The Valley of Dry Bones
1 I felt the powerful presence of the Lord, and his spirit took me and set me down in a valley where the ground was covered with bones. 2 He led me all around the valley, and I could see that there were very many bones and that they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Mortal man, can these bones come back to life?”
I replied, “Sovereign Lord, only you can answer that!”
4 He said, “Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry bones to listen to the word of the Lord. 5 Tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: I am going to put breath into you and bring you back to life. 6 I will give you sinews and muscles, and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you and bring you back to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
7 So I prophesied as I had been told. While I was speaking, I heard a rattling noise, and the bones began to join together. 8 While I watched, the bones were covered with sinews and muscles, and then with skin. But there was no breath in the bodies.
9 God said to me, “Mortal man, prophesy to the wind. Tell the wind that the Sovereign Lord commands it to come from every direction, to breathe into these dead bodies, and to bring them back to life.”
10 So I prophesied as I had been told. Breath entered the bodies, and they came to life and stood up. There were enough of them to form an army.
11 God said to me, “Mortal man, the people of Israel are like these bones. They say that they are dried up, without any hope and with no future. 12 So prophesy to my people Israel and tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am going to open their graves. I am going to take them out and bring them back to the land of Israel. 13 When I open the graves where my people are buried and bring them out, they will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my breath in them, bring them back to life, and let them live in their own land. Then they will know that I am the Lord. I have promised that I would do this—and I will. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Judah and Israel in One Kingdom
15 The Lord spoke to me again. 16 “Mortal man,” he said, “take a wooden stick and write on it the words, ‘The kingdom of Judah.’ Then take another stick and write on it the words, ‘The kingdom of Israel.’ 17 Then hold the two sticks end to end in your hand so that they look like one stick. 18 When your people ask you to tell them what this means, 19 tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am going to take the stick representing Israel and put it with the one that represents Judah. Out of the two I will make one stick and hold it in my hand.
20 “Hold in your hand the two sticks and let the people see them. 21 Then tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am going to take all my people out of the nations where they have gone, gather them together, and bring them back to their own land. 22 I will unite them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. They will have one king to rule over them, and they will no longer be divided into two nations or split into two kingdoms. 23 They will not defile themselves with disgusting idols any more or corrupt themselves with sin. I will free them from all the ways in which they sin and betray me. I will purify them; they will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 A king like my servant David will be their king. They will all be united under one ruler and will obey my laws faithfully. 25 They will live on the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They will live there forever, and so will their children and all their descendants. A king like my servant David will rule them forever. 26 I will make a covenant with them that guarantees their security forever. I will establish them and increase their population, and will see to it that my Temple stands forever in their land. 27 I will live there with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 When I place my Temple there to be among them forever, then the nations will know that I, the Lord, have chosen Israel to be my own people.”
1 The hand of the Lord was vpon me, and caryed me out in ye spirit of ye Lord, and set me downe in ye mids of the field, which was full of bones. 2 And he led me round about by them, and beholde, they were very many in the open fielde, and lo, they were very drie. 3 And he sayde vnto me, Sonne of man, can these bones liue? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. 4 Againe he sayde vnto me, Prophecie vpon these bones and say vnto them, O ye dry bones, heare the word of the Lord. 5 Thus saith the Lord God vnto these bones, Behold, I wil cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall liue. 6 And I will lay sinewes vpon you, and make flesh growe vpon you, and couer you with skinne, and put breath in you, that ye may liue, and yee shall know that I am the Lord. 7 So I prophecied, as I was commanded: and as I prophecied, there was a noyse, and beholde, there was a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, loe, the sinewes, and the flesh grewe vpon them, and aboue, the skinne couered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then sayd he vnto me, Prophecie vnto the winde: prophecie, sonne of man, and say to the winde, Thus sayth the Lord God, Come from the foure windes, O breath, and breathe vpon these slayne, that they may liue. 10 So I prophecied as hee had commanded me: and the breath came into them, and they liued, and stood vp vpon their feete, an exceeding great armie. 11 Then he sayd vnto me, Sonne of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is gone, and we are cleane cut off. 12 Therefore prophecie, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Beholde, my people, I will open your graues, and cause you to come vp out of your sepulchres, and bring you into the lande of Israel, 13 And yee shall knowe that I am the Lord, when I haue opened your graues, O my people, and brought you vp out of your sepulchres, 14 And shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall liue, and I shall place you in your owne land: then yee shall knowe that I the Lord haue spoken it, and performed it, sayth the Lord. 15 The word of the Lord came againe vnto me, saying, 16 Moreouer thou sonne of man, take thee a piece of wood, and write vpon it, Vnto Iudah, and to the children of Israel his companions the take another piece of wood, and write vpon it, Vnto Ioseph the tree of Ephraim, and to al the house of Israel his companions. 17 And thou shalt ioyne the one to another into one tree, and they shalbe as one in thine hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speake vnto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shewe vs what thou meanest by these? 19 Thou shalt answere them, Thus sayeth the Lord God, Behold, I wil take the tree of Ioseph, which is in the hande of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellowes, and will put them with him, euen with the tree of Iudah, and make them one tree, and they shalbe one in mine hand. 20 And the pieces of wood, whereon thou writest, shalbe in thine hand, in their sight. 21 And say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Beholde, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and wil gather them on euery side, and bring them into their owne land. 22 And I will make them one people in the lande, vpon the mountaines of Israel, and one king shalbe king to them all: and they shalbe no more two peoples, neither bee deuided any more henceforth into two kingdomes. 23 Neither shall they bee polluted any more with their idoles, nor with their abominations, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will saue them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they haue sinned, and will clense them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. 24 And Dauid my seruant shalbe king ouer them, and they all shall haue one shepheard: they shall also walke in my iudgements, and obserue my statutes, and doe them. 25 And they shall dwell in the lande, that I haue giuen vnto Iaakob my seruant, where your fathers haue dwelt, and they shall dwel therein, euen they, and their sonnes, and their sonnes sonnes for euer, and my seruant Dauid shall bee their prince for euer. 26 Moreouer, I will make a couenant of peace with them: it shall be an euerlasting couenant with them, and I wil place them, and multiply them, and wil set my Sanctuarie among them for euermore. 27 My tabernacle also shalbe with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shalbe my people. 28 Thus the heathen shall knowe, that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel, when my Sanctuarie shall be among them for euermore.