枯骨復活
1耶和華的靈降在我身上，把我帶到一個山谷，那裡遍地都是骸骨。 2祂領我環繞那些骸骨走了一圈，我見到谷中枯乾的骸骨相當多。 3祂對我說：「人子啊，這些骸骨能復活嗎？」我說：「主耶和華啊，只有你知道。」 4祂又對我說：「你對這些骸骨發預言說，『枯骨啊，你們要聽耶和華說的話！ 5主耶和華說，我要使氣息進入你們裡面，你們就必復活過來。 6我必給你們加上筋，使你們長出肉，再包上皮，將氣息放在你們裡面，你們就復活了。這樣，你們就知道我是耶和華。』」
7於是，我便按耶和華的吩咐向枯骨發預言，我正說預言的時候，忽然有震動的聲音，骨頭便連在了一起。 8我又發現骨頭上有了筋，長了肉，包上了皮，只是還沒有氣息。 9耶和華對我說：「人子啊，你要向風37·9 「風」希伯來文又作「靈」，「氣息」。說預言，告訴風，主耶和華這樣說，『風啊，從四方吹來，吹在這些被殺的人身上，使他們復活。』」 10於是，我便按耶和華的吩咐說預言，氣息就進入他們裡面，他們便復活了，並且站立起來，成為一支大軍。
11耶和華對我說：「人子啊，這些骸骨就是所有的以色列人，他們說，『我們骨頭枯乾，希望幻滅，徹底完了。』 12你要說預言，告訴他們，『主耶和華說，我的子民啊，我要打開你們的墳墓，領你們出來，我要領你們返回以色列。 13我的子民啊，當我這樣做的時候，你們就知道我是耶和華。 14我要把我的靈放在你們裡面，叫你們復活，安居在自己的土地上，那時你們就知道我耶和華言出必行。這是耶和華說的。』」
15耶和華對我說： 16「人子啊，你拿一根杖來，寫上『猶大和他的以色列同伴』，然後再拿另一根杖，寫上『約瑟，即以法蓮，與他的以色列同伴』。 17然後把這兩根杖連成一根，拿在手中。 18當你的同胞問你這是什麼意思時， 19你就告訴他們，主耶和華這樣說，『我要把約瑟和他的以色列同伴的杖，就是以法蓮手中的杖，與猶大的杖在我手中連成一根。』 20你要拿著這兩根寫著字的杖讓他們看， 21告訴他們，主耶和華這樣說，『我要把以色列的百姓從他們分散的各國招聚起來，領他們回歸故土。 22我要使他們在以色列的土地和群山上成為一國，只有一位王統治他們，不再分為兩個國家。 23他們不會再因祭拜偶像、行可憎之事而玷污自己，我要從他們犯罪的地方把他們救出來，洗淨他們的罪。他們要做我的子民，我要做他們的上帝。
24「『我的僕人大衛要做王治理他們，成為他們唯一的牧人。他們必恪守我的典章，謹遵我的律例。 25他們要安居在我賜給我僕人雅各的土地上，就是你們祖先居住的地方。他們世世代代都要居住在那裡，我僕人大衛要永遠做他們的王。 26我要與他們訂立永存的平安之約，使他們安居，人丁興旺。我的聖所要永遠設立在他們當中。 27我要住在他們中間。我要做他們的上帝，他們要做我的子民。 28各國的人看見我的聖所永遠設立在他們當中，便會知道是我耶和華使以色列聖潔了。』」
The valley of dry bones
1The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me to and fro among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’
I said, ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.’
4Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath37:5 The Hebrew for this word can also mean wind or spirit (see verses 6-14). enter you, and you will come to life. 6I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.” ’ 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.
11Then he said to me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” 12Therefore prophesy and say to them: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.” ’
One nation under one king
15The word of the Lord came to me: 16‘Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, “Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.” Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, “Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.” 17Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.
18‘When your people ask you, “Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?” 19say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph – which is in Ephraim’s hand – and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.” 20Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21and say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. 22I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. 23They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offences, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts all their dwelling-places where they sinned and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
24‘ “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. 25They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there for ever, and David my servant will be their prince for ever. 26I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them for ever. 27My dwelling-place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them for ever.” ’
