The vision about the valley of dry bones

37 One day Yahweh gave me another vision. In the vision I felt the power [MTY] of God on me, and by his Spirit he took me to the middle of a valley. It was full of bones of people who had been killed. 2 He led me to walk back and forth among those bones. I saw that there were very many bones there, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “You human, do you think that these bones can become living people again?”

I replied, “Yahweh my Lord, only you know if that can happen.”

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones. Say to them, ‘You dry bones, listen to what Yahweh says. 5 This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you bones: I will put my breath into each of you, and you will become alive again. 6 I will fasten tendons to your bones, and cause your bones to be covered with flesh. I will cover the flesh with skin. Then I will breathe into you, and you will become alive. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.’ ”

7 So I spoke to the bones what Yahweh commanded me to speak. As I was speaking, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bones joining to each other. 8 While I was looking, I saw tendons fastening to them and flesh covering them, and then skin covered the flesh, but they did not breathe.

9 Then he said to me, “You human, prophesy to the wind. Say to the wind, ‘Wind [APO], Yahweh says to you, blow from all four directions. Breathe into these people who have been killed, in order that they can become alive again!’ ” 10 So I said what he commanded me to say, and then breath entered them. They became alive and stood up, like a huge army.

11 Then he said to me, “You human, these bones represent all the Israeli people [MTY]. The people say, ‘It is as though our bones are dried up; there are no more good things that we can ◄hope for/confidently expect to happen to us►; our nation is destroyed/finished.’ 12 So prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: My people, it will be as though I will open your graves and cause your corpses to become alive again. I will bring you back to Israel. 13 Then, what that happens, you my people will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, have the power to do what I say that I will do. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and it will be as though you will become alive again, and I will enable you to live in your own land again. Then you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who said that it would happen and who has caused it to happen. That is what I, Yahweh, declare.’ ”