Jezekiel 37
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Jezekiel chapter 37 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
1 patristic excerpt is attached to this chapter, from Saint Methodius of Olympus.
Jezekiel 37
1And 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.Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπʼ ἐμὲ χεὶρ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐξήγαγέ με ἐν πνεύματι Κύριος, καὶ ἔθηκέ με ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ πεδίου, καὶ τοῦτο ἦν μεστὸν ὀστέων ἀνθρωπίνων,
2And he led me round about them every way: and, behold, there were very many on the face of the plain, very dry.καὶ περιήγαγέ με ἐπʼ αὐτὰ κυκλόθεν κύκλῳ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πολλὰ σφόδρα ἐπὶ προσώπου τοῦ πεδίου, ξηρὰ σφόδρα.
3And he said to me, Son of man, will these bones live? and I said, O Lord God, you know this.Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ ζήσεται τὰ ὀστέα ταῦτα; καὶ εἶπα, Κύριε Κύριε, σὺ ἐπίστῃ ταῦτα.
4And he said to me, Prophesy upon these bones, and you shall say to them, You dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, προφήτευσον ἐπὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ ταῦτα, καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς, τὰ ὀστᾶ τὰ ξηρὰ, ἀκούσατε λόγον Κυρίου.
5Thus says the Lord to these bones; Behold, I will bring upon you the breath of life:Τάδε λέγει Κύριος τοῖς ὀστέοις τούτοις, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ φέρω ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς πνεῦμα ζωῆς,
6and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and will spread skin upon you, and will put my Spirit into you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.καὶ δώσω ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς νεῦρα, καὶ ἀνάξω ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς σάρκα, καὶ ἐκτενῶ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς δέρμα, καὶ δώσω πνεῦμά μου εἰς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ζήσεσθε, καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος.
7So I prophesied as the Lord commanded me: and it came to pass while I was prophesying, that, behold, there was a shaking, and the bones approached each one to his joint.Καὶ προεφήτευσα, καθὼς ἐνετείλατό μοι· καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἐμὲ προφητεῦσαι, καὶ ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς, καὶ προσήγαγε τὰ ὀστᾶ ἑκάτερον πρὸς τὴν ἁρμονίαν αὐτοῦ.
8And I looked, and behold, sinews and flesh grew upon them, and skin came upon them above: but there was not breath in them.Καὶ ἴδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ, ἐπʼ αὐτὰ νεῦρα καὶ σάρκες ἐφύοντο, καὶ ἀνέβαινεν ἐπʼ αὐτὰ δέρματα ἐπάνω, καὶ πνεῦμα οὐκ ἦν ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς.
9And 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, and breathe upon these dead men, and let them live.Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, προφήτευσον ἐπὶ τὸ πνεῦμα, προφήτευσον υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ εἰπὸν τῷ πνεύματι, τάδε λέγει Κύριος, ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων πνευμάτων ἐλθὲ, καὶ ἐμφύσησον εἰς τοὺς νεκροὺς τούτους, καὶ ζησάτωσαν.
10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, a very great congregation.Καὶ προεφήτευσα καθότι ἐνετείλατό μοι, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς αὐτοὺς τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἔζησαν, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῶν, συναγωγὴ πολλὴ σφόδρα.
11And the Lord spoke to me, saying, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: and they say, Our bones are become dry, our hope has perished, we are quite spent.Καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς μὲ, λέγων, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, τὰ ὀστᾶ ταῦτα πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραήλ ἐστι, καὶ αὐτοὶ λέγουσι, ξηρὰ γέγονε τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν, ἀπόλωλεν ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν, διαπεφωνήκαμεν.
12Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord; Behold, I will open your tombs, and will bring you up out of your tombs, and will bring you into the land of Israel.Διατοῦτο προφήτευσον, καὶ εἰπὸν, Τάδε λέγει Κύριος, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀνοίγω τὰ μνήματα ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀνάξω ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν μνημάτων ὑμῶν, καὶ εἰσάξω ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν γῆν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ·
13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, that I may bring up my people from their graves.Καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος, ἐν τῷ ἀνοῖξαί με τοὺς τάφους ὑμῶν, τοῦ ἀναγαγεῖν με ἐκ τῶν τάφων τὸν λαόν μου.
14And 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.Καὶ δώσω πνεῦμά μου εἰς ὑμὰς, καὶ ζήσεσθε, καὶ θήσομαι ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὑμῶν, καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος· λελάληκα καὶ ποιήσω, λέγει Κύριος.
