The most sacred Bible, whiche is the Holy Scripture conteyning the Old and New Testament / translated into English, and newly recognised with great diligence after most faythful exemplars, by Rychard Taverner.

¶ He prophecyth the bryngynge agayne of the peo∣ple beynge in captyuytye. He sheweth the vnyon of the ten trybes with the two. Chryste is the kynge of the Chrysten people alone, and the onely euer∣lastynge shepherde therof.

CAPI. XXXVII.

THe hande of the Lorde came vpon me, [ A] and caryed me oute in the spirite of the Lorde, & let me downe in a playne feld, that laye ful of bones, and he led me rounde aboute by them: and beholde the bones that laye vpon the felde were verye manye, and marueylous orye also. Then said he vnto me: Thou sonne of man: thynkest thou these bo¦nes maye lyue agayne? I answered: O Lord God, thou knowest. And he sayde vnto me: Prophecy thou vpon these bones, and speake vnto them: Ye drye bones, heare the worde of the Lorde. Thus saythe the Lorde God vnto these bones: Beholde I wyl put breth in to you, that ye may liue: I wil giue you si∣nowes, and make flesh grow vpon you and co¦uer you ouer with skin,* 1.1 and so gyue you breth that ye maye lyue and knowe that I am the Lorde.

So I prophecied as he hadde commaunded [ B] me. And as I was prophecyinge,* 1.2 there came a noyse and a greate mocion, so that the bo∣nes canne euery one to an other. Now when I had loked, beholde, they had synowes, and flesh grewe vpon them, and aboue they were couered with skynne, bu•• there was no breth in them: Then said he vnto me: Thou sonne of man, prophecye thou towarde the wynde: prophecye, and speake to the wynde: Thus sayth the Lorde God: ••ome (O thou ayre) [ C] from the ••our wyndes, and blow vpon these slayne, that they maye be restored to lyfe. So I prophecied, as he had cōmaunded me, then came the breth in to them, and they receyued lyfe, and stode vp vpon their fete, a maruey∣lous great sorte.

Moreouer, he sayd vnto me: Thou sonne of man, these bones are the hole house of Israel. Beholde, they saye: Oure bones are dryed vp, oure hope is gone, we are clene cut of. Therfore prophecye thou,* 1.3 and speake vn∣to them: thus saythe the Lorde God: Be∣holde, [ D] I wyll open your graues (O my peo∣ple) and take you oute of your sepulcres, and brynge you in to the lande of Israell agayne. So shal ye knowe that I am the Lorde, whē I open youre graues, and brynge you oute of them. My spiryte also wyll I put in you, and ye shall lyue: I wyll sette you agayne in your owne lande, and ye shall knowe, that I am the Lorde, whiche haue sayd, and fulful∣led it in dede.

The worde of the Lorde came vnto me, sayinge: Thou sonne of man, take a stycke and wryte vpon it: Vnto Iuda and to the chyldren of Israell his companions. Then take an other sticke, and wryte vpon it: Vnto Ioseph y^e stok of Ephraim, and to al the hous∣holde of Israel his companions. And thē take bothe these togyther in thyne hande, so shall

[ E] there be one stycke therof. Now yf the chyl∣dren of thy people saye vnto the: wylte thou not shew vs what thou meanest by these? thē gyue them this answere: thus sayth y^e Lorde God: beholde I will take the stocke of Io∣seph,* 1.4 whiche is in the lande of Ephraim, and of the trybes of Israel his felowes, and will put them to the stocke of Iuda, and make thē one stocke, and they shall be one in my hand. And the two styckes whervpon thou writest shalt thou haue in thyne hand, that they may se, and shalt saye vnto them:

[ F] Thus saythe the Lorde God: beholde, I wyll take awaye the chyldren of Israel from among the Hearthē, vnto whom they be gone and wil gather them togyther on euery syde, and bryng them agayn in to their owne land. yea I wyll make one people of the in y^e land, vpon the mountaynes of Israel, and they al shall haue but one kyng. They shall no more be two peoples frome henceforthe, neyther be deuyded in to two kyngdomes: they shall also defile them selues no more with their ab¦hominacions, ydols, and all their wicked do∣inges. I wil helpe them out of al their dwel∣lyng places wherin they haue synned, & wyll so clense them, that they shall be my people, and I their God.

[ G] Dauid my seruaunt shall be theyr kynge, and they all shall haue one shepeherde onely.* 1.5 They shall walke in my lawes and my com∣maundementes shal they bothe kepe and ful∣fyll. They shall dwell in the lande that I gaue vnto Iacob my seruaunt, where as your fathers also haue dwelt. Yea euē in the same lande shall they, theyr chyldren, and theyr chylders chyldren dwell for euer more: and my seruaunte Dauid shall be theyr euerla∣stynge prynce.

Moreouer, I wyll make a bonde of peax with them, which shal be vnto them an euer∣lasting couenaunt. I wil settle them also, and multiply them, my Sanctuarye will I set a∣mong them for euermore. My dwellyng shal be with them: yea I wil be their God, and they shal be my people. Thus the Heathē al∣so shall knowe that I the Lorde am the holy maker of Israel: when my sanctuary shal be amonges them for euer more.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gene .ii. d.
• * 1.2

  i. Corint .xv. ••
• * 1.3

  Ezec .xxxiii. ••
• * 1.4

  Osee .i. b
• * 1.5

  Eze .xxxiiii. d Iohn .x. b.