The Valley of Dry Bones
1The power of the Lord came on me. His Spirit brought me away from my home. He put me down in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones. 2He led me back and forth among them. I saw a huge number of bones in the valley. The bones were very dry. 3The Lord asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Lord and King, you are the only one who knows.”
4Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones. Tell them, ‘Dry bones, listen to the Lord’s message. 5The Lord and King speaks to you. He says, “I will put breath in you. Then you will come to life again. 6I will attach tendons to you. I will put flesh on you. I will cover you with skin. So I will put breath in you. And you will come to life again. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
7So I prophesied just as the Lord commanded me to. As I was prophesying, I heard a noise. It was a rattling sound. The bones came together. One bone connected itself to another. 8I saw tendons and flesh appear on them. Skin covered them. But there was no breath in them.
9Then the Lord said to me, “Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell it, ‘The Lord and King says, “Breath, come from all four directions. Go into these people who have been killed. Then they can live.” ’ ” 10So I prophesied just as he commanded me to. And breath entered them. Then they came to life again. They stood up on their feet. They were like a huge army.
11Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, these bones stand for all the people of Israel. The people say, ‘Our bones are dried up. We’ve lost all hope. We are destroyed.’ 12So prophesy. Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “My people, I am going to open up your graves. I am going to bring you out of them. I will take you back to the land of Israel. 13So I will open up your graves and bring you out of them. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You are my people. 14I will put my Spirit in you. And you will live again. I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I have spoken. I have done it,” announces the Lord.’ ”
Israel Will Be One Nation Under One King
15A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 16“Son of man, get a stick of wood. Write on it, ‘Belonging to the tribe of Judah and the Israelites who are connected with it.’ Then get another stick. Write on it, ‘Ephraim’s stick. Belonging to the tribes of Joseph and all the Israelites connected with them.’ 17Join them together into one stick in your hand.
18“Your people will ask you, ‘What do you mean by this?’ 19Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I am going to get the stick of Joseph and the Israelites connected with it. That stick is in Ephraim’s hand. I am going to join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them a single stick of wood in my hand.” ’ 20Show them the sticks you wrote on. 21Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them together from all around. I will bring them back to their own land. 22There I will make them one nation. They will live on the mountains of Israel. All of them will have one king. They will never be two nations again. They will never again be separated into two kingdoms. 23They will no longer make themselves ‘unclean’ by worshiping any of their evil gods. They will not do wrong things anymore. They always turn away from me. But I will save them from that sin. I will make them pure and ‘clean.’ They will be my people. And I will be their God.
24“ ‘ “A man who belongs to the family line of my servant David will be their king. All of them will have one shepherd. They will obey my laws. And they will be careful to keep my rules. 25They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob. That is where your people of long ago lived. They, their children, their children’s children, and their children after them will live there forever. And my servant from David’s family line will be their prince forever. 26I will make a covenant with them. It promises to give them peace. The covenant will last forever. I will make them my people. And I will cause there to be many of them. I will put my temple among them forever. 27I will live with them. I will be their God. And they will be my people. 28My temple will be among them forever. Then the nations will know that I make Israel holy. I am the Lord.” ’ ”
Bonde La Mifupa Mikavu
137:1 Eze 8:3; 11:24; Yer 7:32; 40:1; Lk 4:1; Yer 8:2; Mdo 8:39Mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa juu yangu, naye akanitoa nje kwa Roho wa Bwana na kuniweka katikati ya bonde lililokuwa limejaa mifupa tele. 2Akanipitisha pande zote kwenye hiyo mifupa, nami nikaona mifupa mingi sana ndani ya lile bonde, mifupa iliyokuwa imekauka sana. 337:3 1Sam 2:6; 1Kor 15:35; Rum 4:17; Isa 26:19Akaniuliza, “Mwanadamu, mifupa hii yaweza kuishi?”
Nikajibu, “Ee Bwana Mwenyezi, wewe peke yako wajua.”
437:4 Yer 22:29; Rum 10:17Ndipo akaniambia, “Itabirie mifupa hii na uiambie, ‘Enyi mifupa mikavu, sikieni neno la Bwana! 537:5 Mwa 2:7; Ufu 11:11Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo kwa hii mifupa: Nitatia pumzi37:5 Pumzi pia ina maana ya roho kwa Kiebrania. ndani yenu, nanyi mtaishi. 637:6 Kut 6:2; Yoe 2:27; Eze 38:23Nitawawekea mishipa, nami nitaifanya nyama ije juu yenu na kuwafunika kwa ngozi. Nitatia pumzi ndani yenu, nanyi mtakuwa hai. Ndipo mtakapojua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana.’ ”
7Basi nikatabiri kama nilivyoamriwa. Wakati nilipokuwa ninatabiri, kukawa na sauti, sauti ya kugongana, nayo mifupa ikasogeleana, mfupa kwa mfupa mwenziwe. 8Nikatazama, mishipa na nyama vikatokea juu ya mifupa na ngozi ikaifunika, lakini hapakuwepo pumzi ndani yake.
937:9 Isa 32:15; Zek 12:10; Eze 39:29; Za 104:30; Yer 49:36; Zek 6:5; Dan 7:2Ndipo aliponiambia, “Utabirie upepo, tabiri, mwanadamu na uuambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Njoo kutoka pande nne, ee pumzi, nawe upulizie pumzi ndani ya hawa waliouawa, ili wapate kuishi.’ ” 1037:10 Ufu 11:11; Eze 12:7Hivyo nikatabiri kama alivyoniamuru, nayo pumzi ikawaingia, wakawa hai na wakasimama kwa miguu yao, jeshi kubwa mno.
1137:11 Ay 17:15; Mao 3:54; Isa 49:14Ndipo akaniambia: “Mwanadamu, mifupa hii ni nyumba yote ya Israeli. Nao wanasema, ‘Mifupa yetu imekauka na tumaini letu limetoweka, tumekatiliwa mbali.’ 1237:12 Sef 3:20; Yer 29:14; Amo 9:14; 1Sam 2:9; Kum 32:39; Isa 26:19; Hos 13:14Hivyo watabirie na uwaambie: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Enyi watu wangu, nitayafunua makaburi yenu na kuwatoa ndani yake, nami nitawarudisha tena katika nchi ya Israeli. 1337:13 Kut 6:2; Eze 17:24; Hos 13:14Ndipo ninyi watu wangu, mtakapojua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana, nitakapoyafunua makaburi yenu na kuwatoa humo. 1437:14 Isa 11:2; Yoe 2:28-29; Eze 36:27-28; Yer 43:2; Ufu 11:11Nitatia Roho yangu ndani yenu nanyi mtaishi, nami nitawakalisha katika nchi yenu wenyewe. Ndipo mtakapojua kwamba Mimi Bwana nimenena, nami nitalitenda, asema Bwana!’ ”
Taifa Moja Chini Ya Mfalme Mmoja
15Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema: 1637:16 Hes 17:2; 1Fal 12:20; 2Nya 10:17-19; 15:9“Mwanadamu, chukua fimbo na uandike juu yake, ‘Hii ni kwa ajili ya Yuda na Waisraeli waliofungamana naye.’ Kisha chukua fimbo nyingine, uandike juu yake, ‘Fimbo ya Efraimu, ni kwa ajili ya Yosefu na nyumba yote ya Israeli wanaofungamana naye.’ 1737:17 Isa 11:13; Hos 1:11; Yer 50:4Ziunganishe pamoja kuwa fimbo moja ili kwamba ziwe fimbo moja katika mkono wako.
1837:18 Eze 24:19; 12:9“Watu wako watakapokuuliza, ‘Je, hutatuambia ni nini maana ya jambo hili?’ 1937:19 Zek 10:6Waambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Nitaichukua fimbo ya Yosefu, iliyoko mikononi mwa Efraimu na ya makabila ya Israeli yanayofungamana naye na kuiunganisha na fimbo ya Yuda, nikizifanya kuwa fimbo moja, nao watakuwa wamoja katika mkono wangu.’ 2037:20 Eze 12:3Inua mbele ya macho yao zile fimbo ulizoziandika 2137:21 Isa 43:5-6; Mik 4:6; Eze 20:42; 39:27kisha waambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Nitawatoa Waisraeli katika mataifa walikokuwa wamekwenda. Nitawakusanya popote walipo na kuwarudisha katika nchi yao wenyewe. 2237:22 Isa 11:13; Yer 3:18; Yn 10:16; Eze 17:22; 34:13-14; Yer 33:24Nitawafanya kuwa taifa moja katika nchi, katika milima ya Israeli. Patakuwa na mfalme mmoja juu yao wote na kamwe hawatagawanyika tena kuwa mataifa mawili au kugawanyika katika falme mbili. 2337:23 Isa 2:18; Nah 2:2; Eze 11:18; Hos 14:8; Zek 13:2-3; Yer 7:24; Eze 43:7Hawatajitia tena unajisi kwa sanamu zao na vinyago vyao visivyo na maana wala kwa makosa yao yoyote, kwa maana nitawaokoa kutoka dhambi zao zote zilizowarudisha nyuma, nami nitawatakasa. Wao watakuwa watu wangu, nami nitakuwa Mungu wao.
2437:24 Isa 55:4; Hos 3:5; Amo 9:15; Za 78:70-71; Yer 30:21; 1Sam 13:14“ ‘Mtumishi wangu Daudi atakuwa mfalme juu yao, nao wote watakuwa na mchungaji mmoja. Watafuata sheria zangu na kuzishika amri zangu kwa uangalifu. 2537:25 Ezr 9:12; Amo 9:15; Za 89:3-4; Eze 28:25; Isa 11:1; Eze 34:23-24Wataishi katika nchi niliyompa mtumishi wangu Yakobo, nchi ambamo baba zenu waliishi. Wao na watoto wao na watoto wa watoto wao wataishi humo milele, naye Daudi mtumishi wangu atakuwa mkuu wao milele. 2637:26 Hes 25:12; Isa 55:3; Yer 30:19; Eze 16:62; Mwa 9:16; Kum 29:14Nitafanya nao Agano la amani, litakuwa Agano la milele. Nitawafanya imara na kuongeza idadi yao, nami nitaweka mahali patakatifu pangu miongoni mwao milele. 2737:27 Law 26:11; Yn 1:14; Eze 34:30; 2Kor 6:16; Eze 36:28Maskani yangu yatakuwa pamoja nao, nitakuwa Mungu wao, nao watakuwa watu wangu. 2837:28 Kut 31:13; Eze 20:12; Hos 1:10-11; Eze 43:9; Sef 3:15Ndipo mataifa watakapojua kwamba Mimi Bwana ndiye ninayeifanya Israeli kuwa takatifu, wakati mahali patakatifu pangu patakapokuwa miongoni mwao milele.’ ”
