15. The Lord’s word came to me:
16. You, human one, take a stick, and write on it, "Belonging to Judah and to the Israelites associated with him." Take another stick and write on it, "Stick of Ephraim belonging to Joseph and everyone of the house of Israel associated with him."
17. Join them to each other to make a single stick so that they become one stick in your hand.
18. When your people ask you, "Why won’t you tell us what these sticks mean to you?"
19. say to them, The Lord God proclaims: I’m taking Joseph’s stick, which has been in Ephraim’s hand, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I’m putting it with Judah’s stick, and I’m making them into a single stick so that they will be one stick in my hand.
20. When the two sticks that you’ve written on are in your hand in their sight,