15And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,Καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς μὲ λέγων,
16Son of man, take for yourself a rod, and write upon it, Juda, 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.υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, λάβε σεαυτῷ ῥάβδον, καὶ γράψον ἐπʼ αὐτὴν τὸν Ἰούδαν, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ τοὺς προσκειμένους ἐπʼ αὐτόν· καὶ ῥάβδον δευτέραν λήψῃ σεαυτῷ, καὶ γράψεις αὐτὴν τῷ Ἰωσὴφ, ῥάβδον Ἐφραὶμ, καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ τοὺς προστεθέντας πρὸς αὐτόν.
17And you shall joint them together for yourself, so as that they should bind themselves into one stick; and they shall be in your hand.Καὶ συνάψεις αὐτὰς προσαλλήλας σεαυτῷ, εἰς ῥάβδον μίαν τοῦ δῆσαι ἑαυτὰς, καὶ ἔσονται ἐν τῇ χειρί σου.
18And it shall come to pass, when the children of your people shall say to you, Will you not tell us what you meanest by these things?Καὶ ἔσται ὅταν λέγωσι πρὸς σὲ οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ σου, οὐκ ἀναγγέλλεις ἡμῖν, τί ἐστι ταῦτά σοι;
19Then 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 Juda, and they shall become one rod in the hand of Juda.Καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτοὺς, τάδε λέγει Κύριος, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ λήψομαι τὴν φυλὴν Ἰωσὴφ, τὴν διὰ χειρὸς Ἐφραὶμ, καὶ τὰς φυλὰς Ἰσραὴλ τὰς προσκειμένας πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ δώσω αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν φυλὴν Ἰούδα, καὶ ἔσονται εἰς ῥάβδον μίαν τῇ χειρὶ Ἰούδα.
20And the rods on which you did write shall be in your hand in their presence.Καὶ ἔσονται αἱ ῥάβδοι ἐφʼ αἷς σὺ ἔγραψας ἐπʼ αὐταῖς, ἐν τῇ χειρί σου ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν.
21And 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.Καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς, Τάδε λέγει Κύριος Κύριος, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ λαμβάνω πάντα οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ ἐκ μέσου τῶν ἐθνῶν, οὗ εἰσήλθοσαν ἐκεῖ, καὶ συνάξω αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν περικύκλῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ εἰσάξω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν γῆν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ,
22And 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 no more two nations, neither shall they be divided any more at all into two kingdoms:καὶ δώσω αὐτοὺς εἰς ἔθνος ἐν τῇ γῇ μου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἄρχων εἷς ἔσται αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἔσονται ἔτι εἰς δύο ἔθνη, οὐδὲ, μὴ διαιρεθῶσιν οὐκέτι εἰς δύο βασιλείας,
23that they may no more defile themselves with their idols; and I will deliver them from all their transgressions whereby they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be to me a people, and I the Lord will be to them a God.ἵνα μὴ μιαίνωνται ἔτι ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν· καὶ ῥύσομαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτῶν, ὧν ἡμάρτοσαν ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ καθαριῶ αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαὸν, καὶ ἐγὼ Κύριος ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς Θεόν.
24And 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.Καὶ ὁ δοῦλός μου Δαυὶδ ἄρχων ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν, ἔσται ποιμὴν εἷς πάντων, ὅτι ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασί μου πορεύσονται, καὶ τὰ κρίματά μου φυλάξονται, καὶ ποιήσουνσιν αὐτά.
25And they shall dwell in their land, which I have given to my servant Jacob, where their fathers lived; and they shall dwell upon it: and David my servant shall be their prince forever.Καὶ κατοικήσουσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς αὐτῶν, ἣν ἐγὼ δέδωκα τῷ δούλῳ μου Ἰακὼβ, οὗ κατῴκησαν ἐκεῖ οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν, καὶ κατοικήσουσιν ἐπʼ αὐτῆς αὐτοί· καὶ Δαυὶδ ὁ δοῦλός μου ἄρχων εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
26And 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 for ever.Καὶ διαθήσομαι αὐτοῖς διαθήκην εἰρήνης, διαθήκη αἰωνία ἔσται μετʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ θήσω τὰ ἅγιά μου ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα,
27And my tabernacle shall be among them; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be my people.καὶ ἔσται ἡ κατασκήνωσίς μου ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς Θεὸς, καὶ αὐτοί μου ἔσονται λαός·
28And the nations shall know that I am the Lord that sanctifies them, when my sanctuary is in the midst of them for ever.Καὶ γνώσονται τὰ ἔθνη ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ ἁγιάζων αὐτοὺς, ἐν τῷ εἶναι τὰ ἅγιά μου ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
The Fathers on Jezekiel 37
Saint Methodius of Olympus comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Jezekiel 37Open Jezekiel 37 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Methodius of OlympusPart I. From the Discourse on the Resurrection. Part I. I. God did not make evil, nor is He at all in any way the author of evil; but whatever failed to keep the law, which He in all justice ordained, after being made by Him with the faculty of free-will, for the purpose of guarding and keeping it, is called evil. Now it is the gravest fault to disobey God,…
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