Ezekiel Chapter 37

1-2 Yahveh’s hand was on me. He took me out in spirit and put me down in a valley full of dry bones, 2 and had me walk around among them.

3 “Son of man, can these bones come alive?”

“Lord Yahveh, you know.”

4 “Prophesy over them, ‘Dry bones, listen to Yahveh. 5 I’ll put breath in you so you can come to life. 6 I’ll put sinews on you, make flesh grow back, and cover you with skin. You’ll know I’m Yahveh.’”

7 As I prophesied, there was a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I saw sinews on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them; but they weren’t breathing.                                                                                      Ezek 37:1-8           

9 He told me to prophesy to their breath, “The Lord Yahveh says to come from the four winds and breathe on these slain so they can come to life.”

10 So I prophesied. Breath came into them, they came to life, and stood up, a big army.

11 Then he said,

“Son of man, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They’re saying, ‘Our bones are dried up. Our hope is gone. We’re completely cut off.’ 12 So prophesy that the Lord Yahveh says, ‘I’ll open your graves and resurrect you, and take you to Israel. 13 You’ll know I’m Yahveh when 14 I’ve put my breath in you, you’ve come to life, and I’ve put you in your own land.’”

Ezek 37:9-14

Reunion of Israel and Judah

15 A message from Yahveh came to me again:

16 “Son of man, take a stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and the people of Israel, his companions.’ Take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and the House of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then put them together in your hand to become one stick. 18 When your people ask you what these sticks mean, 19 say that the Lord Yahveh says, ‘I’ll take Joseph’s stick—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and the tribes of Israel, his companions, and put them with Judah’s stick to make one stick in my hand.’ 20 The sticks you write on they’ll see in your hand. 21 Tell them the Lord Yahveh says he’ll gather the people of Israel from among the nations where they’ve gone and bring them to their own land. 22 He’ll make them one nation under one king. 23 They won’t defile themselves with idols, detestable things, or any of their sins. He’ll deliver them from the places where they live, where they’ve sinned, and cleanse them. They’ll be his people, and he’ll be their God.”

Ezek 37:15-23

24-25 “My servant David will be their king, their one shepherd forever. They’ll follow my ordinances and keep my statutes. They and their descendants will live permanently on the land I gave Jacob, where your ancestors lived. 26 I’ll make an everlasting peace treaty with them, bless and multiply them, set my sanctuary among them, 27 live with them, and be their God; and they’ll be my people. 28 The nations will know I’m Yahveh who sanctifies Israel when my sanctuary is with them forever.”’”                                                      

Ezek 37:24-28

From the CYV translation by Virgil Warren, PhD