The Dry Bones Live

37 The (A)hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out (B)in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, (C)You know.”

Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will (D)cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. (E)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the [a]breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (F)“Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, (G)and [b]breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the (H)whole house of Israel. They indeed say, (I)‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, (J)O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and (K)bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I (L)will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”

One Kingdom, One King

15 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “As for you, son of man, (M)take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for (N)the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then (O)join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.

18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, (P)‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— 19 (Q)say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take (R)the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’ 20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand (S)before their eyes.

21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely (T)I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and (U)I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and (V)one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 (W)They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but (X)I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

24 (Y)“David My servant shall be king over them, and (Z)they shall all have one shepherd; (AA)they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. 25 (AB)Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, (AC)forever; and (AD)My servant David shall be their prince forever. 26 Moreover I will [c]make (AE)a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and (AF)multiply them, and I will set My (AG)sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 (AH)My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be (AI)their God, and they shall be My people. 28 (AJ)The nations also will know that I, the Lord, (AK)sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:9 Breath of life
  2. Ezekiel 37:10 Breath of life
  3. Ezekiel 37:26 Lit. cut

37 The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of Jehovah, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. And he caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many [a]in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold, I will cause [b]breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put [c]breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.

So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a [d]noise, and, behold, an earthquake; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I beheld, and, lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the [e]wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the [f]wind, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O [g]breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off. 12 Therefore prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land: and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it and performed it, saith Jehovah.

15 The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying, 16 And thou, son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and [h]for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 and join them for thee one to another into one stick, that they may become one in thy hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? 19 say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them [i]with it, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in my hand. 20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thy hand before their eyes. 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all; 23 neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them [j]out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

24 And my servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in mine ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, for ever: and David my servant shall be their prince for ever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will [k]place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be [l]with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 And the nations shall know that [m]I am Jehovah that sanctifieth Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:2 Hebrew upon the face of the valley.
  2. Ezekiel 37:5 Or, spirit
  3. Ezekiel 37:6 Or, spirit
  4. Ezekiel 37:7 Or, thundering
  5. Ezekiel 37:9 Or, breath
  6. Ezekiel 37:9 Or, breath
  7. Ezekiel 37:9 Or, wind. Or, spirit
  8. Ezekiel 37:16 Or, of
  9. Ezekiel 37:19 Or, together with him unto (or, to be) the stick of Judah
  10. Ezekiel 37:23 Or with a slight change of text, from all their backslidings
  11. Ezekiel 37:26 Or, give it them
  12. Ezekiel 37:27 Or, over
  13. Ezekiel 37:28 Or, I, Jehovah, do sanctify Israel