Ezekiel 37
1 The hand of Yahweh, being upon me, he carried me forth in the spirit of Yahweh, and set me down in the midst of a plain, —and the same was full of bones;
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.
2 and he caused me to pass near them. round about on every side, —and lo! they were very many on the face of the plain, and lo! they were very dry.
He led me around them, and in all directions I saw many, many bones on the valley floor. They were really dry.
3 Then said he unto me, Son of man. Can these bones, live? And I said My Lord Yahweh, thou, knowest!
Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come back to life?” “Lord God, only you know the answer,” I replied.
4 Then said he unto me, Prophesy, over these bones, —and thou shalt say unto them, Ye bones so dry! hear ye the word of Yahweh!
He told me, “Prophesy to these bones and tell them, Dry bones, listen to this message from the Lord!
5 Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, Unto these bones, — Lo! I am about to bring into you— spirit, and ye shall live;
This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will breathe into you, and you will come back to life.
6 Yea I will lay upon you—sinews, And bring up over you flesh. And cover over you—skin, And put in you—spirit And ye shall live, Then shall ye know that I, am Yahweh.
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.”
7 And when I prophesied as I was commanded, then was there a noise, as I prophesied and lo! a rattling, and the bones came near, each bone unto its own bone.
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.
8 And when I looked, then lo! upon them were sinews, and flesh had come up, and there had spread over them skin above, but spirit, was there none within them.
As I watched, I saw tendons and flesh grow on them, and skin covered them; but the bodies didn't breathe.
9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the spirit, Prophesy, Son of man. and thou shalt say unto the spirit. Thus saith My Lord Yahweh- From the four winds, come thou, O spirit, And breathe into these slain That they may live.
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!”
10 And when I prophesied as he commanded me, then came into them the spirit, and they lived and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
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!
11 Then said he unto me, Son of man. These bones, are all the house of Israel, — Lo! they are saying. Dried are our bones, and lost is our hope We are quite cut off!
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!’
12 Therefore prophesy and thou shalt say unto them Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, Lo I myself am going to open your graves And will cause you to come up out of your graves. O my people, — And will bring you upon the soil of Israel.
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.
13 So shall ye know that I, am Yahweh, — When I open your graves. And cause you to come up out of your graves O my people,
Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and lift you out of them, my people.
14 And I will put my spirit within you and ye shall live, And I will settle you upon your own soil, So shall ye know that I, Yahweh have spoken and have performed. Declareth Yahweh.
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.”
15 And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
16 Thou therefore Son of man Take thee one stick, and write upon it For Judah, and for the sons of Israel his companions, Then take thou another stick, and write upon it For Joseph the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel his companions.
“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.’
17 Then bring them near—the one to the other —for thee into one stick, - And they shall become united in thy hand.
Then join the two pieces of wood into one, so that you hold them as one in your hand.
18 And when the sons of thy people speak unto thee, saying, - Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to thee?
When your people come and ask you, ‘Are you going to explain what this is all about?’
19 speak unto them Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, Lo! I, myself, am going to take the stick of Joseph. which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions, — And I will place them upon it even upon the stick of Judah. And will make of them one stick, And they shall become one in my hand.
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.
20 And the sticks whereon thou shalt write shall remain in thy hand before their eyes.
When you're holding the pieces of wood you've written on, and while everyone is watching,
21 Therefore speak thou unto them Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Lo! I myself, am going to take the sons of Israel, from among the nations whither they have gone, — And I will gather them from every side, And will bring them in upon their own soil;
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.
22 And will make of them one nation in the land. among the mountains of Israel, And one king, shall they all have for king, —And they shall remain no longer two nations, Nor shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more.
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.
23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more With their manufactured gods or With their detestable things, or With any of their transgressions, - But I will save them out of all their dwelling- places, wherein they have sinned, And I will cleanse them And they shall become my people, And I, will become their God.
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.
24 And my servant David shall be king over them, And one shepherd, shall they all have, And in my regulations, shall they walk, And my statutes, shall they observe and do them.
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.
25 And they shall dwell upon the land. which I gave to my servant- to Jacob, Wherein your fathers dwelt, — Yea they shall dwell thereupon. They, and their children and their children’s children Unto times age-abiding, And David my servant shall be prince unto them Unto times age-abiding.
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.
26 And I will solemnise to them a covenant of prosperity, A covenant age-abiding, shall it be with them, — And I will place them. And multiply them, And set my sanctuary in the midst of them. Unto times age-abiding.
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.
27 And my habitation shall be over them, And I will become their God, - And they, shall become my people,
My Tabernacle will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 So shall the nations know that I, Yahweh, am hallowing Israel, - When my sanctuary is in the midst of them Unto times age-abiding.
The nations will acknowledge that I am the Lord who blesses Israel, when my sanctuary is with them forever.”
