"The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones" Ezekiel 37:1-14

Gustave Dore
"Vision of the Valley with the Dry Bones"
(Bible Illustrations, published in 1865)

One of the most strong and creepy prophecies in Old Testament, that of Ezekiel’s vision of the valley with the dry bones has been depicted with the most dramatic way by the famous illustrationist Gustave Dore in his Bible illustrations. Let’s read the prophecy in English and in Ancient Greek:

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry.

He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.

I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.

I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”

I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’

Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people.

I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.

Valley of the dry bones
by Unknown artist

Το όραμα της κοιλάδας με τα ξερά οστά, Ιεζεκιήλ (λζ' 1-14).

Εγένετο έπ' εμέ χειρ Κυρίου και εξήγαγε με εν πνεύματι Κύριος και εθηκέ με εν μέσω του πεδίου και τούτο ην μεστόν όστέων ανθρωπίνων και περιήγαγε με έπ' αυτά κυκλόθεν κύκλω και ιδού πολλά σφόδρα επί προσώπου του πεδίου ξηρά σφόδρα.

Και είπε προς με υιέ άνθρωπου, ει ζήσεται τα οστέα ταύτα; Και είπα: Κύριε, Κύριε, συ επίστη ταύτα. Και είπε προς με: προφήτευσον επί τα οστά ταύτα και έρεις αυτοίς τα οστά τα ξηρά, ακούσατε λόγον Κυρίου.

Τάδε λέγει Κύριος τοις οστέοις τούτοις: ιδού εγώ φέρω εφ' υμάς πνεύμα ζωής και δώσω εφ' υμάς νεύρα και ανάξω εφ' υμάς σάρκας και εκτενώ εφ' υμάς δέρμα και δώσω πνεύμα μου εις υμάς και ζήσεσθε και γνώσεσθε ότι εγώ ειμί Κύριος.

Και προεφήτευσα, καθώς ενετείλατό μοι. Και εγένετο εν τω εμέ προφητεύσαι και ιδού σεισμός και προσήγαγε τα οστά εκάτερον προς την αρμονίαν αυτού.

Και είδον και ιδού έπ' αυτά νεύρα και σάρκες εφύοντο και ανέβαινε έπ' αυτά δέρμα επάνω και πνεύμα ουκ ην εν αυτοίς.

Και είπε προς με: προφήτευσον επί το πνεύμα, προφήτευσον υιέ ανθρώπου και είπον τω πνεύματι: τάδε λέγει Κύριος εκ των τεσσάρων πνευμάτων έλθέ και εμφύσησησον εις τους νεκρούς τούτους και ζησάτωσαν.

Και προεφήτευσα, καθότι ενετείλατό μοι και εισήλθεν εις αυτούς το πνεύμα και έζησαν και έστησαν έτη το ποδών αυτών, συναγωγή πολλή σφόδρα.

Και ελάλησε Κύριος προς με λέγων υιέ ανθρώπου, τα οστά ταύτα πάς οίκος Ισραήλ εστί.

Και αυτοί λέγουσι- ξηρά γέγονε τα οστά ημών, απόλωλεν ή ελπίς ημών, διαπεφωνήκαμεν.

Δια τούτο προφήτευσον και είπον προς αυτούς: τάδε λέγει Κύριος: ιδού εγώ ανοίγω τα μνήματα υμών και ανάξω υμάς εκ των μνημάτων υμών και εισάξω υμάς εις την γήν του Ισραήλ και γνώσεσθε ότι εγώ ειμί Κύριος εν τω ανοίξαί με τους τάφους υμών του αναγαγείν με εκ των τάφων τον λαόν μου.

Και δώσω πνεύμα μου εις υμάς και ζήσεσθε και θήσομαι υμάς επί την γήν υμών και γνώσεσθε ότι εγώ Κύριος λελάληκα και ποιήσω, λέγει Κύριος.