Restoration of Israel’s People

¹⁶ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁷ “Son of man, while the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it with their conduct and actions.^(A) Their behavior before me was like menstrual impurity.^{(B) 18} So I poured out my wrath^(C) on them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. ¹⁹ I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered among the countries.^(D) I judged them according to their conduct and actions.^{(E) 20} When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name,^(F) because it was said about them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, yet they had to leave his land in exile.’ ²¹ Then I had concern for my holy name,^(G) which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.

²² “Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act,^(H) house of Israel, but for my holy name,^(I) which you profaned among the nations where you went. ²³ I will honor the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord—this is the declaration of the Lord God—when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight.^(J)

²⁴ “‘For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.^{(K) 25} I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.^(L) I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.^{(M) 26} I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;^(N) I will remove your heart of stone^[a] and give you a heart of flesh.^{(O) 27} I will place my Spirit within you^(P) and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.^{(Q) 28} You will live in the land that I gave your ancestors;^(R) you will be my people, and I will be your God.^{(S) 29} I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine on you.^{(T) 30} I will also make the fruit of the trees and the produce of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer experience reproach among the nations on account of famine.

³¹ “‘You will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good,^(U) and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and detestable practices.^{(V) 32} It is not for your sake that I will act^(W)—this is the declaration of the Lord God—let this be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated because of your ways, house of Israel!

³³ “‘This is what the Lord God says: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.^{(X) 34} The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of everyone who passes by. ³⁵ They will say, “This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden.^(Y) The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and demolished are now fortified and inhabited.” ³⁶ Then the nations that remain around you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was demolished and have replanted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken and I will do it.^(Z)

³⁷ “‘This is what the Lord God says: I will respond to the house of Israel and do this for them:^(AA) I will multiply them in number like a flock.^{[b] 38} So the ruined cities will be filled with a flock of people, just as Jerusalem^(AB) is filled with a flock of sheep for sacrifice^[c] during its appointed festivals. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,^(A) and he brought me out by his Spirit^(B) and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. ³ Then he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I replied, “Lord God, only you know.”^(C)

⁴ He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! ⁵ This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.^{(D) 6} I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”^(E)

⁷ So I prophesied as I had been commanded. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ As I looked, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. ⁹ He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath,^[a] prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!” ^{(F) 10} So I prophesied as he commanded me; the breath entered them,^(G) and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.

¹¹ Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.^(H) Look how they say, ‘Our bones are dried up,^(I) and our hope has perished;^(J) we are cut off.’^{(K) 12} Therefore, prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them,^(L) my people, and lead you into the land of Israel. ¹³ You will know that I am the Lord, my people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.^{(M) 14} I will put my Spirit in you,^(N) and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will do it.^(O) This is the declaration of the Lord.’”

³ You show that you are Christ’s letter,^(A) delivered^[a] by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God^(B)—not on tablets of stone^(C) but on tablets of human hearts.^[b](D)

¹³ He has rescued^(A) us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom^(B) of the Son^(C) he loves.^{(D) 14} In him we have redemption,^[a] the forgiveness of sins.