Ezekiel 17

1 HERRENs Ord kom til mig således:

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 Menneskesøn, fremsæt en Gåde og tal i Lignelse til Israels Slægt;

“Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel

3 sig: Så siger den Herre HERREN: Den store Ørn med vældigt Vingefang, lange Vinger, tæt Fjederham og brogede Farver kom til Libanon og tog Cederens Top;

and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.

4 Spidsen af dens Skud brød den af, bragte den til et Kræmmerland og satte den i en Handelsby.

He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders.

5 Så tog den en Plante der i Landet og plantede den i en Sædemark ved rigeligt Vand...",

He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow.

6 for at den skulde vokse og blive en yppig, lavstammet Vinstok, hvis Ranker skulde vende sig til den, og hvis Rødder skulde blive under den. Og den blev en Vinstok, som skød Grene og bredte sine Kviste.

It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height, with branches turned toward him; yet its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and yielded branches and sent out shoots.

7 Men der var en anden stor Ørn med vældigt Vingefang og rig Fjederham; og se, Vinstokken bøjede sine Rødder imod den og strakte sine Ranker hen til den, for at den skulde give den mere Vand end Bedet, den stod i.

But there was another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him. It stretched out its branches to him from its planting bed, so that he might water it.

8 På en frugtbar Mark ved rigeligt Vand var den plantet for at skyde Grene, bære Frugt og blive en herlig Vinstok.

It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

9 Sig derfor: Så siger den Herre HERREN: Mon det lykkes den? Mon den første Ørn ikke rykker dens Rødder op og afriver dens Frugt, så alle de friske Skud tørres hen? Der skal jo ingen kraftig Arm eller mange Folk til at rive den løs fra Roden.

So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it shrivels? All its foliage will wither! It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots.

10 Se, den er plantet, men mon det lykkes den? Mon den ikke, så snart Østenvinden når den, hentørres i Bedet, den voksede i?

Even if it is transplanted, will it flourish? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes? It will wither on the bed where it sprouted.’”

11 Og HERRENs Ord kom til mig således:

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

12 Sig til den genstridige Slægt: Ved I ikke, hvad dette betyder? Sig: Babels Konge kom til Jerusalem, tog Kongen og Fyrsterne og førte dem med hjem til Babel.

“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon.

13 Derpå tog han entling af kongehuset og sluttede Pagt med ham og lod ham aflægge Ed. Landets Stormænd tog han dog med,

He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land,

14 for at Riget skulde holdes nede og ikke hovmode sig, men holde hans Pagt, at den måtte stå fast.

so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.

15 Men han faldt fra og sendte sine Bud til Ægypten, for at de skulde give ham Heste og Folk i Mængde. Mon det lykkes ham? Mon den, der bærer sig således ad, slipper godt derfra? Skal den, der bryder en Pagt, slippe fra det?

But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’

16 Så sandt jeg lever, lyder det fra den Herre HERREN: Hvor den Konge bor, som gjorde ham til Konge, hvis Ed han lod hånt om, og hvis Pagt han brød, der hos ham i Babel skal han dø.

‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.

17 Og Farao skal ikke hjælpe ham i Krigen med en stor Hær eller en talrig Skare, når der opkastes Stormvold og bygges Belejringstårne til Undergang for mange Mennesker.

Pharaoh with his mighty army and vast horde will not help him in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives.

18 Thi han lod hånt om Eden og brød Pagten trods givet Håndslag; alt dette gjorde han; han skal ikke undslippe!

He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’

19 Sig derfor: Så siger den Herre HERREN: Så sandt jeg lever: Min Ed, som han lod hånt om, og min Pagt, som han brød, vil jeg visselig lade komme over hans Hoved!

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke.

20 Jeg breder mit Net over ham, så han fanges i mit Garn, og jeg bringer ham til Babel for der at gå i Rette med ham for den Troløshed, han viste mig.

I will spread My net over him and catch him in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the treason he committed against Me.

21 Alle hans udvalgte Folk i alle hans Hære skal falde for Sværd, og de, der er til Rest, spredes for alle Vinde; og I skal kende, at jeg, HERREN, har talet.

All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.’

22 Så siger den Herre HERREN: Så tager jeg selv en Gren af Cederens Top, af dens Skuds Spidser bryder jeg en tynd Kvist og planter den på et højt, knejsende Bjerg.

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

23 På Israels høje Bjerg vil jeg plante den, og den skal skyde Grene og bære Løv og blive en herlig Ceder. Under den skal alle vingede Fugle bygge, i dens Grenes Skygge skal de bo.

I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel so that it will bear branches; it will yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches.

24 Og alle Markens Træer skal kende, at jeg, HERREN, nedbøjer det høje Træ og ophøjer det lave, udtørrer det friske Træ og lader det tørre blomstre. Jeg, HERREN, har talt og grebet ind.

Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”