Ezekiel 17

1 And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 Son of man Put thou forth a riddle And speak thou a parable, - Unto the house of Israel:

“Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel

3 So then thou shalt say, Thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh, — A great eagle, with large wings of long pinion, full of plumage, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:

and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.

4 The crown of its young twigs, plucked he off, and brought it into a land of traffic, in a city of merchants, he set it.

He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders.

5 So he took of the seed of the land, and planted it in a field for seed, - He took it near mighty waters, Like a willow-tree, he set it.

He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow.

6 And it shot forth, and became a spreading vine of lowly stature, Its branches turning towards him, And its roots under him spread, - So it became a vine, And brought forth shoots, And sent forth boughs.

It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height, with branches turned toward him; yet its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and yielded branches and sent out shoots.

7 And it came to pass that there was another great eagle, with large wings, and abundant plumage, - And lo! this vine, stretched its roots hungry towards him. And its branches, sent it forth unto him, That he might cause it to drink out of the beds where it was planted:

But there was another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him. It stretched out its branches to him from its planting bed, so that he might water it.

8 In a goodly field by mighty waters, was it planted, - That it might bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, That it might become a splendid vine.

It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

9 Say thou, Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Shall it thrive? Its roots, will he not tear up? Its fruit, will he not cut off, that it wither? All the fresh leaves it hath caused to spring forth shall wither without a strong arm or many people, to pull it up by its roots.

So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it shrivels? All its foliage will wither! It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots.

10 Lo! therefore though [it remain] planted, shall it thrive? As soon as an east wind toucheth it, will it not utterly wither? On the beds where it sprang up, will it not wither?

Even if it is transplanted, will it flourish? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes? It will wither on the bed where it sprouted.’”

11 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying:

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

12 Say, I pray thee unto the perverse house, Know ye not what these things are? Say thou Lo! the King of Babylon entered Jerusalem And took her king and her princes, And brought them unto him in Babylon;

“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon.

13 Yea took of the seed royal And solemnised with him a covenant, And brought him into an oath, Also the mighty ones of the land, did he take.

He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land,

14 That, the kingdom might be abased, so as not to lift itself up, — By the keeping of his covenant, might be made to stand.

so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.

15 But he hath rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Egypt, that there should be given to him horses, and much people. Shall he thrive? Shall he escape that doeth these things? Shall he break a covenant and escape?

But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’

16 As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Very! in the place where dwelleth the king that made him king, Whose oath he hath despised, And whose covenant he hath broken With him in the midst of Babylon, shall he die.

‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.

17 Neither shall Pharaoh with a great force. or with a large gathered host, work with him in the war, by casting up an earthwork and by building a siege-wall, —to the cuting off of many lives.

Pharaoh with his mighty army and vast horde will not help him in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives.

18 Seeing he hath despised an oath. by breaking a covenant—yea lo! hath given his hand and all these things hath done he shall not escape.

He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’

19 Therefore, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh As I live, Surely it is mine oath which he hath despised, and my covenant which he hath broken, Therefore will I bring it upon his own head:

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke.

20 And I will spread over him my net, And he shall be taken in my snare, And I will bring him into Babylon and will enter into judgment with him there, as to his treachery wherewith he hath been treacherous against me;

I will spread My net over him and catch him in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the treason he committed against Me.

21 And all his fugitives throughout all his bands by the sword, shall fall, And they who are left, to every wind, shall be scattered, - [So shall ye know that I, Yahweh, have spoken!]

All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.’

22 Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Therefore will I, Myself, take of the highest branch of the lofty cedar and set it, — Of the crown of its young twigs, a tender one, will I pluck off, and I. myself will plant it upon a mountain high and terraced,

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

23 In the mountain of the height of Israel, will I plant it, And it shall put forth boughs And bear fruit, And become a majestic cedar, - And every bird of every wing shall dwell under it, In the shade of its branches, shall they dwell.

I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel so that it will bear branches; it will yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches.

24 So shall all the trees of the field know that I Yahweh Have laid low the high tree Have exalted the low tree, Have dried up the moist tree, And have caused to flourish the tree, that was dry, — I, Yahweh, have spoken, and performed.

Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”