Ezekiel 17

1 And the worde of the Lord came vnto mee, saying,

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

2 Sonne of man, put foorth a parable and speake a prouerbe vnto the house of Israel,

Son of man, give out a dark saying, and make a comparison for the children of Israel,

3 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,

And say, This is what the Lord has said: A great eagle with great wings, full of long feathers of different colours, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar:

4 And brake off the toppe of his twigge, and caried it into the land of marchants, and set it in a citie of marchants.

Biting off the highest of its young branches, he took it to the land of Canaan, and put it in a town of traders.

5 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.

And he took some of the seed of the land, planting it in fertile earth, placing it by great waters; he put it in like a willow-tree.

6 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.

And its growth went on and it became a vine, low and widely stretching, whose branches were turned to him and its roots were under him: so it became a vine, putting out branches and young leaves.

7 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.

And there was another eagle with great wings and thick feathers: and now this vine, pushing out its roots to him, sent out its branches in his direction from the bed where it was planted, so that he might give it water.

8 It was planted in a good soyle by great waters, that it should bring forth branches, and beare fruite, and be an excellent vine.

He had it planted in a good field by great waters so that it might put out branches and have fruit and be a strong vine.

9 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.

Say, This is what the Lord has said: Will it do well? will he not have its roots pulled up and its branches cut off, so that all its young leaves may become dry and it may be pulled up by its roots?

10 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.

And if it is planted will it do well? will it not become quite dry at the touch of the east wind, drying up in the bed where it was planted?

11 Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

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

12 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,

Say now to this uncontrolled people, Are these things not clear to you? Say to them, See, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and its rulers away with him to Babylon;

13 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,

And he took one of the sons of the king and made an agreement with him; and he put him under an oath, and took away the great men of the land:

14 That the kingdome might be in subiection, and not lift it selfe vp, but keepe their couenant, and stand to it.

So that the kingdom might be made low with no power of lifting itself up, but might keep his agreement to be his servants.

15 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?

But he went against his authority in sending representatives to Egypt to get from them horses and a great army. Will he do well? will he be safe who does such things? if the agreement is broken will he be safe?

16 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.

By my life, says the Lord, truly in the place of the king who made him king, whose oath he put on one side and let his agreement with him be broken, even in Babylon he will come to his death.

17 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.

And Pharaoh with his strong army and great forces will be no help to him in the war, when they put up earthworks and make strong walls for the cutting off of lives:

18 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.

For he put his oath on one side in letting the agreement be broken; and though he had given his hand to it, he did all these things; he will not get away safe.

19 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.

And so the Lord has said, By my life, truly, for my oath which he put on one side, and my agreement which has been broken, I will send punishment on his head.

20 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.

My net will be stretched out over him, and he will be taken in my cords, and I will send him to Babylon, and there I will be his judge for the wrong which he has done against me.

21 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.

All his best fighting-men will be put to the sword, and the rest will be sent away to every wind: and you will be certain that I the Lord have said it.

22 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.

This is what the Lord has said: Further, I will take the highest top of the cedar and put it in the earth; cutting off from the highest of his young branches a soft one, I will have it planted on a high and great mountain;

23 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.

It will be planted on the high mountain of Israel: it will put out branches and have fruit and be a fair cedar: under it all birds of every sort will make their living-place, resting in the shade of its branches.

24 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.

And it will be clear to all the trees of the field that I the Lord have made low the high tree and made high the low tree, drying up the green tree and making the dry tree full of growth; I the Lord have said it and have done it.