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.
There hath been upon me a hand of Jehovah, and He taketh me forth in the Spirit of Jehovah, and doth place me in the midst of the valley, and it is 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.
and He causeth me to pass over by them, all round about, and lo, very many [are] on the face of the valley, and lo, 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.
And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, do these bones live?' And I say, 'O Lord Jehovah, Thou — Thou hast known.'
4 He told me, “Prophesy to these bones and tell them, Dry bones, listen to this message from the Lord!
And He saith unto me, 'Prophesy concerning these bones, and thou hast said unto them: O dry bones, hear a word of Jehovah:
5 This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will breathe into you, and you will come back to life.
Thus said the Lord Jehovah to these bones: Lo, I am bringing into you a spirit, and ye have lived,
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.”
and I have given on you sinews, and cause flesh to come up upon you, and covered you over with skin, and given in you a spirit, and ye have lived, and ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.'
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.
And I have prophesied as I have been commanded, and there is a noise, as I am prophesying, and lo, a rushing, and draw near do the bones, bone unto its bone.
8 As I watched, I saw tendons and flesh grow on them, and skin covered them; but the bodies didn't breathe.
And I beheld, and lo, on them [are] sinews, and flesh hath come up, and cover them doth skin over above — and spirit there is none 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!”
And He saith unto me: 'Prophesy unto the Spirit, prophesy, son of man, and thou hast said unto the Spirit: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: From the four winds come in, O Spirit, and breathe on these slain, and they do 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!
And I have prophesied as He commanded me, and the Spirit cometh into them, and they live, and stand on their feet — a very very great force.
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!’
And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; lo, they are saying: Dried up have our bones, And perished hath our hope, We have been cut off by ourselves.
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 thou hast said unto them, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am opening your graves, And have brought you up out of your graves, O My people, And brought you in unto 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.
And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My opening your graves, And in My bringing you up out of your graves, O 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.”
And I have given My Spirit in you, and ye have lived, And I have caused you to rest on your land, And ye have known that I Jehovah, I have spoken, and I have done [it], An affirmation of Jehovah.'
15 Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
And there is a word of Jehovah unto 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.’
'And thou, son of man, take to thee one stick, and write on it, For Judah, and for the sons of Israel, his companions; and take another stick, and write on it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and 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.
and bring them near one unto another, to thee, for one stick, and they have become one in thy hand.
18 When your people come and ask you, ‘Are you going to explain what this is all about?’
'And when sons of thy people speak unto thee, saying, Dost thou not declare to us what these [are] to thee?
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.
Speak unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am taking the stick of Joseph, that [is] in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions, and have given them unto him, with the stick of Judah, and have made them become one stick, and they have been one in My hand.
20 When you're holding the pieces of wood you've written on, and while everyone is watching,
And the sticks on which thou writest have been in thy hand before thine 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.
and speak thou unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am taking the sons of Israel, From among the nations whither they have gone, And have gathered them from round about, And I have brought them in unto their 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.
And I have made them become one nation in the land, on mountains of Israel, And one king is to them all for king, And they are no more as two nations, Nor are they divided any more into two kingdoms again.
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.
Nor are they defiled any more with their idols, And with their abominations, And with any of their transgressions, And I have saved them out of all their dwellings, In which they have sinned, And I have cleansed them, And they have been to Me for a people, And I — I am to them for 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.
And My servant David [is] king over them, And one shepherd have they all, And in My judgments they go, And My statutes they keep, and have done 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.
And they have dwelt on the land that I gave to My servant, to Jacob, In which your fathers have dwelt, And they have dwelt on it, they and their sons, And their son's sons — unto the age, And David My servant [is] their prince — to the age.
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.
And I have made to them a covenant of peace, A covenant age-during it is with them, And I have placed them, and multiplied them, And placed My sanctuary in their midst — to the age.
27 My Tabernacle will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
And My tabernacle hath been over them, And I have been to them for God, And they have been to Me for a people.
28 The nations will acknowledge that I am the Lord who blesses Israel, when my sanctuary is with them forever.”
And known have the nations that I Jehovah am sanctifying Israel, In My sanctuary being in their midst — to the age!'
