Ezekiel 17

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

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

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

'Son of man, put forth a riddle, and use a simile unto the house 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 thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: The great eagle, great-winged, long-pinioned, Full of feathers, that hath diverse colours, Hath come in unto Lebanon, And it taketh the foliage 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.

The top of its tender twigs it hath cropped, And it bringeth it in to the land of Canaan. In a city of merchants it hath placed it.

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 it taketh of the seed of the land, And doth put it in a field of seed, To take by many waters, In a conspicuous place it hath set it.

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 it springeth up, and becometh a spreading vine, humble of stature, To turn its thin shoots toward itself, And its roots are under it, And it becometh a vine, and maketh boughs, And sendeth forth beauteous branches.

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 is another great eagle, Great-winged, and abounding with feathers, And lo, this vine hath bent its roots toward him, And its thin shoots it hath sent out toward him, To water it from the furrows of its planting,

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.

On a good field, by many waters, it is planted, To make branches, and to bear fruit, To be for an goodly 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: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: It prospereth — its roots doth he not draw out, And its fruit cut off, and it is withered? [In] all the leaves of its springing it withereth, And not by great strength, and by a numerous people, To lift it 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 lo, the planted thing — doth it prosper? When come against it doth the east wind, Doth it not utterly wither? On the furrows of its springing it withereth.'

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

And there is a word of Jehovah unto 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, I pray thee, to the rebellious house, Have ye not known what these [are]? Say, Lo, come hath the king of Babylon to Jerusalem, And he taketh its king, and its princes, And bringeth them to himself 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 taketh of the seed of the kingdom, And maketh with him a covenant, And bringeth him in to an oath, And the mighty of the land he hath taken,

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

That the kingdom may be humble, That it may not lift itself up, To keep his covenant — that it may stand.

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?

And he rebelleth against him, To send his messengers to Egypt, To give to him horses, and much people, Doth he prosper? doth he escape who is doing these things? And hath he broken covenant and escaped?

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.

I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Doth he not — in the place of the king who is causing him to reign, Whose oath he hath despised, And whose covenant he hath broken, With him — in the midst of Babylon — die?

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 not with a great force, and with a numerous assembly, Doth Pharaoh maintain him in battle, By pouring out a mount, and in building a fortification, To cut off many souls.

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.

And he despised the oath — to break covenant, And lo, he hath given his hand, And all these he hath done, he escapeth not.

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.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: I live — Mine oath that he hath despised, And My covenant that he hath broken, Have I not put it 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.

And I have spread out for him My snare, And he hath been caught in My net, And I have brought him in to Babylon, And pleaded with him there his trespass, That he hath trespassed 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.

And all his fugitives, with all his bands, By sword do fall, and those remaining, To every wind they are spread out, And ye have known that I, Jehovah, have spoken.

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.

Thus said the Lord Jehovah: I have taken of the foliage of the high cedar, And I have set [it], From the top of its tender shoots a tender one I crop, And I — I have planted [it] on a mountain high and lofty.

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.

In a mountain — the high place of Israel, I plant it, And it hath borne boughs, and yielded fruit, And become a goodly cedar, And dwelt under it have all birds of every wing, In the shade of its thin shoots they dwell.

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 known have all trees of the field That I, Jehovah, have made low the high tree, I have set on high the low tree, I have dried up the moist tree, And I have caused the dry tree to flourish, I, Jehovah, have spoken, and have done [it]!'