Ezekiel 17

1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

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

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

3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came to Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:

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:

4 He cropped off the top of its young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.

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.

5 He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed [it] by great waters, [and] set it [as] a willow tree.

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.

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

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.

7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and behold, this vine did bend her roots towards him, and shot forth her branches towards him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

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:

8 It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.

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.

9 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by its roots.

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.

10 Yes, behold, [being] planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

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?

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

Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying:

12 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these [things mean]? tell [them], Behold, the king of Babylon hath come to Jerusalem, and hath taken its king, and its princes, and led them with him to Babylon;

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;

13 And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath from him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:

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.

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

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

15 But he rebelled against him in sending his embassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such [things]? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

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?

16 [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place [where] the king [dwelleth] that 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, 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.

17 Neither shall Pharaoh with [his] mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:

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.

18 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these [things], he shall not escape.

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.

19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; [As] I live, surely my oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even that will I recompense upon his own head.

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:

20 And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.

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;

21 And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered towards all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken [it].

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!]

22 Thus saith the Lord God, I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set [it]; I will crop off from the top of its young twigs a tender one, and will plant [it] upon a high mountain and eminent:

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,

23 In the mountain of the hight 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 fowl of every wing; in the shade of its branches shall they dwell.

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.

24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD 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 the LORD have spoken and have done [it].

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.