1. The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he led me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me in the center of the broad valley. It was filled with bones.
2. He made me walk among them in every direction. So many lay on the surface of the valley! How dry they were!
3. He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come back to life? “Lord God,” I answered, “you alone know that.”
4. Then he said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!
5. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Listen! I will make breath enter you so you may come to life.
6. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put breath into you so you may come to life. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
7. I prophesied as I had been commanded. A sound started up, as I was prophesying, rattling like thunder. The bones came together, bone joining to bone.
8. As I watched, sinews appeared on them, flesh grew over them, skin covered them on top, but there was no breath in them.
9. Then he said to me: Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man! Say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: From the four winds come, O breath, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.
10. I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them; they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.
11. He said to me: Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel! They are saying, “Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off.”
12. Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Look! I am going to open your graves; I will make you come up out of your graves, my people, and bring you back to the land of Israel.
13. You shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and make you come up out of them, my people!
14. I will put my spirit in you that you may come to life, and I will settle you in your land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have spoken; I will do it—oracle of the Lord.
15. Thus the word of the Lord came to me: