Ezekiel 17
1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
上主的話傳給我說：「
2 “Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel
人子，你要向以色列家族說寓言，講比喻。
3 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.
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，
4 He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders.
折下了嫩枝的尖端，帶到貿易的地方，安放在商賈的城中。
5 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.
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。
6 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.
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。
7 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.
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。
8 It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’
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。
9 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.
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。
10 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.’”
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。」
11 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
上主的話又傳給我說：「
12 “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.
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。
13 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,
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，
14 so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.
為使那王國衰微，不再有野心，使她遵守盟約，得以生存。
15 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?’
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﹖
16 ‘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.
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。
17 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.
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。
18 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!’
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。
19 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.
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。
20 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.
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。
21 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.’
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。」
22 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.
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，
23 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.
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。
24 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.’”
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。
