Ezekiel 17

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel,

Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel,

3 And say: Thus saith the Lord God: A large eagle with great wings, long-limbed, full of feathers, and of variety, came to Libanus, and took away the marrow of the cedar.

and say, Thus says the lord Jehovah: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar.

4 He cropped off the top of the twigs thereof: and carried it away into the land of Chanaan, and he set it in a city of merchants.

He cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and carried it to a land of merchandise. He set it in a city of merchants.

5 And he took of the seed of the land, and put it in the ground for seed, that it might take a firm root over many waters: he planted it on the surface of the earth.

He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He set it as a willow tree.

6 And it sprung up and grew into a spreading vine of low stature, and the branches thereof looked towards him: and the roots thereof were under him. So it became a vine, and grew into branches, and shot forth sprigs.

And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots of it were under him. So it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

7 And there was another large eagle, with great wings, and many feathers: and behold this vine, bending as it were her roots towards him, stretched forth her branches to him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And, behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it.

8 It was planted in a good ground upon many waters, that it might bring forth branches, and bear fruit, that it might become a large vine.

It was planted in a good soil by many waters that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit that it might be a goodly vine.

9 Say thou: Thus saith the Lord God: Shall it prosper then? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and strip off its fruit, and dry up all the branches it hath shot forth, and make it wither: and this without a strong arm, or many people, to pluck it up by the root?

Say thou, Thus says the lord Jehovah: Shall it flourish? Shall he not pull up the roots of it, and cut off the fruit of it, that it may wither? It shall wither in all its fresh springing leaves, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots of it.

10 Behold, it is planted: shall it prosper then? shall it not be dried up when the burning wind shall touch it, and shall it not wither in the furrows where it grew?

Yea, behold, being planted, shall it flourish? Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the beds where it grew.

11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

Moreover the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

12 Say to the provoking house: Know you not what these things mean? Tell them: Behold the king of Babylon cometh to Jerusalem: and he shall take away the king and the princes thereof, and carry them with him to Babylon.

Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? Tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king of it, and the rulers of it, and brought them to him to Babylon.

13 And he shall take one of the king’s seed, and make a covenant with him, and take an oath of him. Yea, and he shall take away the mighty men of the land,

And he took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land,

14 That it may be a low kingdom and not lift itself up, but keep his covenant, and observe it.

that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.

15 But he hath revolted from him and sent ambassadors to Egypt, that it might give him horses, and much people. And shall he that hath done thus prosper, or be saved? and shall he escape that hath broken the covenant?

But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt that they might give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape who does such things? Shall he break the covenant, and yet escape?

16 As I live, saith the Lord God: In the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he hath made void, and whose covenant he broke, even in the midst of Babylon shall he die.

As I live, says the lord Jehovah, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.

17 And not with a great army, nor with much people shall Pharao fight against him: when he shall cast up mounts, and build forts, to cut off many souls.

Nor shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war when they cast up mounds and build forts to cut off many persons.

18 For he had despised the oath, breaking his covenant, and behold he hath given his hand: and having done all these things, he shall not escape.

For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant. And, behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things. He shall not escape.

19 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: As I live, I will lay upon his head the oath he hath despised, and the covenant he hath broken.

Therefore thus says the lord Jehovah: As I live, surely my oath that he has despised, and my covenant that he has broken, I will even bring it upon his own head.

20 And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my net: and I will bring him into Babylon, and will judge him there for the transgression by which he hath despised me.

And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against me.

21 And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword: and the residue shall be scattered into every wind: and you shall know that I the Lord have spoken.

And all his fugitives in all his groups shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered toward every wind. And ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it.

22 Thus saith the Lord God: I myself will take of the marrow of the high cedar, and will set it: I will crop off a tender twig from the top of the branches thereof, and I will plant it on a mountain high and eminent.

Thus says the lord Jehovah: I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it. I will crop off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs, and I will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain.

23 On the high mountains of Israel will I plant it, and it shall shoot forth into branches, and shall bear fruit, and it shall become a great cedar: and all birds shall dwell under it, and every fowl shall make its nest under the shadow of the branches thereof.

I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel, and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar. And all birds of every wing shall dwell under it; they shall dwell in the shade of the branches thereof.

24 And all the trees of the country shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, and exalted the low tree: and have dried up the green tree, and have caused the dry tree to flourish. I the Lord have spoken and have done it.

And all the trees of the field shall know that I, Jehovah, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish. I, Jehovah, have spoken and have done it.