Ezekiel 37
1 The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.
2 He made me walk all around them. There were very many on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry.
3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord GOD, you know.”
4 He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them: ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5 This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: «Look, I am going to put breath into you, and you will live.
6 I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you; you will live, and you will know that I am the LORD.»’”
7 I prophesied as I had been commanded. As I was prophesying, there was a sound, then a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 I looked, and there were tendons on them, flesh had grown, and skin covered them from above, but there was no breath in them.
9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath: ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: «Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, so they may live.»’”
10 I prophesied as he had commanded me, and the breath entered them. They came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones have dried up, our hope is gone, we are cut off.’
12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: «Look, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, my people, and bring you to the soil of Israel.
13 You will know that I am the LORD when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves, my people.
14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. I will settle you on your own soil. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it, declares the LORD.»’”
15 The word of the LORD came to me:
16 “And you, son of man, take one piece of wood and write on it: ‘For Judah and the Israelites joined with him.’ Then take another piece of wood and write on it: ‘For Joseph—the wood of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel joined with him.’
17 Bring them together, one to the other, into one piece of wood, so they become one in your hand.
18 When the people of your nation say to you, ‘Won’t you tell us what this means for you?’
19 Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: «Look, I am going to take the wood of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel joined with him, and put them with it, with the wood of Judah. I will make them one piece of wood, and they will be one in my hand.»’
20 The pieces of wood on which you write will be in your hand, before their eyes.
21 Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: «Look, I am going to take the Israelites from among the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from every side and bring them to their own soil.
22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. They will no longer be two nations or divided into two kingdoms.
23 They will no longer defile themselves with their repulsive images, their detestable idols, or any of their transgressions. I will save them from all the places where they sinned, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
24 My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will walk in my ordinances, keep my decrees, and carry them out.
25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever.
26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will establish them, multiply them, and place my sanctuary among them forever.
27 My dwelling will be over them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 The nations will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forever.»’”
Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app