Ezekiel 17

1 The word of YHWH came to me, saying,

The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

“Son of man, present a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel.

3 and say, 'Thus says YHWH: "A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar:

Say, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: A large eagle with large wings and long pinions, full of feathers, and that was multicolored went to Lebanon and took hold of the top of a cedar tree.

4 he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and carried it to a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.

It broke off the tips of the branches and took them to the land of Canaan; he planted it in a city of merchants.

5 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.

He also took some seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside a large body of water like a willow.

6 It grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

Then it sprouted and became a spreading vine low to the ground. Its branches turned toward him, and its roots grew under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and sent out shoots.

7 '"There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and look, 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.

But there was another great eagle with large wings and many feathers. Behold! This vine turned its roots toward the eagle, and it spread out its branches toward the eagle from the place it had been planted so it would be watered.

8 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."'

It had been planted in good soil beside a large body of water so it would produce branches and sprout fruit, to become a magnificent vine.'

9 "Say, 'Thus says YHWH: "Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? And not by a strong arm or many people can it be raised from its roots.

Say to the people, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Will it prosper? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers, and all its fresh growth will wither? No strong arm or many people will be needed to pull it out by its roots.

10 Yes, look, being planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the beds where it grew."'"

So behold! After it has been planted, will it grow? Will it not wither when the eastern wind touches it? It will completely wither away in the garden plot where it sprouted.'”

11 Moreover the word of YHWH came to me, saying,

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

12 "Say now to the rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Tell them, 'Look, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon:

“Speak to the rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things mean? Behold! The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took her king and her princes and brought them to him in Babylon.

13 and he took of the royal family, and made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land;

Then he took a royal descendant, made a covenant with him, and brought him under an oath. He took away the powerful people of the land,

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

so the kingdom might become lowly and not lift itself up. By keeping his covenant the land will survive.

15 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?

But the king of Jerusalem rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt to acquire horses and an army. Will he succeed? Will the one doing these things escape? If he breaks the covenant, will he escape?

16 "'As I live,' says YHWH, '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.

As I live!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—he will surely die in the land of the king who made him king, the king whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke. He will die in the middle of Babylon.

17 Neither 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.

Pharaoh with his mighty army and a great company of men will not help him in battle, when ramps are constructed and siege walls are built up to cut off many lives.

18 For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and look, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things; he shall not escape.'

For the king despised his oath by breaking the covenant. Behold, he reached out with his hand to make a promise and yet he did all these things. He will not escape.

19 "Therefore thus says YHWH: 'As I live, surely my oath that he has despised, and my covenant that he has broken, I will even bring it on his own head.

Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: As I live, was it not my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke? So I will bring his punishment on his head!

20 I will spread my net on 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.

I will spread my net out over him, and he will be caught in my hunting net. Then I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there for his treason that he committed when he betrayed me!

21 All the choice men among all his troups will fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered toward every wind: and you shall know that I, YHWH, have spoken it.'

All of his refugees in his armies will fall by the sword, and the ones who remain will be scattered in every direction. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; I have declared this would happen.”

22 "Thus says YHWH: 'I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain:

The Lord Yahweh says this, 'So I myself will take away the highest part of the cedar tree, and I will plant it away from its tender branches. I will break it off, and I myself will plant it on a high mountain.

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

I will plant it on the mountains of Israel so it will bear branches and produce fruit, and it will become a majestic cedar so that every winged bird will live under it. They will nest in the shade of its branches.

24 All the trees of the field shall know that I, YHWH, 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, YHWH, have spoken and have done it.'"

Then all the trees of the field will know that I am Yahweh. I bring down the high trees and I raise up the low trees. I wither the watered tree and I cause the dried tree to bloom. I am Yahweh, I have declared that this will happen; and I have done it.'”