CHAPTER 37
The hand
of the LORD
was
upon me,
and He brought me out
by His
Spirit
and set me down
in the middle
of the valley;
it
was full of
bones.
He led me
all
around
among them,
and I saw
a great
many bones
on
the floor
of the valley,
and indeed
they were very
dry.
And He said
to me,
“Prophesy
concerning
these
bones
and tell
them:
‘Dry
bones,
hear
the word
of the LORD!
This is what
the Lord
GOD
says
to these
bones:
I
will cause breath
to enter you,
and you will live.
I will attach
tendons
to you
and make flesh
grow
upon you
and cover
you
with skin.
I will put
breath
within you
so that you will come to life.
Then you will know
that
I
am the LORD.’”
So I prophesied
as
I had been commanded.
And as I prophesied,
there was
suddenly
a noise,
a rattling sound,
and the bones
came together,
bone
to
bone.
As I looked on,
tendons
appeared
on them,
flesh
grew,
and skin
covered them;
but there was no
breath in them.
Then He said
to me,
“Prophesy
to
the breath;
prophesy,
son
of man,
and tell
it
that this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘Come
from the four
winds,
O breath,
and breathe
into these
slain,
so that they may live!'"
So I prophesied
as
He commanded me,
and the breath
entered them,
and they came to life
and stood
on
their feet—
a vast
army.
Then He said
to me,
“Son
of man,
these
bones
are the whole
house
of Israel.
Look,
they
are saying,
‘Our bones
are dried up,
and our hope
has perished;
we are cut off.’
Therefore
prophesy
and tell
them
that this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘O
My people,
I
will open
your graves
and bring you up
from
them,
and I will bring you back
to
the land
of Israel.
Then you, My people,
will know
that
I
am the LORD,
when I open
your graves
and bring you up
from them.
I will put
My Spirit
in you
and you will live,
and I will settle
you
in
your own land.
Then you will know
that
I,
the LORD,
have spoken,
and I will do it,
declares
the LORD.’”
“And you,
son
of man,
take
a single
stick
and write
on it:
‘Belonging to Judah
and to the Israelites
associated with him.’
Then take
another
stick
and write
on it:
‘Belonging to Joseph—
the stick
of Ephraim—
and to all
the house
of Israel
associated with him.’
you are to tell
them
that this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘I
will take
the stick
of Joseph,
which
is in the hand
of Ephraim,
and the tribes
of Israel
associated with him,
and I will put
them
together with
the stick
of Judah.
I will make
them into a single
stick,
and they will become
one
in My hand.'
you are to tell them
that this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘I
will take
the Israelites
out of
the nations
to which
they have gone,
and I will gather
them from
all around
and bring
them into
their own land.
I will make
them one
nation
in the land,
on the mountains
of Israel,
and one
king
will rule over
all of them.
Then they will no
longer
be
two
nations
and will never
again
be divided
into two
kingdoms.
They will no
longer
defile themselves
with their idols
or detestable images,
or with any
of their transgressions.
I will deliver
them
from all
their apostasies
by which
they sinned,
and I will cleanse them.
Then they will be
My people,
and I
will be
their God.
My servant
David
will be king
over them,
and there will be
one
shepherd
for all of them.
They will follow
My ordinances
and keep
and observe
My statutes.
They will live
in
the land
that
I gave
to My servant
Jacob,
where
your fathers
lived.
They will live
there
forever
with their children
and grandchildren,
and My servant
David
will be their prince forever.
And I will make
a covenant
of peace
with them;
it will be
an everlasting
covenant.
I will establish
and multiply
them,
and I will set
My sanctuary
among them
forever.
Then the nations
will know
that
I
the LORD
sanctify
Israel,
when My sanctuary
is
among them
forever.’”