Add parallel Print Page Options

37 Yahweh’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in Yahweh’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass by them all around: and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and behold, they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I answered, “Lord Yahweh, you know.”

Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear Yahweh’s word. The Lord Yahweh says to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”’”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone. I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on 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 on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then he said to 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 completely cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 You will know that I am Yahweh, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it and performed it,” says Yahweh.’”

15 Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, 16 “You, son of man, take one stick, and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for 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 join them for yourself to one another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.

18 “When the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these?’ 19 tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “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 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 Say to them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, where they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. One king will be king to them all. They will no longer be two nations. They won’t be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. 23 They won’t defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. So they will be my people, and I will be their God.

24 “‘“My servant David will be king over them. They all will have one shepherd. They will also walk in my ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25 They will dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived. They will dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, forever. David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will place them, multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forever more. 27 My tent also will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 The nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forever more.”’”

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 (A)The hand of the Lord was upon me, and (B)he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley;[a] it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, (C)“Son of man, (D)can these bones live?” And (E)I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, (F)“Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, (G)O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause (H)breath[b] to enter you, and you shall live. (I)And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and (J)cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, (K)and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

So I prophesied (L)as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, (M)a rattling,[c] and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But (N)there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, (O)“Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, (P)son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from (Q)the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied (R)as he commanded me, and (S)the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then he said to me, (T)“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and (U)our hope is lost; (V)we are indeed cut off.’ 12 Therefore (W)prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, (X)I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And (Y)I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And (Z)you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And (AA)I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; (AB)I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

I Will Be Their God; They Shall Be My People

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 (AC)“Son of man, (AD)take a stick[d] and write on it, ‘For (AE)Judah, and (AF)the people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For (AG)Joseph (the stick of (AH)Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ 17 And (AI)join them one to another into one stick, that (AJ)they may become (AK)one in your hand. 18 And when (AL)your people say to you, (AM)‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ 19 say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am about to take (AN)the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the (AO)stick of Judah,[e] and (AP)make them one stick, (AQ)that they may be one in my hand. 20 When the sticks on which you write are in your hand (AR)before their eyes, 21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, (AS)I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and (AT)bring them to their own land. 22 And (AU)I will make them one nation in the land, on (AV)the mountains of Israel. And (AW)one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer (AX)two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. 23 (AY)They shall not (AZ)defile themselves anymore (BA)with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But (BB)I will save them from all the backslidings[f] in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and (BC)they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

24 “My servant (BD)David (BE)shall be king over them, and they shall all have (BF)one shepherd. (BG)They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. 25 (BH)They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there (BI)forever, and David my servant shall be their prince (BJ)forever. 26 (BK)I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be (BL)an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land[g] and (BM)multiply them, and will (BN)set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 (BO)My dwelling place shall be with them, (BP)and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 Then (BQ)the nations will know that (BR)I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when (BS)my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:1 Or plain; also verse 2
  2. Ezekiel 37:5 Or spirit; also verses 6, 9, 10
  3. Ezekiel 37:7 Or an earthquake (compare 3:12, 13)
  4. Ezekiel 37:16 Or one piece of wood; also verses 17, 19, 20
  5. Ezekiel 37:19 Hebrew And I will place them on it, the stick of Judah
  6. Ezekiel 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts dwellings
  7. Ezekiel 37:26 Hebrew lacks in their land