< 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 hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it 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.
And he led me walk all around among them. And look, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and look, they were very dry.
3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live again?” So I said, “Lord Yahweh, you alone know.”
And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "LORD, you know."
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones. Listen to the word of Yahweh.
Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.'
5 The Lord Yahweh says this to these bones: Behold! I am about to put breath into you, and you will live.
Thus says the LORD to these bones: 'Look, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live.
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.'”
And I will put tendons on you, and make flesh grow 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 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 as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a sound, and look, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone 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.
And I watched, and look, there were tendons on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them. But there was no breath in them.
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 said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath, 'Thus says the LORD: Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these corpses, that they may live.'"
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 as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great 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.'
Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off.'
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.
Therefore prophesy, and tell them, 'Thus says the LORD: Look, I will open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I open your graves and bring you out from them, my people.
And you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and raise you up out of your graves, 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.'”
And I will put my breath in you and you will live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I am the LORD; I have spoken it and I will do it,' says the LORD."
15 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
And the word of the LORD came again 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.'
"And you, son of man, take one stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel associated with him.'
17 Bring both of them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.
Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.
18 When your people speak to you and say, 'Will you not tell us what these things of yours mean?'
And when your people ask you, saying, 'Will you not tell us what these things mean?'
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, 'Thus says the LORD: "Look, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will put them on it, that is, on the stick of Judah, and make them into one stick, and they will be one in my hand."'
20 Hold in your hand the branches that you wrote on before their eyes.
And the sticks on which you write on will be in your hand in front of them.
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.
"Then say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: Look, I am going to take the people of Israel from among the nations where they are gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them into their own land.
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.
And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over them, and they will no longer be two nations, and no longer 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.
And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all their unfaithfulness in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And will they 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.
"'"And my servant David will be king over them; and they will all have one shepherd. And they will walk in my ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them.
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.
And they will live in the land that I gave to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived; and they and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant 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.
And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will give to them and increase their numbers, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forever.
27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
And my dwelling place will be with them; and 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.'”
Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forever."'"

< Ezekiel 37 >