Ezekiel 37:1-28
Ezekiel 37:1-28 (Good News Translation)
The Valley of Dry Bones
1I 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.2He
led me all around the valley, and I could see that there were very
many bones and that they were very dry.3He said to me, "Mortal man,
can these bones come back to life?" I replied, "Sovereign Lord, only
you can answer that!" 4He said, "Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry
bones to listen to the word of the Lord.5Tell them that I, the
Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: I am going to put breath into you
and bring you back to life.6I 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." 7So I prophesied as I
had been told. While I was speaking, I heard a rattling noise, and the
bones began to join together.8While I watched, the bones were covered
with sinews and muscles, and then with skin. But there was no breath
in the bodies.
9God 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.
11God 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.12So 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.13When I open the graves
where my people are buried and bring them out, they will know that I
am the Lord.14I 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
15The 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.'17Then hold the two sticks end to end in your hand so that
they look like one stick.18When your people ask you to tell them what
this means,19tell 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.21Then
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.22I 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.23They 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.25They 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.26I
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.28When 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."
God bless you.
The Valley of Dry Bones
1I 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.2He
led me all around the valley, and I could see that there were very
many bones and that they were very dry.3He said to me, "Mortal man,
can these bones come back to life?" I replied, "Sovereign Lord, only
you can answer that!" 4He said, "Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry
bones to listen to the word of the Lord.5Tell them that I, the
Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: I am going to put breath into you
and bring you back to life.6I 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." 7So I prophesied as I
had been told. While I was speaking, I heard a rattling noise, and the
bones began to join together.8While I watched, the bones were covered
with sinews and muscles, and then with skin. But there was no breath
in the bodies.
9God 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.
11God 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.12So 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.13When I open the graves
where my people are buried and bring them out, they will know that I
am the Lord.14I 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
15The 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.'17Then hold the two sticks end to end in your hand so that
they look like one stick.18When your people ask you to tell them what
this means,19tell 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.21Then
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.22I 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.23They 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.25They 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.26I
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.28When 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."
God bless you.
Comments