Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones

37 The (A)hand of the Lord was upon me, and He (B)brought me out [a]by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the (C)valley; and it was full of bones. He had me pass among them all around, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and behold, they were very dry. Then He said to me, “Son of man, (D)can these bones live?” And I answered, “Lord [b]God, (E)You Yourself know.” Again He said to me, “(F)Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘You dry bones, (G)hear the word of the Lord.’ This is what the Lord God says to these bones: ‘Behold, I am going to make [c](H)breath enter you so that you may come to life. And I will [d]attach tendons to you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you so that you may come to life; and you will (I)know that I am the Lord.’”

So I prophesied (J)as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a loud noise, and behold, a [e]rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, tendons were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘The Lord God says this: “Come from the four winds, breath, and (K)breathe on these slain, so that they (L)come to life.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the (M)breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an (N)exceedingly great army.

The Vision Explained

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the (O)entire house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our (P)bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are [f]completely (Q)cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am going to open your graves and (R)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 have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. 14 And I will (S)put My [g]Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’”

Reunion of Judah and Israel

15 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, 16 “Now you, son of man, take for yourself (T)one stick and write on it, ‘For (U)Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For (V)Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then (W)put them together for yourself one to another into one stick, so that they may become one in your hand. 18 And when the sons of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not declare to us (X)what [h]you mean by these?’ 19 say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I 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 put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”’ 20 The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. 21 And say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am going to (Y)take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them (Z)one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and (AA)one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will (AB)no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their offenses; but (AC)I will rescue them from all their [i]dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.

The Davidic Kingdom

24 “And My servant (AD)David will be king over them, and they will all have (AE)one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes and [j]follow them. 25 And they will live on the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and My servant (AF)David will be their leader forever. 26 And I will make a (AG)covenant of peace with them; it will be an (AH)everlasting covenant with them. And I will [k]place them and (AI)multiply them, and set My (AJ)sanctuary in their midst forever. 27 My (AK)dwelling place also will be among them; and (AL)I will be their God, and they will be My people. 28 And the nations will know that I am the Lord (AM)who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:1 Or in
  2. Ezekiel 37:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  3. Ezekiel 37:5 Or spirit, and so throughout the ch
  4. Ezekiel 37:6 Lit give
  5. Ezekiel 37:7 Or rustling
  6. Ezekiel 37:11 Lit cut off to ourselves
  7. Ezekiel 37:14 Or breath
  8. Ezekiel 37:18 Lit these are to you
  9. Ezekiel 37:23 Another reading is offenses
  10. Ezekiel 37:24 Lit do them
  11. Ezekiel 37:26 Lit give

The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.

A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.

87 His (A)foundation is in the holy mountains.
The Lord (B)loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
(C)Glorious things are spoken of you,
(D)City of God. Selah
“I shall mention [a](E)Rahab and Babylon [b]among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and (F)Tyre with [c](G)Cush:
‘This one was born there.’”
But of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will (H)establish her.
The Lord will count when He (I)registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
Then those who (J)sing as well as those who [d](K)play the flutes will say,
“All my (L)springs of joy are in you.”

A Petition to Be Saved from Death.

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the music director; according to Mahalath Leannoth. A [e]Maskil of Heman [f]the Ezrahite.

88 Lord, the (M)God of my salvation,
I have (N)cried out by day and in the night before You.
Let my prayer (O)come before You;
(P)Incline Your ear to my cry!
For my (Q)soul has [g]had enough troubles,
And (R)my life has approached [h]Sheol.
I am counted among those who (S)go down to the pit;
I have become like a man (T)without strength,
[i]Abandoned (U)among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You no longer remember,
And they are (V)cut off from Your hand.
You have put me in (W)the lowest pit,
In (X)dark places, in the (Y)depths.
Your wrath (Z)has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with (AA)all Your waves. Selah
You have removed (AB)my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an [j](AC)object of loathing to them;
I am (AD)shut up and cannot go out.
My (AE)eye grows dim from misery;
I have (AF)called upon You every day, Lord;
I have (AG)spread out my [k]hands to You.

10 Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Or will (AH)the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah
11 Will Your graciousness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in [l]Abaddon?
12 Will Your wonders be made known in the (AI)darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But I, Lord, have cried out (AJ)to You for help,
And (AK)in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Lord, why (AL)do You reject my soul?
Why do You (AM)hide Your face from me?
15 I was miserable and (AN)about to die from my youth on;
I suffer (AO)Your terrors; I grow weary.
16 Your (AP)burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have [m](AQ)destroyed me.
17 They have (AR)surrounded me (AS)like water all day long;
They have (AT)encircled me altogether.
18 You have removed (AU)lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in a hiding place.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 87:4 I.e., Egypt, as a sea monster; not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2
  2. Psalm 87:4 Or as
  3. Psalm 87:4 Or Ethiopia
  4. Psalm 87:7 Or dance
  5. Psalm 88 Title Possibly, Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  6. Psalm 88 Title 1 Kin 4:31; 1 Chr 2:6; Ps 89: title
  7. Psalm 88:3 Or been satisfied with
  8. Psalm 88:3 I.e., the netherworld
  9. Psalm 88:5 Lit A freed one among the dead
  10. Psalm 88:8 Lit abomination to them
  11. Psalm 88:9 Lit palms
  12. Psalm 88:11 I.e., place of destruction
  13. Psalm 88:16 Or silenced

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