Ezekiel 17
1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
上主的話傳給我說：「
2 “Son of man, present this riddle—share it as a parable with the people of Israel.
人子，你要向以色列家族說寓言，講比喻。
3 Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: There was a great eagle that had large wings, long feathers, and multi-colored plumage. It came to Lebanon and took off 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 broke off its highest branch and took it to a country 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 good soil beside a large river where he could grow it 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 The seed sprouted and grew into a low, spreading vine, with its branches facing toward him, and its roots went down into the ground beneath. So the vine developed, growing leaves and branches.
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 that had large wings and many feathers. This vine sent out its roots toward him. It stretched out its branches to him from where it had been planted, wanting him to 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 Yet it had been planted in good soil beside a large river so it could grow strong, produce fruit, and become a superb 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 tell them this is what the Lord God says: ‘Will it grow well? Won't it be uprooted and its fruit ripped off so that it withers? All its leaves will dry up. You wouldn't need strong arms or lots of 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's transplanted, is it going to survive? Won't it wither up completely when the east wind blows? In fact, it will wither right where it was planted.”
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 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
上主的話又傳給我說：「
12 “Tell these rebellious people: ‘Don't you know what this riddle means?’ Explain to them, ‘Look, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, made its king and officials his prisoners, and took 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 made an agreement with one of the royal family and made him take an oath that he would be a loyal subject as king. Then he took into exile the country's leaders,
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 kept in subjection and wouldn't be strong enough to rebel—it would only survive by keeping its agreement with him.
為使那王國衰微，不再有野心，使她遵守盟約，得以生存。
15 However, this king did rebel against Babylon, and sent ambassadors to Egypt to ask for help by supplying horses and many soldiers. Will he do well? Would someone who acts like this succeed? Could he break an agreement and not be punished?’
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 I live, declares the Lord God, ‘he is going to die in Babylon, in the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he disregarded and whose agreement 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 powerful army of many soldiers won't help him in battle, when attack ramps are piled up and siege walls built and many people end up being killed.
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 disregarded his oath by breaking the agreement. Because he shook hands as a sign of the promise he made, yet rebelled in this way, he won't go unpunished!’
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 So this is what the Lord God says: As I live, I will punish him for disregarding my oath and for breaking my agreement.
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 throw my net over him and catch him; I will trap in my snare. I will take him to Babylon and sentence him to punishment there for his treason towards 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 best soldiers will be killed in battle, and those who do survive will be scattered in all directions. 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'm going to break off a branch from the high top of the cedar, and I will plant it on the top of a high 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 Israel's high mountain so that it can grow branches, produce fruit and become a magnificent cedar. All kinds of birds will live in it, nesting 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 All the trees in the countryside will know that I am the Lord. I can bring down the tall and have the low tree grow tall. I can make the green tree dry up, and make the withered tree become green again. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do 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。
