The Valley of Dry Bones
1 I felt the powerful presence of the Lord, and his spirit took me and set me down in a valley where the ground was covered with bones. 2 He led me all around the valley, and I could see that there were very many bones and that they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Mortal man, can these bones come back to life?”
I replied, “Sovereign Lord, only you can answer that!”
4 He said, “Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry bones to listen to the word of the Lord. 5 Tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: I am going to put breath into you and bring you back to life. 6 I will give you sinews and muscles, and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you and bring you back to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
7 So I prophesied as I had been told. While I was speaking, I heard a rattling noise, and the bones began to join together. 8 While I watched, the bones were covered with sinews and muscles, and then with skin. But there was no breath in the bodies.
9 God said to me, “Mortal man, prophesy to the wind. Tell the wind that the Sovereign Lord commands it to come from every direction, to breathe into these dead bodies, and to bring them back to life.”
10 So I prophesied as I had been told. Breath entered the bodies, and they came to life and stood up. There were enough of them to form an army.
11 God said to me, “Mortal man, the people of Israel are like these bones. They say that they are dried up, without any hope and with no future. 12 So prophesy to my people Israel and tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am going to open their graves. I am going to take them out and bring them back to the land of Israel. 13 When I open the graves where my people are buried and bring them out, they will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my breath in them, bring them back to life, and let them live in their own land. Then they will know that I am the Lord. I have promised that I would do this—and I will. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Judah and Israel in One Kingdom
15 The Lord spoke to me again. 16 “Mortal man,” he said, “take a wooden stick and write on it the words, ‘The kingdom of Judah.’ Then take another stick and write on it the words, ‘The kingdom of Israel.’ 17 Then hold the two sticks end to end in your hand so that they look like one stick. 18 When your people ask you to tell them what this means, 19 tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am going to take the stick representing Israel and put it with the one that represents Judah. Out of the two I will make one stick and hold it in my hand.
20 “Hold in your hand the two sticks and let the people see them. 21 Then tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am going to take all my people out of the nations where they have gone, gather them together, and bring them back to their own land. 22 I will unite them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. They will have one king to rule over them, and they will no longer be divided into two nations or split into two kingdoms. 23 They will not defile themselves with disgusting idols any more or corrupt themselves with sin. I will free them from all the ways in which they sin and betray me. I will purify them; they will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 A king like my servant David will be their king. They will all be united under one ruler and will obey my laws faithfully. 25 They will live on the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They will live there forever, and so will their children and all their descendants. A king like my servant David will rule them forever. 26 I will make a covenant with them that guarantees their security forever. I will establish them and increase their population, and will see to it that my Temple stands forever in their land. 27 I will live there with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 When I place my Temple there to be among them forever, then the nations will know that I, the Lord, have chosen Israel to be my own people.”
Izkaltušo kaulu ieleja
1 Kunga roka bija pār mani, un es tiku nests Kunga Garā un nonācu kādā ielejā, kas bija pilna kauliem. 2 Viņš mani vadāja ap tiem – redzi, ielejā to bija varen daudz un visi galīgi izkaltuši! 3 Viņš man sacīja: “Cilvēka dēls, vai šie kauli var atdzīvoties?” Es teicu: “Kungs Dievs, tu zini pats!” 4 Viņš man sacīja: “Pravieto šiem kauliem, saki tiem: jūs, izkaltušie kauli, klausieties Kunga vārdu! 5 Kungs Dievs šiem kauliem saka tā: redzi, es iedvesīšu jums garu, un jūs atdzīvosieties! 6 Es jums uzvilkšu dzīslas un apaudzēšu jūs ar miesu, es pārklāšu jūs ar ādu, un es jums došu garu, un jūs atdzīvosieties – tad jūs zināsiet, ka es esmu Kungs!” 7 Es pravietoju, kā man pavēlēts. Kad es pravietoju, sākās troksnis – redzi, kauli sakustējās un tuvojās viens otram, 8 un es paraudzījos, un redzi – tie pārklājās dzīslām un miesu un apvilkās ar ādu, bet gara tajos nebija! 9 Viņš man sacīja: “Pravieto garam! Pravieto, cilvēka dēls, un saki garam: tā saka Kungs Dievs: nāc, gars, no četriem vējiem un pūt pār nokautajiem, lai tie atdzīvojas!” 10 Un es pravietoju, kā man pavēlēts. Tad pār tiem nāca gars, tie kļuva dzīvi un nostājās uz kājām – varen liels pulks!
