Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the LORD came upon me, and [it] brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.  [The LORD] led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry.  [The LORD] said to me, "Mortal, can these dry bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know."  Then [the LORD] said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.  Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.  I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD."  So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.  I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them.  Then [the LORD] said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."  I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.  Then [the LORD] said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.'  Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.  And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people.  I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act," says the LORD.  

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Additional Texts

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.  Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive…And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God... through him.
Colossians 3:12-13,17

You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.
Matthew 5:38-39

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins…But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.  And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:22,26b-28

You shall not kill.                                                                                           
Exodus 20:13

Other Lectionary Texts

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Acts 2:1-21
Romans 8:22-27                                            

Texts are from the NRSV.