people.
14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live again, and I will take you back to your own country. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will carry it out, declares the Lord.”
I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’”
15 Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
The LORD’s word came again to me, saying,
16 “Son of man, get one piece of wood and write on it: ‘This belongs to Judah and the Israelite tribes allied to them.’ Then get another piece of wood and write on it: ‘This belongs to Joseph. This is Ephraim's piece of wood, and to the Israelite tribes allied to them.’
“You, son of man, take one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for 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 join the two pieces of wood into one, so that you hold them as one in your hand.
Then join them for yourself to one another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.
18 When your people come and ask you, ‘Are you going to explain what this is all about?’
“When the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these?’
19 tell them that this is what the Lord God says: I'm going to take Joseph's piece of wood, which Ephraim is holding, along with the Israelite tribes allied with them, and I'll join them with Judah's piece of wood. I will make them into a single piece of wood, and they will be as one in my hand.
tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in my hand.
20 When you're holding the pieces of wood you've written on, and while everyone is watching,
The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.”’
21 tell them that this is what the Lord God says: I'm going to bring the Israelites back from the nations where they've gone. I will gather them from everywhere and take them back to their own country.
Say to them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.
22 I will make them one nation in the country, living in the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule them all. They won't be two nations any longer; never again will they be divided into two kingdoms.
I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. One king will be king to them all. They will no longer be two nations. They won’t be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.
23 They won't make themselves unclean anymore with their idols or disgusting images, or with any of their rebellious sins. I will save them from all their sins when they abandoned me, and I will make them clean. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
They won’t defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. So they will be my people, and I will be their God.
24 My servant David will be their king. They will be united under one ruler. They will follow my laws, and they will observe and practice my regulations.
“‘“My servant David will be king over them. They all will have one shepherd. They will also walk in my ordinances and observe my statutes, and do them.
25 They will live in the country I gave to my servant Jacob where your forefathers lived. They will live there with their children and grandchildren forever, and my servant David will be their prince forever.
They will dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived. They will dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, forever. David my servant will be their prince forever.
26 I will make an agreement of peace with them. This will be an everlasting agreement. I will make them secure and increase their numbers, and I will keep my sanctuary there with them forever.
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will place them, multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forever more.
27 My Tabernacle will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
My tent also will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 The nations will acknowledge that I am the Lord who blesses Israel, when my sanctuary is with them forever.”
The nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forever more.”’”
