Ezekiel
Chapter 37
1 God’s hand was on me, and he took me out in his spirit and put me down in the middle of a valley full of bones.
2 God made me walk around them, and I saw a lot of bones in the valley; they were very dry.
3 He asked me, “Human, can these bones come to life?” I replied, “God, only you know.”
4 He told me again, “Speak to these bones and say, ‘You dry bones, listen to God’s message.’”
5 God says to these bones, “Look, I will make breath come into you, and you will live.”
6 I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, cover you with skin, and give you breath, so you will live; then you will understand that I am God.
7 I did as I was told: and as I spoke, there was a sound, and suddenly a shaking, and the bones moved and joined together, each bone connecting to its matching bone.
8 When I looked, the tendons and flesh grew on them, and skin covered them, but they had no breath.
9 Then he said to me, “Speak to the wind, speak, human, and say to the wind, ‘God says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these dead ones, so they may live.’”
10 I did as I was told, and breath entered them. They came to life and stood up on their feet—a very large army.
11 He told me, “Human, these bones represent all of Israel. Look, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, we are completely cut off.’”
12 So, tell them, ‘This is what God says: Look, my people, I will open your graves and lift you out of them, and take you to the land of Israel.
13 You will understand that I am God when I open your graves and bring you out of them, my people.
14 I will put my spirit in you, you will live, and I will put you in your own land. Then you will know that I, God, have said and done this, says God.
15 God spoke to me again, saying,
16 Also, you human, take one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, which is for Ephraim, and for all the Israelite companions.’
17 Put them together, one to the other, into one piece; and they will be united in your hand.
18 When your people’s children talk to you and ask, “Won’t you explain what these things mean to us?”
19 Tell them, “This is what God says: Look, I will take Joseph’s stick, which is in Ephraim’s hand, along with his companion tribes of Israel, and put them together with Judah’s stick, making them one stick, and they will be one in my hand.”
20 Hold the sticks you wrote on in your hand for them to see.
21 Tell them, ‘This is what God says: Look, I will take the Israelites from the nations where they have gone, gather them from all around, and bring them back to their own land.’
22 I will make them one country in Israel’s land on the mountains; and they will all have one king. They will no longer be two separate countries or split into two kingdoms ever again.
23 They won’t make themselves unclean with idols, hateful things, or sins. I will rescue them from all the places they sinned and make them clean. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.
24 David my servant will be their king; they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my rules and keep and follow my laws.
25 They will live in the land I gave to Jacob, my servant, where your ancestors lived. They, their children, and their grandchildren will live there forever, and David, my servant, will always be their leader.
26 I will make a peace agreement with them that will last forever. I will settle them, increase their numbers, and put my holy place among them always.
27 My tent will be with them; yes, I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 The nations will understand that I, God, make Israel holy when my holy place is with them forever.