Ezekiel 37:3

Easy-to-Read Version

Then the Lord said to me, "Son of man, can these bones come to life?" I answered, "Lord God , only you know the answer to that question."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

Hebrew Names Version
He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? I answered, Lord GOD, you know.

King James Version
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God , thou knowest.

English Standard Version
And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God , you know."

New American Standard Bible
Then He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "Lord GOD, You Yourself know."

New Century Version
Then he asked me, "Human, can these bones live?" I answered, "Lord God , only you know."

Amplified Bible
And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sayde vnto me, Sonne of man, can these bones liue? And I answered, O Lorde God, thou knowest.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."

Legacy Standard Bible
He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord Yahweh, You know."

Berean Standard Bible
Then He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" "O Lord GOD," I replied, "only You know."

Contemporary English Version
He said, "Ezekiel, son of man, can these bones come back to life?" I replied, " Lord God, only you can answer that."

Complete Jewish Bible
He asked me, "Human being, can these bones live?" I answered, "Adonai Elohim ! Only you know that!"

Darby Translation
And he said unto me, Son of man, Shall these bones live? And I said, Lord Jehovah, thou knowest.

George Lamsa Translation
And he said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O LORD God, thou knowest.

Good News Translation
He said to me, "Mortal man, can these bones come back to life?" I replied, "Sovereign Lord , only you can answer that!"

Lexham English Bible
And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I said, "Lord Yahweh, you know."

Literal Translation
And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I said, O Lord Jehovah, You know.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde he vnto me: Thou sonne of man: thinkest thou these bones maye lyue agayne? I answered: O LORDE God, thou knowest.

American Standard Version
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, thou knowest.

Bible in Basic English
And he said to me, Son of man, is it possible for these bones to come to life? And I made answer, and said, It is for you to say, O Lord.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And He said unto me: 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered: 'O Lord GOD, Thou knowest.'

King James Version (1611)
And hee said vnto mee, Sonne of man, can these bones liue? and I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then saide he vnto me: Thou sonne of man, thinkest thou these bones may liue againe? I aunswered, O Lorde God, thou knowest.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to me, Son of man, will these bones live? and I said, O Lord God, thou knowest this.

English Revised Version
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

World English Bible
He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? I answered, Lord Yahweh, you know.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide to me, Gessist thou, sone of man, whether these boonys schulen lyue? And Y seide, Lord God, thou wost.

Update Bible Version
And he said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Yahweh, you know.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? and I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

New English Translation
He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said to him, "Sovereign Lord, you know."

New King James Version
And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."

New Living Translation
Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?" "O Sovereign Lord ," I replied, "you alone know the answer to that."

New Life Bible
He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, only You know that."

New Revised Standard
He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God , you know."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said he unto me, Son of man. Can these bones I live. And I said, My Lord, Yahweh, thou knowest!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to me: Son of man, dost thou think these bones shall live and I answered: O Lord God, thou knowest.

Revised Standard Version
And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, thou knowest."

Young's Literal Translation
And He saith unto me, `Son of man, do these bones live?' And I say, `O Lord Jehovah, Thou -- Thou hast known.'

THE MESSAGE
He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Master God , only you know that."

Contextual Overview

¹ The Lord 's power came on me. The Spirit of the Lord carried me out of the city and put me down in the middle of the valley. The valley was full of dead men's bones. ² There were many bones lying on the ground in the valley. The Lord made me walk all around among the bones. I saw the bones were very dry. ³ Then the Lord said to me, "Son of man, can these bones come to life?" I answered, "Lord God , only you know the answer to that question." ⁴ Then he said to me, "Speak to these bones for me. Tell them, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord ! ⁵ This is what the Lord God says to you: I will cause breath to come into you, and you will come to life! ⁶ I will put sinew and muscles on you, and I will cover you with skin. Then I will put breath in you, and you will come back to life! Then you will know that I am the Lord .'" ⁷ So I spoke to the bones for the Lord , as he said. I was still speaking, when I heard the loud noise. The bones began to rattle, and bone joined together with bone! ⁸ There before my eyes, I saw sinew and muscles begin to cover the bones. Skin began to cover them, but there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then the Lord said to me, "Speak to the wind for me. Son of man, speak to the wind for me. Tell the wind that this is what the Lord God says: ‘Wind, come from every direction and breathe air into these dead bodies! Breathe into them and they will come to life again!'" ¹⁰ So I spoke to the wind for the Lord , as he said, and the breath came into the dead bodies. They came to life and stood up. There were many men—a very large army!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

can: John 6:5, John 6:6

O Lord God: Deuteronomy 32:29, 1 Samuel 2:6, John 5:21, John 11:25, John 11:26, Acts 26:8, Romans 4:17, 2 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Corinthians 1:10, Hebrews 11:19

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 4:2 - revive Isaiah 49:24 - Shall Ezekiel 2:1 - Son Luke 7:14 - Young John 11:44 - he that 1 Corinthians 15:35 - How

Cross-References

Genesis 37:13
Jacob said to Joseph, "Go to Shechem. Your brothers are there with my sheep." Joseph answered, "I will go."

Genesis 37:14
His father said, "Go and see if your brothers are safe. Come back and tell me if my sheep are all fine." So Joseph's father sent him from the Valley of Hebron to Shechem.

Genesis 37:20
We should kill him now while we can. We could throw his body into one of the empty wells and tell our father that a wild animal killed him. Then we will show him that his dreams are useless."

Genesis 37:22
We can put him into a well without hurting him." Reuben planned to save Joseph and send him back to his father.

Genesis 37:23
When Joseph came to his brothers, they attacked him and tore off his long and beautiful coat.

Genesis 37:30
Reuben went to the brothers and said, "The boy is not in the well! What will I do?"

Genesis 37:32
Then the brothers showed the coat to their father. And the brothers said, "We found this coat. Is this Joseph's coat?"

Judges 5:30
‘I'm sure they won the war, and they are now taking things from the people they defeated. They are dividing those things among themselves. Each soldier is taking a girl or two. Maybe Sisera found a piece of dyed cloth. That's it! Sisera found a piece of fancy cloth, or maybe two, to wear around his neck in victory.'

2 Samuel 13:18
So Amnon's servant led Tamar out of the room and locked the door. Tamar was wearing a long robe with many colors. The king's virgin daughters wore robes like this.

Ezekiel 16:16
You took your beautiful clothes and used them to decorate your places for worship. And you acted like a prostitute there. You gave yourself to every man who came by!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said unto me, son of man, can these bones live?.... Is there any probability of it? is there any reason to believe they shall live? can any ways and means be devised, or any methods taken, to cause them to live?

and I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest; the prophet does not pronounce at once that it was improbable and impossible; he knew indeed it was not probable, or possible, that these bones should revive of themselves; and he knew that neither he nor any creature could quicken them; but he wisely refers it to an omniscient and omnipotent God, who knew what he could and what he would do: the conversion of sinners is not of themselves, nor of ministers, but of God; it is wholly owing to his will and power, John 1:13 nothing else can make it probable, or possible.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 37:3. Can these bones live? — Is it possible that the persons whose bones these are can return to life?