以西結書 17
1 上主的話傳給我說：「
And the worde of the Lord came vnto mee, saying,
2 人子，你要向以色列家族說寓言，講比喻。
Sonne of man, put foorth a parable and speake a prouerbe vnto the house of Israel,
3 你應宣講說：吾主上主這樣說：有一隻大鷹，翅膀龐大，翅翼廣闊，羽毛豐滿，異彩燦爛，飛到黎巴嫩，啄下香柏的樹梢，
And say, Thus saith the Lord God, The great eagle with great wings, and long wings, and ful of fethers, which had diuers colours, came vnto Lebanon, and tooke the highest branch of the cedar,
4 折下了嫩枝的尖端，帶到貿易的地方，安放在商賈的城中。
And brake off the toppe of his twigge, and caried it into the land of marchants, and set it in a citie of marchants.
5 牠又取了本地的種子，種植在苗圃中，把它栽種在多水之旁，有如栽植柳樹。
Hee tooke also of the seede of the lande, and planted it in a fruitfull ground: hee placed it by great waters, and set it as a willowe tree.
6 它果然長起，成了一棵蔓延而軀幹矮小的葡萄樹；蔓子向鷹伸展，根子向下生長；它遂成了一棵葡萄樹，生出蔓子，長出枝子。
And it budded vp, and was like a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward it, and the rootes thereof were vnder it: so it became a vine, and it brought foorth branches, and shot foorth buds.
7 又有另一隻大鷹，翅膀龐大，羽毛豐滿；看，這裏葡萄樹往牠那裏伸展自己的根子，也把枝子蔓延到牠那裏，想獲得比在被栽植的園圃中更多的滋潤。
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers, and beholde, this vine did turne her rootes toward it, and spred foorth her branches toward it, that she might water it by the trenches of her plantation.
8 但它原是種植在多水的肥田中，為生長枝蔓，結出果實，成為一棵茂盛的葡萄樹。
It was planted in a good soyle by great waters, that it should bring forth branches, and beare fruite, and be an excellent vine.
9 你應宣講：吾主上主這樣說：它能茂盛嗎﹖那鷹豈不是要拔出它的根子，啄下它的果實，使正在生出的枝葉枯萎；為拔出它的根子，並不需要強有力的手和眾多的人。
Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God, Shall it prosper? shall he not pull vp the rootes thereof, and destroy the fruite thereof, and cause them to drie? all the leaues of her bud shall wither without great power, or many people, to plucke it vp by the rootes thereof.
10 它雖被栽植，但豈能茂盛﹖東風一吹來，豈不全要枯萎﹖它必在生長的園圃中枯萎。」
Beholde, it was planted: but shall it prosper? shall it not be dried vp, and wither? when the East winde shall touch it, it shall wither in the trenches, where it grewe.
11 上主的話又傳給我說：「
Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
12 請向這叛逆的家族說：你們明白不明白這有什麼意思﹖你要說：看，巴比倫王來到耶路撒冷，捉住城中的君王和官員，把他 穿了王室的一個後裔同他立了約叫他宣了誓帶到巴比倫來見他。
Say now to this rebellious house, Know ye not, what these things meane? tell them, Behold, the King of Babel is come to Ierusalem, and hath taken the King thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babel,
13 他挑選了王室的一個後裔，同他立了約，叫他宣了誓；以後擄走了那地的貴族，
And hath taken one of the Kings seede, and made a couenant with him, and hath taken an othe of him: he hath also taken the princes of the land,
14 為使那王國衰微，不再有野心，使她遵守盟約，得以生存。
That the kingdome might be in subiection, and not lift it selfe vp, but keepe their couenant, and stand to it.
15 但是耶路撒冷的君王卻背叛了他，派使臣到埃及去，要求給他戰馬和大軍。他作了這事，豈能順利獲得救援﹖他破壞了盟約，豈能幸免逃脫﹖
But he rebelled against him, and sent his ambassadours into Egypt, that they might giue him horses, and much people: shall hee prosper? shall he escape, that doeth such things? or shall he breake the couenant, and be deliuered?
16 我指著我的生命起誓：──吾主上主的斷語──他必要死在立他為王者的地方，即巴比倫，因為他沒有尊重自己的誓言，破壞了同他所立的盟約。
As I liue, saith the Lord God, he shall die in the middes of Babel, in the place of the King, that had made him King, whose othe he despised, and whose couenant made with him, he brake.
17 當人們堆起高台，建造雲梯，屠殺許多生靈時，法郎卻沒有率領大軍，也沒有召集人馬來協助他作戰。
Neither shall Pharaoh with his mightie hoste, and great multitude of people, mainteine him in the warre, when they haue cast vp mounts, and builded ramparts to destroy many persons.
18 他既然不尊重誓言，破壞了盟約，舉手宣誓之後，而又行了這一切，他決不會逃脫。
For he hath despised the othe, and broken ye couenant (yet lo, he had giuen his hand) because he hath done all these things, he shall not escape.
19 因此，吾主上主這樣說：我指著我的生命起誓：因為他輕視了我的誓言，破壞了我的盟約，報復必臨在他的頭上。
Therefore, thus sayth the Lord God, As I liue, I wil surely bring mine othe that he hath despised, and my couenant that he hath broken vpon his owne head.
20 我要在他上面張開羅網，叫他陷在我的網中而被逮捕；以後帶他到巴比倫去，由於他背叛我的罪過，我要在那裏栽判他。
And I wil spread my net vpon him, and he shalbe taken in my net, and I wil bring him to Babel, and will enter into iudgement with him there for his trespas that he hath committed against me.
21 他軍中所有的精兵都要亡於刀下，剩餘的逃散到四方。那時你們便要承認是我上主說了這話。」
And all that flee from him with all his hoste, shall fall by the sword, and they that remaine, shalbe scattered towarde all the windes: and ye shall know that I the Lord haue spoken it.
22 吾主上主這樣說：「我要親自由高大的香柏樹梢上取下一枝條，從嫩枝的尖上折下一根嫩芽，親自把它栽植在高山峻嶺之上，
Thus saith the Lord God, I wil also take off the top of this hie cedar, and wil set it, and cut off the top of the tender plant thereof, and I wil plant it vpon an hie mountaine and great.
23 栽植在以色列的高山上，它要生長枝葉，結出果實，成為一棵高大的香柏；各種飛鳥要棲在它下，棲在他枝葉的蔭影之下。
Euen in the hie mountaine of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughes and beare fruite, and be an excellent cedar, and vnder it shall remaine all birds, and euery foule shall dwell in the shadow of the branches thereof.
24 如此，田野間的一切樹木都承認我是上主，都知道我曾使高大的樹矮小，使矮小的樹高大，使綠樹枯萎，使枯木發綠，我上主言出必行。
And all the trees of the fielde shall knowe that I the Lord haue brought downe the hie tree, and exalted the lowe tree, that I haue dried vp the greene tree, and made the drie tree to florish: I the Lord haue spoken it, and haue done it.
