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0 Dem Bones (Ezekiel 31-37)

Episode 207: Dem Bones

Ezekiel 31-37

A tree grows in Lebanon

31 1 The word of God came to me [Ezekiel] and said,

2 Son of man, say this to the Pharaoh,

3 There once was a big cedar tree in Lebanon.

8-9 It was the most beautiful tree in God's garden, and all the trees in Eden envied it.

10 Therefore this is what God says,

Because you have become a tall tree,

11 I've delivered you into the hand of the mighty heathen, who will chop you down.

16 I'll cast the dead tree down to hell, along with all the trees of Eden.

17 Those killed with the sword will also go to hell.

18 You were greater than the trees of Eden. Now you'll be with dead uncircumcised people. (The tree represents Pharaoh, says God.)

I'll water the land with your blood

32 1 The word of God came to me, saying,

1 Son of man, sing this lamentation for the Pharaoh,

2 You are like a lion and a whale.

3 So I'll catch you in my net.

4 I'll leave you on dry land, and let the birds and beasts eat you.

5 I'll dump your flesh on the mountains.

6 I'll water the land with your blood. Your blood will fill the rivers.

7-8 I'll make the stars dark, cover the sun with a cloud, and stop the moon from making light.

13-14 I'll kill your animals and cause floods

15 I'll destroy your land and kill all your people. Then you'll know that I'm God.

Terror in the land of the living

17 The word of God came to me, saying,

18 Son of man, wail for the people of Egypt.

19-20 You may be nice-looking, but you will be buried with uncircumcised people, who will be killed with the sword.

21 Mighty men will speak in hell, where their bodies will lie uncircumcised.

23 Dead bodies will be everywhere, caused by terror in the land of the living.

32 And the Pharaoh will lie with uncircumcised men who have died with the sword.

33 God’s killing rules (again)

See Ezekiel 3:16-21 (Episode 199)

I'll kill you all

21 One day a person who escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, The city has fallen.

23 The word of God came to me and said,

25-26 Say to them, This is what God says,

You eat blood, worship idols, commit abominations, and defile your neighbor's wives. And yet you think you should possess the land.

27 I'll kill you all. Those who live in cities will die by the sword. I'll send beasts to eat the country folks. And those who live in caves will die by disease.

29-33 Then you'll know that I'm God and that they had a prophet among them.

Woe to the shepherds

34 1 The word of God came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Say to them,

This is what God says to the shepherds,

Woe to the shepherds.

3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with wool. But you don't feed the flock.

5 The sheep wander without a shepherd. And the beasts eat them.

10 So I'm against you shepherds.

Against Mount Seir

35 1 The word of God came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against Seir. And say,

3-4 I am against you. I'll destroy your cities.

6 You shed the blood of others, so I'll shed your blood.

8 I'll fill your mountains, hills, valleys, and rivers with dead bodies.

9 I'll make your cities desolate. And you'll know that I'm God.

11 I'll do like you did when you were angry, envious, and filled with hate.

12 I heard you speak blasphemies against the mountains, saying, "They are desolate. We have consumed them."

13 And I heard what you said about me.

14 When the whole earth rejoices, I'll kill you all.

15 And you'll know I'm God.

A message from God to the mountains of Israel

36 1 Also, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say,

You mountains of Israel, listen to me.

6 I've spoken in my jealousy and in my fury because the heathen have made fun of you.

7 But now I've lifted up my hand. And the heathen will be ashamed.

11-15 And you'll know that I'm God and the heathen won't laugh at you anymore.

Like a menstruous woman

16 Moreover, the word of God came to me and said,

17 Son of man, the people of Israel defiled their land like a woman who is removed for her uncleanness. 18 So I poured out my fury on them.

22 So say this to the people of Israel,

I didn't do this for your sakes, but for my holy name's sake, which you profaned among the heathen.

23 I'll sanctify my great name. And the heathen will know that I'm God.

Dry bones

37 1 God's hand picked me up and carried me to a valley that was full of dry bones.

2-3 God said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

I said, "Oh God, you know."

4 God said,

Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, "Oh you dry bones, hear the word of God."

5 This is what God says,

6 I'll put flesh on you, cover you with skin, put breath in you, and you'll live. And you'll know that I'm God.

7 So I prophesied to the bones, and there was a noise. The bones came together, bone to bone.

8 Skin and flesh covered the bones, but there was no breath in them.

9 God said to me,

Prophesy to the wind, saying, "Come you four winds and breathe on these dead bodies so they will live."

10 So I prophesied to the wind, and the bodies came alive. They all stood up on their feet, as an exceedingly large army.

11 God said to me, "Son of man, these bones are all of Israel."

12 Say to them,

This is what God says,

I'll open your graves and bring you to Israel.

13 And you'll know that I'm God.

Two sticks

15 The word of God came to me again, saying,

16 Son of man, take a stick and write on it: For Judah and his companions. And take another stick and write: For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for Israel and his companions.

17 Then join the sticks together.

18 When the people ask you what you're doing, say,

19 I'm going to join the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, with the stick of Judah. I'll make them one stick.

21 I'll bring the people of Israel to their own land.

22 They'll have one king and one kingdom.

24-25 And David will be their king forever.

26-28 And they will live in the land that I gave them, with my sanctuary and tabernacle forever.

A few more words about this episode

The song "Dem Bones" was inspired by the story in Ezekiel 37.
Wikipedia: Dem Bones

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