⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery:^(A) We will not all sleep,^(B) but we will all be changed^(C)— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,^(D) the dead^(E) will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,^(A) and he brought me out by the Spirit^(B) of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley;^(C) it was full of bones.^{(D) 2} He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ³ He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.^(E)”

⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!^{(F) 5} This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath^[a] enter you, and you will come to life.^{(G) 6} I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(H)’”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath;^(I) prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds^(J) and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded^(K) me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.^(L)

¹¹ Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’^{(M) 12} Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.^{(N) 13} Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord,^(O) when I open your graves and bring you up from them.^{(P) 14} I will put my Spirit^(Q) in you and you will live, and I will settle^(R) you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.^(S)’”

¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(A) gave up the dead^(B) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^(C)

Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.^(A) See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting^(B) for the autumn and spring rains.^{(C) 8} You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming^(D) is near.^(E)

¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,^(A) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.^{(B) 15} According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^(C) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^{(D) 16} For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^(E) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^(F) and with the trumpet call of God,^(G) and the dead in Christ will rise first.^(H)

²¹ who, by the power^(A) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies^(B) so that they will be like his glorious body.^(C)