Ezekiel 37:18

New Living Translation

When your people ask you what your actions mean,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these things?’—

Hebrew Names Version
When the children of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these?

King James Version
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

English Standard Version
And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?'

New American Standard Bible
"And when the sons of your people speak to you, saying, 'Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?'

New Century Version
"When your people say to you, ‘Explain to us what you mean by this,'

Amplified Bible
"When your people say to you, 'Will you not tell us what you mean by these?'

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the children of thy people shall speake vnto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shewe vs what thou meanest by these?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When the sons of your people speak to you saying, 'Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?'

Legacy Standard Bible
And when the sons of your people speak to you saying, ‘Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?'

Berean Standard Bible
When your people ask you, 'Won't you explain to us what you mean by these?'

Contemporary English Version
And when your people ask you what this means,

Complete Jewish Bible
When your people ask you what all this means,

Darby Translation
And when the children of my people speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not declare unto us what thou meanest by these?

Easy-to-Read Version
"Your people will ask you to explain what that means.

George Lamsa Translation
And if your people should say to you, Will you not show us what is the meaning of these sticks?

Good News Translation
When your people ask you to tell them what this means,

Lexham English Bible
When your people say to you, saying, ‘Will you not inform us as to what these actions mean for you?'

Literal Translation
And when the sons of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not declare to us what these mean to you?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now yf the childre of thy people saye vnto the: wilt thou not shewe vs, what thou meanest by these?

American Standard Version
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?

Bible in Basic English
And when the children of your people say to you, Will you not make clear to us what these things have to do with us?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying: Wilt thou not tell us what thou meanest by these?

King James Version (1611)
And when the children of thy people shall speake vnto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew vs what thou meanest by these?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Now if the children of thy people speake vnto thee, saying: Wilt thou not shew vs what thou meanest by these?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall come to pass, when the children of thy people shall say to thee, Wilt thou not tell us what thou meanest by these things?

English Revised Version
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

World English Bible
When the children of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli whanne the sones of thi puple that speken, schulen seie to thee, Whether thou schewist not to vs, what thou wolt to thee in these thingis?

Update Bible Version
And when the sons of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these?

Webster's Bible Translation
And when the children of thy people shall speak to thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou [meanest] by these?

New English Translation
When your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what these things mean?'

New King James Version
"And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, "Will you not show us what you mean by these?'--

New Life Bible
And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not let us know what you mean by these?'

New Revised Standard
And when your people say to you, "Will you not show us what you mean by these?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And when the sons of thy people speak unto thee I. saying,- Wt thou not tell us what these things are to thee?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the children of thy people shall speak to thee, saying: Wilt thou not tell us what thou meanest by this?

Revised Standard Version
And when your people say to you, 'Will you not show us what you mean by these?'

Young's Literal Translation
`And when sons of thy people speak unto thee, saying, Dost thou not declare to us what these [are] to thee?

THE MESSAGE
"When your people ask you, ‘Are you going to tell us what you're doing?' tell them, ‘ God , the Master, says, Watch me! I'll take the Joseph stick that is in Ephraim's hand, with the tribes of Israel connected with him, and lay the Judah stick on it. I'll make them into one stick. I'm holding one stick.'

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ Again a message came to me from the Lord : ¹⁶ "Son of man, take a piece of wood and carve on it these words: ‘This represents Judah and its allied tribes.' Then take another piece and carve these words on it: ‘This represents Ephraim and the northern tribes of Israel.' ¹⁷ Now hold them together in your hand as if they were one piece of wood. ¹⁸ When your people ask you what your actions mean, ¹⁹ say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take Ephraim and the northern tribes and join them to Judah. I will make them one piece of wood in my hand.' ²⁰ "Then hold out the pieces of wood you have inscribed, so the people can see them. ²¹ And give them this message from the Sovereign Lord : I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. ²² I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms. ²³ They will never again pollute themselves with their idols and vile images and rebellion, for I will save them from their sinful apostasy. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. ²⁴ "My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Wilt: Ezekiel 12:9, Ezekiel 17:12, Ezekiel 20:49, Ezekiel 24:19

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 16:2 - What meanest Ezekiel 3:11 - the children

Cross-References

Genesis 37:14
"Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along," Jacob said. "Then come back and bring me a report." So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron.

Genesis 37:15
When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. "What are you looking for?" he asked.

1 Samuel 19:1
Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David,

Psalms 31:13
I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life.

Psalms 37:12
The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance.

Psalms 37:32
The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.

Psalms 94:21
They gang up against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

Psalms 105:25
Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites, and they plotted against the Lord 's servants.

Psalms 109:4
I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them!

Matthew 21:38
"But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves!'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying,.... The children of Israel and Judah in captivity, of which people Ezekiel was and to whom he was sent as a prophet; who seeing him take two sticks, and write on them, and then join them together, would naturally put such a question to him:

wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? for they concluded he had some meaning in it, and that it was not a mere childish diversion and amusement; and therefore would desire that he would let them know what it was: whether they would ask this seriously or in banter, out of curiosity or in contempt, as they sometimes did; it matters not, he was to give them an answer, as follows; though, by the manner of their putting the question, it looks as if they were doubtful whether he would or not; since they had treated him in a sneering way on such like occasions before.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A prophecy of the reunion of Israel and Judah, the incorporation of Israel under one Ruler, the kingdom of Messiah upon earth and in heaven.

Ezekiel 37:16

One stick - So in the marginal reference the names of the tribes had been written on rods or sticks.

For Judah ... - To the house of David had remained faithful, not only Judah, but also Benjamin, Levi, and part of Simeon, and individual members of various tribes 2 Chronicles 11:12-16. Compare the marginal references.

Joseph ... Ephraim - Compare Psalms 78:67; Hosea 5:5 ff “Joseph” is the general name here for the ten tribes, including “Ephraim,” the chief tribe, and his companions. Omit “for” before “all.” “All the house of Israel” is here the ten tribes.

Ezekiel 37:19

In the hand of Ephraim - Because Ephraim was the ruling tribe; the words are contrasted with “in mine hand.”

Ezekiel 37:20

This sign was literally enacted in the presence of the people, not, like some signs, merely in vision (see the Ezekiel 3:1 note).

Ezekiel 37:21

The gathering together of the children of Israel was to take effect in the first place in the return from Babylon, when the distinction of Israel and Judah should cease. The full completion concerns times still future, when all Israel shall come in to acknowledge the rule of Christ.

Ezekiel 37:22

One king - The restoration of Israel to their native soil will lead the way to the coming of the promised King, the Son of David, who will gather into His kingdom the true Israel, all who shall by faith be acknowledged as the Israel of God. The reign of the One King David is the reign of Christ in His kingdom, the Church.

Ezekiel 37:25, Ezekiel 37:26

An enlargement of the promises. The kingdom is to be “forever,” the covenant “everlasting.” This looks forward to the consummation of all God’s promises 1 Corinthians 15:24, 1 Corinthians 15:28.

Ezekiel 37:27

This gives a final blessing reserved for God’s accepted servants. The tabernacle and temple were outward symbols of His presence. The re-erection of the temple by Zerubbabel was the first step to a restoration of the presence of God. The second step was the presence of Christ, first in the flesh, then in His Church, and finally the eternal presence of God and of the Lamb in the New Jerusalem Revelation 21:0.