Readers' Theatre: Ezekiel 37: 1-14

Here’s a two-voice setting of Ezekiel 37: 1-14, inspired by the The Voice translation of Scripture. 

 

Readers’ Theatre: Ezekiel 37: 1-14

 

The Eternal had a hold on me,

and I couldn’t escape it.

The divine wind of the Eternal One picked me up

and set me down in the middle of the valley,

but this time it was full of bones.

God led me through the bones.

There were piles of bones everywhere in the valley—

dry bones left unburied.

 

Son of man, do you think these bones can live?

 

Eternal Lord, certainly You know the answer better than I do.

 

I do.  Prophesy to these bones.

Tell them to listen to what the Eternal Lord says to them:

“Dry bones, I will breathe breath into you,

and you will come alive.

I will attach muscles and tendons to you,

cause flesh to grow over them

and cover you with skin.

I will breathe breath into you,

and you wlll come alive.

After this happens,

you will know that I am the Eternal.”

 

So I did what God told me to do:

I prophesied to the bones.

As I was speaking, I heard a loud noise—

a rattling sound—

and all the bones began to come together and form complete skeletons.

I watched and saw muscles and tendons attach to the bones,

flesh grow over them,

and skin wrap itself around the reforming bodies.

But there was still no breath in them.

 

Prophesy to the breath.

Speak, son of man, and tell them what the Eternal Lord has to say:

“O sweet breath, come from the four winds

and breathe into these who have been killed.

Make these corpses come alive.”

 

So I did what God told me to do:

I prophesied to the breath.

As I was speaking, breath invaded the lifeless.

The bodies came alive and stood on their feet.

I realized then I was looking at a great army.

 

Son of man, these bones are the entire community of Israel.

They keep saying,

“Our bones are dry now, picked clean by scavengers.

All hope is gone.

Our nation is lost.”

 

He told me to prophesy and tell them what He said.

 

Pay attention, My people!

I am going to open your graves and bring you back to life!

I will carry you straight back to the land of Israel.

Then you will know that I am the Eternal One.

I will breathe My Spirit into you,

and you will be alive once again.

I will place you back in your own land.

After that you will know I, the Eternal,

have done what I said I would do.

~ taken from The Voice Bible translation of Scripture, copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. http://www.hearthevoice.com/