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.”
Otjana tjomaṱupa nga kukuta
1 Ami mba muna kutja omasa wa Muhona ye ri mu ami, nOmbepo ye otji ye ndji toora nai kendjitwa motjana mu mwa rimbarere omaṱupa omengi. 2 Eye we ndji ryangisa kominda avihe, nami mba muna kutja mu tjo mu nomaṱupa omengi tjinene, nowo ya kukutire tjinene. 3 Eye we ndji pura a tja: “Muatje womundu, omaṱupa nga nai maye sora okukotora omuinyo are?”
Ami mba zira e tja: “Muhona Ndjambi, oove erike ngu mo sora okuzira eziriro ndo!”
4 Eye wa tja: “Hungira otja omuprofete komaṱupa nga. Raera omaṱupa, nga kukuta nga kutja ye puratene kembo ra Muhona. 5 Ye raera kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me tja nai ku wo: Me suvire omuinyo mu eṋe, neṋe mamu kotora omuinyo. 6 Me mu pe omisepa e hapisa onyama ku eṋe nu etwako omikova ku eṋe. Me suvire mo omuinyo mu eṋe, neṋe mamu kotora omuinyo. Notji mamu tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.”
7 Ami otji mba profeta otja pu mba raerwa. Ngunda ame hungire, arire tji mba zuu omaporokotero, nomaṱupa aye utu okuhondja kumwe. 8 Ngunda ame tarere, omaṱupa otji ya hara omisepa nonyama naku tuwa omikova. Nungwari kamwa ri omuinyo mu wo.
9 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Muatje womundu, hungira otja omuprofete kombepo. Raera ombepo kutja Muhona Ndjambi me i rakiza kutja i ze kominda avihe iye okuripepera motutu tu twa koka twi, nu i tu kotore komuinyo rukwao.”
10 Ami arire tji mba profeta otja pu mba raerwa. Omuinyo wa hita motutu, notwo atu kotora omuinyo natu sekama. Otutu twi twa ri otuingi tjinene nga tji twa yenena okutunga otjimbumba otjinene tjovita.
11 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Muatje womundu, Ovaisrael va sana komaṱupa otja inga. Owo ve tja omaṱupa wawo ya kukuta, kave tji nomaundjiro, va yanda okumanuka. 12 Otji mo uku otjiwaṋa tjandje Israel notji raere kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me yezurura omaendo watjo. Me tji pitisa mu wo nu e tji yarura kehi ra Israel. 13 Tji mba yezurura omaendo mu mwa pakwa otjiwaṋa tjandje ne tji pitisa mu wo, notji matji tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona. 14 Ami me suvire mo omuinyo wandje mu wo, e ve kotora komuinyo ne ve turisa mehi rawo oveni. Mave tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona. Ami mba kwizika kutja me tjiti otjiṋa hi, nu, tjiri, me tji tjiti. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Juda na Israel mau rire ouhona umwe
15 Muhona wa hungira ku ami rukwao 16 a tja: “Muatje womundu, toora okati nu u tjange ko omambo nga ‘Ouhona wa Juda’. Tjazumba toora okati okakwao nu u tjange ko omambo nga ‘Ouhona wa Israel’. 17 Nu hondjera outi auyevari mbwi kumwe awe u ṱizire kovikoro vivari meke roye kutja u munike otja okati kemwe. 18 Ovandu voye tji ve ku pura kutja ihi matji hee tjike, 19 ve raera kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me kambura okati nga ku ke kuramenapo Israel ne ke twa puna inga ku ke kuramenapo Juda. Pouti uvari mbwi ami me ungura po okati kemwe, nu me ke ṱiza meke randje.
20 “Ṱiza outi uvari mbwi meke roye, novandu ngave u mune. 21 Tjazumba ve raera kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me kapitisa ovandu vandje avehe mokati koviwaṋa ku va ya, e keveworonganisa ne kevekotora kehi rawo oveni. 22 Ami meve waneke kutja ve rire otjiwaṋa tjimwe mehi randje na kozondundu za Israel. Mave kara nombara imwe, ndji mai ve honaparere avehe, nu kave tji nokuuhara amave haṋewa moviwaṋa vivari poo okuhaṋika momauhona yevari. 23 Owo kave tji nokuuhara amave riyamburura noviserekarera vyovisenginina oviyaukise rukwao, nokurizunḓa oveni nozondjito zomauvi wawo aehe. Ami meve kutura komauvi aehe ngu va tjita mouhaṱakama wawo. Meve kohorora; owo otji mave rire otjiwaṋa tjandje, nami me rire Ndjambi wawo. 24 Ombara otja omukarere wandje David ondji mai ve honaparere, nowo avehe mave wana kehi yomunane umwe nu mave kara nonḓuviro komatwako wandje nouṱakame. 25 Mave tura mehi, ndi mba yandja komukarere wandje Jakob, indi ehi muyamu turire ooihe mukururume. Owo mave tura mo nga aruhe, novanatje vawo nozondekurona zawo wina mave tura mo nga aruhe. Ombara ndji ri otja omukarere wandje David mai ve honaparere nga aruhe. 26 Ami me tjiti omerikutiropamwe na wo ngu maye zikamisa kutja owo kamaave munu otjipo nga aruhe. Ami meve turisa rukwao, e ve takavarisa ne tungu ondjuwo yandje mehi rawo; noyo mai kara mu ro nga aruhe. 27 Ami me tura mo puna wo; me rire Ndjambi wawo, nowo mave rire otjiwaṋa tjandje. 28 Tji mba tungu ondjuwo yandje mehi ndo kutja i karerere mokati kawo, oviwaṋa mavi tjiwa kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba toorora Israel tji rire otjiwaṋa tjandje omuini.”
