“Then Yahweh said to me!

‘Son of man!

These bones are

The whole house

Of Israel.

They say.

‘Our bones are

Dried up.

Our hope

Is lost.

We are cut off

Completely.’”

Yahweh told Ezekiel that the dry bones were the whole house of Israel that was discouraged in their exile in Babylon. These dejected captives said that their bones were dried up. They had lost hope, since they were completely cut off from Israel.