16 “Son of man, take a single stick and write on it:p Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel associated with him.q 17 Then join them together into a single stick so that they become one in your hand.r 18 When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these things?’s—19 tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick so that they become one in my hand.’

20 “When the sticks you have written on are in your hand and in full view of the people,t