1 Yahweh’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in Yahweh’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
I answered, "Lord Yahweh, you know."
4 Again he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear Yahweh’s word. 5 The Lord Yahweh says to these bones: "Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. 6 I 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 Yahweh."’"
7 So 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. 8 I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: "Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."’"
10 So 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.
11 Then 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.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh 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. 13 You will know that I am Yahweh, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people. 14 I 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, Yahweh, have spoken it and performed it," says Yahweh.’"
15 Yahweh’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.’ 17 Then 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?’ 19 tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh 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. 20 The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes."’ 21 Say to them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: "Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and will gather them on 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 to them all. They will no longer be two nations. They won’t be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. 23 They 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. 25 They 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. 26 Moreover 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 among them forever more. 27 My tent also will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 The nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forever more."’"
1 Die hand van die HERE was op my, en Hy het my uitgebring deur die Gees van die HERE en my neergesit in die laagte; en dit was vol bene.
2 En Hy het my by hulle laat verbygaan na alle kante toe; en kyk, daar het 'n groot menigte oor die laagte gelê, en kyk, hulle was baie dor.
3 Toe sê Hy vir my: Mensekind, kan hierdie bene lewendig word? En ek antwoord: Here HERE, U weet dit.
4 Daarop sê Hy vir my: Profeteer oor hierdie bene en sê vir hulle: Dor bene, hoor die woord van die HERE!
5 So spreek die Here HERE tot hierdie bene: Kyk, Ek bring gees in julle in, sodat julle lewendig kan word.
6 En Ek sal senings op julle lê en vlees oor julle laat opkom en 'n vel oor julle trek en gees in julle gee, sodat julle lewendig kan word; en julle sal weet dat Ek die HERE is.
7 Toe het ek geprofeteer soos my beveel was. En sodra ek geprofeteer het, was daar 'n geruis, en kyk -- 'n beroering! En die bene het nader gekom, elke been na sy been.
8 Toe kyk ek en -- daar was senings op hulle, en daar het vlees op gekom, en 'n vel is bo-oor hulle getrek, maar daar was geen gees in hulle nie.
9 Daarop sê Hy vir my: Profeteer tot die gees, profeteer, mensekind, en sê aan die gees: So spreek die Here HERE: Kom aan uit die vier windstreke, o gees, en blaas in hierdie dooies, dat hulle lewendig kan word.
10 En ek het geprofeteer soos Hy my beveel het. Toe het die gees in hulle gekom, en hulle het lewendig geword en op hulle voete gaan staan -- 'n ontsaglike groot leër!
11 Toe sê Hy vir my: Mensekind, hierdie bene is die hele huis van Israel. Kyk, hulle sê: Ons bene is verdor, en ons verwagting is verlore; dit is klaar met ons!
12 Daarom, profeteer en sê aan hulle: So spreek die Here HERE: Kyk, Ek sal julle grafte oopmaak en julle uit jul grafte laat opkom, o my volk! En Ek sal julle bring in die land van Israel.
13 En julle sal weet dat Ek die HERE is as Ek julle grafte oopmaak en julle uit jul grafte laat opkom, o my volk!
14 En Ek sal my Gees in julle gee, dat julle lewendig kan word; en Ek sal julle vestig in jul land; en julle sal weet dat Ek, die HERE, dit gespreek en gedoen het, spreek die HERE.
15 Verder het die woord van die HERE tot my gekom en gesê:
16 En jy, mensekind, neem vir jou 'n stuk hout, en skrywe daarop: Vir Juda en vir die kinders van Israel, sy bondgenote; en neem 'n ander stuk hout en skrywe daarop: Vir Josef die hout van Efraim en die hele huis van Israel, sy bondgenote.
17 Voeg hulle dan vir jou bymekaar, die een by die ander, om een stuk hout te wees, en laat hulle een word in jou hand.
18 En as die kinders van jou volk met jou spreek en sê: Sal u ons nie te kenne gee wat u met hierdie dinge bedoel nie?
19 sê dan vir hulle: So spreek die Here HERE: Kyk, Ek sal die stuk hout van Josef neem, wat in die hand van Efraim is, en die stamme van Israel, sy bondgenote, en Ek sal hulle by hom voeg, by die stuk van Juda, en hulle een stuk hout maak; en hulle sal een word in my hand.
20 So moet dan die houte waar jy op skrywe, in jou hand wees voor hulle oë;
21 en sê vir hulle: So spreek die Here HERE: Kyk, Ek gaan die kinders van Israel haal tussen die nasies uit waarheen hulle getrek het, en Ek sal hulle van alle kante bymekaar laat kom en hulle bring in hul land.
22 En Ek sal hulle een volk maak in die land, op die berge van Israel; en een Koning sal vir hulle almal koning wees; en hulle sal nie meer twee nasies wees nie en verder nie meer in twee koninkryke verdeeld wees nie.
23 En hulle sal hul nie meer verontreinig met hulle drekgode en hulle verfoeisels en met al hulle oortredinge nie; en Ek sal hulle verlos uit al hulle woonplekke waarin hulle gesondig het, en sal hulle reinig. So sal hulle dan vir my 'n volk wees, en Ek vir hulle 'n God wees.
24 En my kneg Dawid sal koning oor hulle wees, en hulle sal almal een herder hê; en hulle sal in my verordeninge wandel en my insettinge onderhou en daarna handel.
25 En hulle sal woon in die land wat Ek aan my kneg Jakob gegee het, waar julle vaders in gewoon het; ja, hulle sal daarin woon, hulle kinders en hulle kindskinders tot in ewigheid; en my kneg Dawid sal hulle vors wees vir ewig.
26 En Ek sal 'n verbond van vrede met hulle sluit, dit sal 'n ewige verbond met hulle wees; en Ek sal hulle daar bring en hulle vermenigvuldig; en Ek sal my heiligdom in hulle midde vestig vir ewig.
27 En my tabernakel sal oor hulle wees, en Ek sal vir hulle 'n God wees en hulle vir my 'n volk wees.
28 En die nasies sal weet dat Ek die HERE is wat Israel heilig as my heiligdom vir ewig in hulle midde sal wees.