¹The LORD ’s hand was on me , and he brought me out in the LORD ’s Spirit , and set me down in the middle of the valley ; and it was full of bones .

²He caused me to pass by them all around ; and behold , there were very many in the open valley , and behold , they were very dry .

³He said to me , “Son of man , can these bones live ?”

I answered, “Lord GOD , you know .”

⁴Again he said to me , “Prophesy over these bones , and tell them , ‘You dry bones , hear the LORD ’s word .

⁵The Lord GOD says to these bones : “Behold , I will cause breath to enter into you , and you will live .

⁶I will lay sinews on you , and will bring up flesh on you , and cover you with skin , and 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 behold , there was an earthquake . Then the bones came together , bone to its bone .

⁸I saw , and , behold , there were sinews on them , and flesh came up , 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 tell the wind , ‘The Lord GOD says : “Come from the four winds , breath , and breathe on these slain , that they may live .”’”

¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me , and the breath came into them , and they lived , and stood up on their feet , an exceedingly great army .

¹¹Then he said to me , “Son of man , these bones are the whole house of Israel . Behold , they say , ‘Our bones are dried up , and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off .’

¹²Therefore prophesy , and tell them , ‘The Lord GOD says : “Behold , I will open your graves , and cause you to come up out of your graves , my people ; and I will bring you into the land of Israel .

¹³You will know that I am the LORD , when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves , my people .

¹⁴I will put my Spirit in you , and you will live . Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I , the LORD , have spoken it and performed it ,” says the LORD .’”

¹⁵The LORD ’s word came again to me , saying ,

¹⁶“You , son of man , take one stick and write on it , ‘For Judah , and for the children of Israel his companions .’ Then take another stick , and write on it , ‘For Joseph , the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions .’

¹⁷Then join them for yourself to one another into one stick , that they may become one in your hand .

¹⁸“When the children of your people speak to you , saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these ?’

¹⁹tell them , ‘The Lord GOD says : “Behold , I will take the stick of Joseph , which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions ; and I will put them with it , with the stick of Judah , and make them one stick , and they will be one in my hand .

²⁰The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes .”’

²¹Say to them , ‘The Lord GOD says : “Behold , I will take the children of Israel from amongst the nations where they have gone , and will gather them on every side , and bring them into their own land.

²²I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel . One king will be king to them all . They will no longer be two nations . They won’t be divided into two kingdoms any more at all .

²³They won’t defile themselves any more with their idols , nor with their detestable things , nor with any of their transgressions ; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places in which they have sinned , and will cleanse them . So they will be my people , and I will be their God .

²⁴“‘“My servant David will be king over them . They all will have one shepherd . They will also walk in my ordinances and observe my statutes , and do them .

²⁵They will dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant , in which your fathers lived . They will dwell therein , they , and their children , and their children ’s children , forever . David my servant will be their prince forever .

²⁶Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them . It will be an everlasting covenant with them . I will place them , multiply them , and will set my sanctuary amongst them forever more .

²⁷My tent also will be with them . I will be their God, and they will be my people .

²⁸The nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel , when my sanctuary is amongst them forever more .”’”