The merchants among the peoples hiss at thee; thou art become a
terror, and thou shalt never be any more.

III

THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES

(This is a strong picture of the reviving power of God's
spirit in a repentant nation.)

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he carried me out in the spirit
of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was
full of bones; and he caused me to pass by them round about: and
behold, there were very many in the open valley; and lo, they were
very dry.

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

Again he said unto me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them,
'O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.'"

Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones: "Behold, I will cause breath
to enter into you, and ye shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you,
and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put
breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the
Lord."

So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a
noise, and behold an earthquake, and the bones came together, bone to
his bone. And I beheld, and lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh
came up, and skin covered them above: but there was no breath in {353}
them. Then said he unto me, "Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of
man, and say to the wind, 'Thus saith the Lord God: Come from the four
winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.'"

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and
they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

Then he said unto me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of
Israel: behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is
lost; we are clean cut off.'

"Therefore prophesy, and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord God:
Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your
graves, O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. And
ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, and
caused you to come up out of your graves, O my people. And I will put
my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own
land: and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed
it, saith the Lord.'"

{354}

AMOS

(Amos, one of the earliest of the prophets, was a poor herdsman of the
village of Tekoa, which was about