Old Testament · Prophets

Ezekiel chapter 37

The of Yahweh was on me. He carried me out by and set me down in the middle of a — and it was full of bones.He led me back and forth among them. There were vast numbers of them scattered across the open valley, and they were .He asked me, “, can these bones live?” I answered, “ — only you know that.”Then he said to me, “ over these bones. Say to them: Dry bones — hear the word of Yahweh!”This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says to these bones: I am about to bring into you, and you will live.I will lay on you, bring flesh over you, stretch skin across you, and put breath in you — and you will live. Then .So I prophesied as I had been commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound — — and the bones came together, bone to bone.I watched — and suddenly sinews appeared on them, flesh grew over them, and skin stretched tight across them. But there was in them.Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath: This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says — Come from , breath, and breathe into these so they may live!”I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them — they came alive and stood on their feet, .Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are . Look — they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, we are completely.’”So prophesy. Say to them: This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says — My people, I am going to and raise you out of them, and I will bring you back to .You will know that I am Yahweh when I open your graves and raise you out of them, my people.I will put in you and you will live, and I will you on your own land. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have ,” declares Yahweh.The word of Yahweh came to me:“Son of man, take a single and write on it: ‘For and the Israelites joined with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘For Joseph — the stick of — and the whole house of Israel joined with him.’”Join them together into one stick so they become a single stick in your hand.When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain what you mean by this?’ —say to them: This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says — I am about to take the stick of Joseph, which is in Ephraim’s hand, along with the tribes of Israel joined with him, and I will attach them to the stick of Judah. I will make them one stick, and they will become one in my hand.Hold the sticks you have written on in front of their eyes,and say to them: This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says — I am going to take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will them from every direction and bring them back to their own land.I will make them in the land, on , and one king will rule over all of them. They will never again be two nations. They will never again be divided into two kingdoms.They will no longer defile themselves with their , their detestable practices, or any of their rebellions. I will rescue them from every place where they turned away and failed, and I will . . will be king over them, and there will be one for all of them. They will follow my and be careful to keep my instructions.They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there , and my servant David will be their forever.I will make a with them, and it will be a permanent covenant. I will establish them, multiply them, and set among them forever.My will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.Then will know that I, Yahweh, am the one who , when is among them .