1The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the center of a valley which was full of bones, 2And He led me back and forth among them; and, there were very many bones in the open valley; and they were very dry. 3And He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Sovereign LORD, You, alone, know.” 4Then He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O you dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5This is what says the Sovereign LORD says to these bones, “Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live! 6And I will attach sinews and muscles to you, and will bring flesh up on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.”’” 7So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And as I watched, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. 9Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, ‘Thus says the LORD God; “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”’” 10So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath entered them, and they came to life, and stood upon their feet - a vast army. 11Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent all the people of Israel; behold, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; our nation is finished’. 12Therefore, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Sovereign LORD, “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and bring you back from them, and bring you back into the land of Israel. 13And you, My people, shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, and brought you up from them, 14And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall settle you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it, and done it,” says the LORD.’” 15This word of the LORD came to me, 16“Son of man, take one stick, and write upon it, ‘This represents Judah and its allied tribes’. Then take another stick, and write upon it, ‘This represents Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the tribes of northern Israel’. 17And then join them, one stick to the other, and they shall become one stick in your hand. 18And when your people shall ask you, ‘Will you not tell us what you mean by your actions?’ 19Tell them, ‘Thus says the LORD God: “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel; and I will join it with the stick of Judah, and make of them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.” 20And then hold the sticks, which you have written on, before their eyes. 21And say to them, “Thus says the LORD God: ‘Behold, I will take the Israelites out of the nations, to which they have gone, and will gather them from every nation, and bring them into their own land. 22And I will make them into one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one King shall be king to them all; and they shall never again be two nations, nor shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more. 23Nor shall they any more defile themselves with their idols, or with other detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions, for I will save them from their apostacy in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; so that they shall be My people, and I will be their God. 24And David, My servant, shall be king over them; and they all shall have one Shepherd; they shall also abide by My laws, and observe and keep My statutes. 25And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob, My servant - the land in which their fathers have dwelt; there shall they dwell, they, their children, and their children's children forever; and My servant, David, shall be their prince forever. 26Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant; and I will establish and see them multiply their numbers; and will put My Temple in their midst for evermore. 27And I will make My home among them; yes, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28And then all the nations shall know that I, the LORD, am the One Who sanctifies Israel, when My Temple (sanctuary) shall reside in their midst for evermore.’”’” Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |