« | Ezekiel 37 | » |
1 And the hand of the Lord came upon me, and the Lord brought me forth by the Spirit, and set me in the midst of the plain, and it was full of human bones.
2 And He led me round about them every way. And behold, [there were] very many on the face of the plain, and very dry.
3 And He said to me, Son of man, will these bones live? And I said, O Lord God, [only] You know this!
4 And He said to me, Prophesy upon these bones, and you shall say to them, You dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
5 Thus says the Lord to these bones: Behold, I [will] bring upon you the breath of life;
6 and I will lay sinews upon you, and I will bring up flesh upon you, and spread skin upon you, and I will put My Spirit into you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.
7 So I prophesied as [the Lord] commanded me. And it came to pass while I was prophesying, that behold, [there was] a rattling, and the bones approached each one to his joint.
8 And I looked, and behold, sinews and flesh grew upon them, and skin came upon them above. But there was not breath in them.
9 And He said to me, Prophesy to the wind; prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus says the Lord: Come from the four winds, [O breath,] and breathe upon these dead, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath entered into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, a very great congregation.
11 And the Lord spoke to me, saying, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: and they say, Our bones have become dry, our hope has perished, we are quite spent.
12 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I [will] open your tombs, and will bring you up out of your tombs, and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, that I may bring up My people from [their] graves.
14 And I will put My Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you upon your own land; and you shall know that I [am] the Lord; I have spoken, and will do [it], says the Lord.
15 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
16 Son of man, take for yourself a rod, and write upon it, Judah, and the children of Israel his adherents; and you shall take for yourself another rod, and you shall inscribe it for Joseph, the rod of Ephraim, and all the children of Israel that belong to him.
17 And you shall join them together for yourself, so as that they should bind themselves into one stick; and they shall be in your hand.
18 And it shall come to pass, when the children of your people shall say to you, Will you not tell us what you mean by these things?
19 Then shall you say to them, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will take the tribe of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel that belong to him, and I will add them to the tribe of Judah, and they shall become one rod in the hand of Judah.
20 And the rods on which you wrote shall be in your hand in their presence.
21 And you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I [will] take the whole house of Israel out of the midst of the nations, among whom they have gone, and I will gather them from all that are round about them, and I will bring them into the land of Israel.
22 And I will make them a nation in My land, even on the mountains of Israel; and they shall have one prince; and they shall be two nations no longer, neither shall they be divided anymore into two kingdoms;
23 that they may no more defile themselves with their idols; and I will deliver them from all their transgressions whereby they have sinned, and I will cleanse them; and they shall be to Me a people, and I the Lord will be to them a God.
24 And My servant David [shall be] a prince in the midst of them. There shall be one shepherd of [them] all; for they shall walk in My ordinances, and keep My judgments, and do them.
25 And they shall dwell in their land, which I have given to My servant Jacob, where their fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell upon it; and David My servant [shall be their] prince forever.
26 And I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will establish My sanctuary in the midst of them forever.
27 And My tabernacle shall be among them; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be My people.
28 And the nations shall know that I am the Lord that sanctifies them, when My sanctuary is in the midst of them forever.
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC)
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC) is a modern translation of the Bible that strives to offer a clear and faithful rendering of the scriptures in contemporary language. This translation is designed to be accessible to a wide audience, providing an easy-to-read yet accurate version of the biblical text. The ABC translation aims to bridge the gap between the ancient languages in which the Bible was originally written and the modern vernacular, making it an ideal choice for both personal study and public reading.
One of the notable features of the Apostles’ Bible Complete is its dedication to maintaining the integrity of the original manuscripts. The translators of the ABC worked meticulously with the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts to ensure that their translation accurately reflects the original meaning and intent of the scriptures. By employing a balance of formal equivalence (word-for-word) and dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) translation techniques, the ABC aims to preserve the nuances and richness of the original languages while ensuring readability and clarity for modern readers.
The ABC also incorporates extensive cross-references and study aids to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These tools include footnotes that provide historical and cultural context, as well as explanations of difficult or ambiguous passages. This approach helps readers to grasp the deeper meanings of the scriptures and to see how different parts of the Bible interconnect. The inclusion of these study aids makes the ABC particularly useful for those who are new to the Bible, as well as for more experienced readers who are looking to deepen their understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the Apostles’ Bible Complete has faced some criticisms. Some readers feel that the translation could benefit from further refinement in certain passages, as the balance between formal and dynamic equivalence can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in style and tone. Others have noted that while the study aids are helpful, they can occasionally overwhelm the main text, making it difficult to focus on the scripture itself. Nonetheless, the ABC remains a valuable and respected translation, appreciated for its commitment to accuracy, clarity, and accessibility, and for its ability to bring the ancient words of the Bible to life for contemporary readers.