11 Viņš man sacīja: “Cilvēka dēls, šie kauli ir viss Israēla nams, kas saka: mūsu kauli ir izkaltuši, mūsu cerība zudusi, un mēs esam pagalam! 12 Tādēļ pravieto un saki tiem: tā saka Kungs Dievs: redzi, es atvēršu jūsu kapus, un es jūs, savus ļaudis, uzcelšu no kapiem un vedīšu uz Israēla zemi!
13 Tad jūs zināsiet, ka es esmu Kungs! Es atvēršu jūsu kapus un uzcelšu jūs, mani ļaudis, no kapiem. 14 Es jums došu savu Garu, un jūs atdzīvosieties, un es jums došu atelpu jūsu zemē! Tad jūs zināsiet, ka es esmu Kungs! Es to esmu teicis, un es to darīšu!” saka Kungs.
Divi spieķi – Israēla un Jūdas apvienošanas zīme
15 Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 16 “Cilvēka dēls, ņem koka spieķi un raksti uz tā Jūdai un Israēla dēliem, kas tai piepulcējušies. Tad ņem otru spieķi un raksti uz tā Jāzepam, Efraimam un visai Israēla saimei, kas tiem piepulcējušies. 17 Tad saliec tos kopā, lai tev rokā būtu itin kā viens spieķis. 18 Kad tavi tautas brāļi jautās: vai tu mums nepateiksi, kas tas ir? – 19 tad saki tiem: tā saka Kungs Dievs: es ņemšu Jāzepa spieķi, kas Efraima rokā, un pievienošu Israēla ciltīm, un tās pievienošu Jūdas spieķim. Es tās darīšu par vienu spieķi savā rokā! 20 Lai tie redz spieķus, kas tev rokā, uz kuriem tu rakstīji. 21 Tad saki tiem: tā saka Kungs Dievs: es ņemšu Israēla dēlus no visām tautām, kur tie izklīduši, un sapulcināšu tos no visām pusēm, es tos vedīšu uz viņu zemi! 22 Es tos darīšu par vienu tautu vienā zemē, Israēla kalnos, un pār tiem visiem valdīs viens ķēniņš! Nebūs vairs divu tautu, un tie vairs nesašķelsies divās valstīs! 23 Tie vairs neaptraipīsies nedz ar elkiem, nedz preteklībām, nedz pārkāpumiem, un es tos paglābšu no atkrišanas un šķīstīšu – viņi būs mani ļaudis, un es būšu viņu Dievs! 24 Mans kalps Dāvids būs viņu ķēniņš, un tiem visiem būs viens gans! Tie sekos manām tiesām, turēs manus likumus un pildīs tos! 25 Tie dzīvos zemē, ko es devu savam kalpam Jēkabam – tur, kur dzīvoja viņu tēvi, mūžam dzīvos viņi, viņu dēli un dēlu dēli, un mans kalps Dāvids būs viņu valdnieks mūžīgi! 26 Es ar tiem noslēgšu miera derību, tā būs mūžīga derība! Es tiem likšu vairoties, un mana svētvieta būs viņu vidū mūžīgi! 27 Mans mājoklis būs pie tiem, es būšu viņu Dievs, un viņi būs mani ļaudis! 28 Tad tautas zinās, ka es esmu Kungs, kas svētī Israēlu, – mana svētvieta būs viņu vidū mūžīgi!”
