Ezekiel 37
1 The hand of Yahweh was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of Yahweh and set me down in the midst of a valley; it 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 Then he made me pass through them round and round. Behold! A great many of them were in the valley. Behold! 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 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live again?” So I said, “Lord Yahweh, you alone know.”
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 he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones. Listen to the word of Yahweh.
He told me, “Prophesy to these bones and tell them, Dry bones, listen to this message from the Lord!
5 The Lord Yahweh says this to these bones: Behold! I am about to put breath into you, and you will live.
This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will breathe into you, and you will come back to life.
6 I will place sinews over you and bring flesh onto you. I will cover you with skin and put breath within you so you will live. Then you will 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 So I prophesied as I was commanded; as I prophesied, behold, a sound came, that of shaking. Then the bones drew together—bone against 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 I looked and, behold, sinews were now on them, and flesh grew up and skin covered them. But there was still no breath in them.
As I watched, I saw tendons and flesh grow on them, and skin covered them; but the bodies didn't breathe.
9 Then Yahweh said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Breath, come from the four winds, and breathe on these who have been killed, so 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 So I prophesied as I was commanded; the breath came into them and they lived. Then they stood on their feet, a very 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 Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the entire house of Israel. Behold! They are saying, 'Our bones have dried up, and our hope is gone. We have been 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 say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I will open your graves and lift you out from them, my people. I will bring you back to the land 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 Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I open your graves and bring you out from them, 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 I will place my Spirit within you so you will live, and I will cause you to rest in your land when you know that I am Yahweh. I declare and will do it—this is Yahweh's declaration.'”
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 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
16 “So now you, son of man, take one stick for yourself and write on it, 'For Judah and for the people of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the branch of Ephraim, and for all the people of Israel, their 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 Bring both of them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.
Then join the two pieces of wood into one, so that you hold them as one in your hand.
18 When your people speak to you and say, 'Will you not tell us what these things of yours mean?'
When your people come and ask you, ‘Are you going to explain what this is all about?’
19 then say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I am taking the branch of Joseph that is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel his companions and joining it to the branch of Judah, so that they will make one branch, and they will 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 Hold in your hand the branches that you wrote on before their eyes.
When you're holding the pieces of wood you've written on, and while everyone is watching,
21 Declare to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I am about to take the people of Israel from among the nations where they went. I will gather them from the surrounding lands and I will bring them to their land.
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 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and there will be one king as king over all of them, and they will no longer be two nations. They will no longer be divided into two kingdoms.
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 Then they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, their disgusting things, or any of their other sins. For I will save them from all of their faithless actions with which they have sinned, and I will purify them, so they will be my people and I will be 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 David my servant will be king over them. So there will be one shepherd over them all, and they will walk according to my decrees and they will keep my statutes and obey 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 They will live in the land that I have given to my servant Jacob, where your fathers had stayed. They will live in it forever—they, their children, and their grandchildren, for David my servant will be their chief forever.
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 I will establish a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will establish them and multiply them and set my holy place in their midst forever.
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 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
My Tabernacle will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh who sets Israel apart, when my holy place is among them forever.'”
The nations will acknowledge that I am the Lord who blesses Israel, when my sanctuary is with them forever.”
