Eternal One: ¹⁶ Son of man, find a stick and write these words on it: “For Judah and the people of Israel associated with him.” Then go find another stick, and write these words on it: “For Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and the entire community of Israel associated with him.” ¹⁷ Now take both sticks and join them together in your hand as if they are one. ¹⁸ When your compatriots question you about what you are doing, asking, “Will you not tell us plainly what these actions mean?”