1The hand of the LORD was on me. He carried me out in the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley, which was full of bones.
2He made me pass by them, all around them. Look, there were very many of them lying in the open valley, and they were very dry.
3He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "Lord GOD, you know."
4Again he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones. Say to them, 'You dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.'"
5"This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: Look, I will make breath come into you, and you will live."
6"I will lay sinews on you, and bring flesh up on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD."
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied there was a noise, and look, a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8As I watched, look, the sinews and the flesh came up on them, and the skin covered them over. 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, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these who were killed, so that they may live.'"
10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them. They lived, and stood up on their feet, a very great army.
11Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are cut off, as far as we are concerned.'"
12"So prophesy and say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Look, my people, I will open your graves. I will bring you up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel."
13"'Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, my people, and brought you up out of your graves."
14"'I will put my spirit in you, and you will live. I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken it and have done it, says the LORD.'"
15The word of the LORD came to me again. He said,
16"Now, son of man, take one stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and for the children of Israel who are with him.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel who are with him.'"
17"Join them to each other into one stick, so that they become one in your hand."
18"When the children of your people speak to you and say, 'Will you not show us what you mean by these?'"
19"say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Look, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel who are with him. I will put them with him, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in my hand.'"
20"The sticks you write on will be in your hand where they can see them."
21"Say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Look, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land."
22"'I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. One king will be king over them all. They will no longer be two nations, and they will never again be divided into two kingdoms."
23"'They will no longer make themselves unclean with their idols, or with their hateful things, or with any of their wrongdoing. I will save them out of all the places where they have lived and sinned, and I will cleanse them. So they will be my people, and I will be their God."
24"'David my servant will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will walk in my judgments, and keep my laws, and do them."
25"'They will live in the land that I gave to Jacob my servant, where your fathers lived. They will live in it, they and their children and their children's children, for ever. And my servant David will be their prince for ever."
26"'I will also make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will settle them and make them many, and I will set my sanctuary among them for evermore."
27"'My tabernacle will also be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
28"'Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them for evermore.'"