Ezekiel 37

1 The hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] was upon me, and He brought me out [in the spirit of the Lord, carried me away] by His Spirit [the breath of life, the wind, or a person’s mind and emotions] and set me down [to rest, settle down] in the middle [midst, center] of the valley [a low area of land, a plain or level area], and it was full [having no empty space, a large amount] of bones [the substance or essence of something, the body]. word study 2 He led me all around [to pass by, caused me to go] among them, and I saw a great many [very many, exceedingly numerous] bones on the floor [face, surface] of the valley [open valley, plain], and indeed, they were very [exceedingly, greatly] dry [without moisture, completely parched]. word study 3 Then He asked me, “Son of man [human, mortal], can these bones [the body, substance] come to life [be revived, have life]?” “O Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah],” I replied, “only You [alone, solely] know [are aware, understand].” word study 4 And He said to me, “Prophesy [speak under divine inspiration] concerning these bones [the substance or essence of something] and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear [listen and obey] the word [a message or command] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]! word study 5 This is what the Lord [Adonay, a title of reverence] GOD [Yehovah] says to these [specific, chosen] bones: I will cause breath [spirit, the breath of life] to enter you, and you will come to life [be revived, have life restored]. word study 6 I will attach [give, put, or set] tendons [sinews, connecting muscles to bones] to you and make [cause to grow] flesh [the body or living tissue] grow upon you and cover [spread or lay over] you with skin [human skin or animal hide]. I will put [give] breath [the spirit, wind, or life-giving force] within you so that you will come to life [be revived, quickened, or have life]. Then you will know [ascertain by seeing, learn, perceive] that I am [exist as, am the one true] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God].’” word study 7 So I prophesied [spoke under divine influence] as I had been commanded [given orders, appointed]. And as I prophesied [spoke as a prophet], there was suddenly a noise [sound, voice], a rattling [quaking, shaking], and the bones [body, substance] came together, bone [substance, essence] to bone [body, essence]. word study 8 As I looked on [beheld, gazed], tendons [sinews, muscles] appeared on them, flesh [body, living tissue] grew, and skin [human skin, outer covering] covered them; but there was no breath [spirit, life-giving force] in them. word study 9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy [speak under divine inspiration] to the breath [spirit, wind, or life-giving force]; prophesy, son of man [mortal, human], and tell the breath [spirit, wind, or life-giving force] that this is what the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: Come from the four winds, O breath [spirit, wind, or life-giving force], and breathe [puff, inflate, or blow] into these slain [killed, lifeless], so that they may live [have life, be revived]!” word study 10 So I prophesied [spoke under divine inspiration] as He had commanded [given orders, appointed] me, and the breath [spirit, the wind of life] entered them, and they came to life [were revived, quickened] and stood [rose up, took their stand] on their feet [in a position of strength]—a vast [exceedingly great, mighty] army [force, host]. word study 11 Then He said to me, “Son of man [human, a mortal], these bones [the substance or essence of something] are the whole house [family, nation, or community] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants]. Look [behold, observe], they are saying [speaking, declaring], ‘Our bones [the body, or physical structure] are dried up [withered, without life], and our hope [expectancy, a cord that attaches] has perished [been destroyed, lost]; we are cut off [separated, divided, or severed].’ word study 12 Therefore prophesy [speak under divine influence] and tell them that this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘O My people [My nation, My community], I will open [unlock, set free] your graves [sepulchres, resting places] and bring you up from them [cause you to ascend, rise], and I will bring you back [return you, restore you] to the land [the earth, the soil] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, the chosen people]. word study 13 Then you, My people [O my nation, a people or nation], will know [to learn, perceive, and understand] that I [the Lord] am the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], when I [as the supreme God] open [to engrave or carve, as in the intricate carvings on the furniture of the tabernacle] your graves [a place where the dead are buried, often a tomb or burial site] and bring [to cause to come up, to ascend] you up from them [out of your sepulchres, from your resting-places]. word study 14 I will put [give, bestow upon you] My Spirit [breath of life, divine presence] in you and you will live [be revived, have life], and I will settle [place, establish] you in your own land [earth, territory]. Then you will know [understand, perceive] that I, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], have spoken [declared, uttered], and I will do [accomplish, fulfill] it, declares [says, affirms] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God].’” word study 15 Again the word [message from God, divine utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah] came [was given, occurred] to me, saying [to speak, to command, to declare], word study 16 “And you, son [descendant, child] of man [the human, Adam], take a single stick [piece of wood, tree] and write on it: ‘Belonging to Judah [the tribe of Judah] and to the Israelites [the children of Israel] associated [united, companions] with him.’ Then take another stick [wood, tree] and write on it: ‘Belonging to Joseph [he will add, Jehovah has added]—the stick of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel]—and to all [every, the whole] the house [family, household] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] associated [united, companions] with him.’ word study 17 Then join [bring near, unite] them together into one stick [tree, wooden plank], so that they become [unite, are joined] one [unified, single] in your hand [power, direction, strength]. word study 18 When your people [the children of your nation, fellow Israelis] ask you [speak unto thee, saying], ‘Won’t you [Wilt thou not] explain [show, declare, tell] to us what you mean [signify, intend] by these [these things, this action]?’ word study 19 you are to tell them that this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘I will take the stick [tree, wooden staff] of Joseph, which is in the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of Ephraim, and the tribes [clans, families] of Israel [God’s chosen people] associated with him, and I will put them together with the stick [tree, wooden staff] of Judah. I will make them into a single stick [one tree, united], and they will become one [united, harmonious] in My hand [under My guidance and control].’ word study 20 When the sticks [pieces of wood, trees] on which you write [record, inscribe] are in your hand [power, direction] and in full view [before their eyes, in their sight] of the people [the crowd, the assembly], word study 21 you are to tell them that this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘I will take [gather, rescue] the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] out of the nations [Gentile countries, heathen lands] to which they have gone, and I will gather [collect, assemble] them from all around [on every side, from every direction] and bring them into their own land [the promised territory, their ancestral home]. word study 22 I will make [to create or bring into being] them one [united, a single entity] nation [a large group of people, a Gentile] in the land [the earth, a country], on the mountains [hills] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people], and one [a single, unique] king [a ruler, a royal person] will rule [to have power over, to govern] over all [everything, every person] of them. Then they will no longer be [to exist or come into being] two [a pair, a duality] nations [large groups of people, Gentiles] and will never again be [to happen or come to pass] divided [to be cut or split apart] into two [a pair, a duality] kingdoms [a ruler’s power or territory]. word study 23 They will no longer [completely cease] defile [morally corrupt, ceremonially contaminate] themselves with their idols [false gods, man-made objects of worship] or detestable [abhorrent, filthy] images, or with any of their transgressions [rebellious acts, willful sins]. I will save [rescue, deliver] them from all [every single one] their apostasies [turning away, rebellions] by which they sinned [missed the mark, disobeyed], and I will cleanse [purify, make holy] them. Then they will be My people [My own, My beloved], and I will be their God [their Lord, their Savior]. word study 24 My servant [faithful attendant, one who serves] David will be king [ruler, sovereign] over them, and there will be one [united, single] shepherd [leader, caretaker] for all of them. They will follow [walk in, obey] My ordinances [judgments, laws] and keep [obey, guard] and observe [watch over, carefully follow] My statutes [commands, decrees]. word study 25 They will live [dwell, reside, settle] in the land [country, territory, region] that I gave [granted, bestowed, appointed] to My servant [faithful attendant, devoted follower] Jacob [the father of the Israelites], where your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] lived [resided, dwelt]. They will live [abide, remain] there forever [always, eternally, to the age] with their children [sons, descendants] and grandchildren [children’s children, posterity], and My servant [faithful leader, chosen prince] David will be their prince [leader, ruler, king] forever [perpetually, endlessly]. word study 26 And I will make a covenant [agreement, promise] of peace [shalom, completeness and wellness] with them; it will be an everlasting [forever, age-during] covenant. I will establish [settle, secure] them and multiply [increase, grow] them, and I will set My sanctuary [holy place, temple] among them forever [always, to the age]. word study 27 My dwelling place [tabernacle, sacred tent] will be with them; I will be their God [Elohim, the supreme Lord], and they will be My people [a nation, a chosen group]. word study 28 Then the nations [Gentiles, heathen] will know [learn, perceive, ascertain by seeing] that I [emphatically, the Lord myself] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] sanctify [consecrate, set apart as holy] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants], when My sanctuary [holy place, temple] is among [in the midst of] them forever [for eternity, always].’” word study