Di Valley of Dry Bones

One valley wey full with bones. No be small. Thousands of dem, scatter for ground, sun don make dem white, and dem dry well well. And one voice ask one strange question. Dese bones fit live?

Ezekiel na priest, but e dey far from di temple. E dey live for Babylon, among di people of Judah wey dem carry comot from dia houses as prisoners. Then terrible news reach dem. Jerusalem don fall. Di city don scatter and di temple don go. Among di people wey dey exile, people dey talk, Our bones don dry. Our hope don lost. We don finish. Na inside dat hopelessness God give Ezekiel one vision.

Di hand of Di Lord dey on top Ezekiel. By di Spirit of Di Lord, dem carry am go out and put am down for di middle of one valley, and di valley full with bones. God lead am go and come among dem. Dem plenty well well. And dem dry well well. Then God talk. Son of man, dese bones fit live? Wetin you for talk? Ezekiel give di only honest answer wey e get. O Lord God, na you know.

Prophesy to dese bones, and tell dem, Dry bones, hear di word of Di Lord. I go make breath enter una, and una go live. I go put sinews for una, bring flesh come on top una, cover una with skin, and put breath inside una, and una go live. And una go know say na me be Di Lord.

So Ezekiel do as dem tell am. E talk to di bones. And as e dey talk, noise come. Rattling. Di ground shake, and di bones begin move, dey slide across di valley floor, dey join together, bone to bone. As Ezekiel dey watch, sinews show for dem, then flesh, and then skin cover dem. Di valley full with bodies. But dem dey lie down quiet. Breath no dey inside dem.

Then God talk, Prophesy to di breath. Prophesy, son of man, and tell di breath, Come from di four winds, O breath, and breathe on top dese wey dem kill, make dem live. So Ezekiel prophesy. And breath enter dem. Dem live. And dem stand up for dia feet, one very big army, wey full di whole valley.

Then God explain di vision. Son of man, dese bones na di whole people of Israel. Dem dey talk, Our bones don dry, our hope don lost, dem don cut us off. So tell dem dis one. My people, I go open una graves and bring una comot from dem, and I go bring una back home to di land of Israel. I go put my Spirit inside una, and una go live, and I go settle una for una own land. Then una go know say I, Di Lord, don talk am, and I don do am.

One word dey wey run through dis whole vision, and for Hebrew na di same word every time. Ruach. E fit mean breath. E fit mean wind. And e fit mean spirit. So when Ezekiel call di breath from di four winds, and when God promise to put im Spirit inside im people, di people wey dey listen go hear one word dey echo again and again. Di same ruach wey dey fill chest with air na di Spirit of God wey dey give life.

Di valley of dry bones dey for Ezekiel chapter thirty-seven, verse one reach fourteen. God own explanation na about how e go bring im people wey scatter back home. Plenty Jewish and Christian readers don also hear inside am one sign of God power over death itself. Any way wey you take see am, di message clear. Nothing don spoil reach where God breath no fit reach. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where life dey feel dry or without hope for you now, and wetin e go mean to talk say, Lord, na you know?