Our Father Breathes Life Into Dry Bones
Set down by our Father in a valley of very dry bones and asked whether they can live, Ezekiel prophesies and hears the rattle as they join, gain flesh and stand. They are Israel, saying its hope is gone. Then two labelled sticks become one in his hand.
37 1The hand of our Father came on me. He brought me out by the Spirit of our Father and set me down in the middle of the valley—it was full of bones. 2He led me around them, all around—very many on the valley floor, and very dry.
3He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Sovereign Father, you know."
4Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: Dry bones, hear our Father's word. 5This is what the Sovereign Father says to these bones: I am bringing breath into you, and you will live. 6I will put tendons on you, bring flesh over you, cover you with skin, put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am your Father."
7So I prophesied as commanded. As I prophesied there was a noise—a rattling—and the bones drew together, bone to its bone. 8I looked: tendons on them, flesh grown over them, skin covering them over—but no breath in them.
9He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath: The Sovereign Father says: Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe into these slain, so they live." a a v9 One and the same word here means breath, wind, and spirit — so it names the four winds, the life-breath called into the dead, and the Spirit our Father pours out in verse 14.
10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them, and they came alive and stood on their feet—a huge, huge army.
11He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off entirely.' 12So prophesy and tell them: This is what the Sovereign Father says: I am opening your graves and bringing you up from your graves, my children, and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13Then you will know I am your Father, when I open your graves and lift you out of your graves, my children. 14And I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you on your own land. Then you will know that I, your Father, have spoken and acted, declares our Father."
Our Father Reunites His Divided Children
15The word of our Father came to me again:
16"And you, son of man, take one stick and write on it, 'For Judah and the Israelites, his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel, his companions. 17And join them together into a single stick, so they become one in your hand.'
18"And when your people ask you, 'What do you mean by these?' 19say to them, This is what the Sovereign Father says: I am taking Joseph's stick, in Ephraim's hand, with the tribes of Israel joined to him, and adding them to Judah's stick, making them one stick, so they are one in my hand. 20Hold in your hand the sticks you wrote on, before their eyes. 21Then tell them, This is what the Sovereign Father says: 'I am taking the Israelites from among the nations where they went; I will gather them from all sides and bring them to their own land. 22I will make them one nation in the land, on Israel's mountains, and one king will be king over them all. They will no longer be two nations, never again divided into two kingdoms. 23They will no longer make themselves unclean with their idols, their detestable things, or any of their rebellions. I will save them from every place where they lived and sinned, and make them clean. They will be my children, and I will be their Father. 24My servant David will be king over them; they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my rulings, keep my decrees, and do them. 25They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They, their children, and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26I will make a peace covenant with them, an everlasting covenant with them. I will settle them and multiply them, and place my sanctuary among them forever. 27My dwelling will be over them; I will be their Father, and they will be my children. 28Then the nations will know I am your Father, who makes Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.'"
