Ezekiel 17
1 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 and he seide, Sone of man, sette forth a derk speche, and telle thou a parable to the hous of Israel;
“Son of man, tell a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;
3 and thou schalt seie, The Lord God seith these thingis. A greet egle of grete wyngis, with long stretchyng out of membris, ful of fetheris and of dyuersite, cam to the Liban, and took awei the merowe of the cedre.
and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers which had various colours, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
4 He pullide awei the hiynesse of boowis therof, and bar it ouer in to the lond of Chanaan, and settide it in the citee of marchauntis.
He cropped off the topmost of its young twigs, and carried it to a land of traffic. He planted it in a city of merchants.
5 And he took of the seed of the lond, and settide it in the lond for seed, that it schulde make stidfast roote on many watris; he settide it in the hiyere part.
“‘“He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He set it as a willow tree.
6 And whanne it hadde growe, it encreesside in to a largere vyner, in lowe stature; for the boowis therof bihelden to that egle, and the rootis therof weren vndur that egle; therof it was maad a vyner, and it made fruyt in to siouns, and sente out boowis.
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, produced branches, and shot out sprigs.
7 And another greet egle was maad, with grete wyngis, and many fetheris; and lo! this vyner as sendynge hise rootis to that egle, stretchide forth his siouns to that egle, that he schulde moiste it of the cornfloris of his seed.
“‘“There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. Behold, this vine bent its roots towards him, and shot out its branches towards him, from the ground where it was planted, that he might water it.
8 Which is plauntid in a good lond on many watris, that it make boowis, and bere fruyt, that it be in to a greet vyner.
It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might produce branches and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a good vine.”’
9 Seie thou, Ezechiel, The Lord God seith these thingis, Therfor whether he schal haue prosperite? Whether Nabugodonosor schal not pulle awei the rootis of hym, and schal streyne the fruytis of hym? And he schal make drie alle the siouns of buriowning therof, and it schal be drie; and not in greet arm, nether in myche puple, that he schulde drawe it out bi the rootis.
“Say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Will it prosper? Won’t he pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, that it may wither, that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? It can’t be raised from its roots by a strong arm or many people.
10 Lo! it is plauntid, therfor whether it schal haue prosperite? Whether not whanne brennynge wynd schal touche it, it schal be maad drye, and schal wexe drie in the cornfloris of his seed?
Yes, behold, being planted, will it prosper? Won’t it utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the ground where it grew.”’”
11 And the word of the Lord was maad to me, and he seide, Seie thou to the hous terrynge to wraththe,
Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
12 Witen ye not what these thingis signefien? Seie thou, Lo! the king of Babiloyne cometh in to Jerusalem; and he schal take the kyng and the princis therof, and he schal leede hem to hym silf in to Babiloyne.
“Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon.
13 And he schal take of the seed of the rewme, and schal smyte with it a boond of pees, and he schal take of it an ooth; but also he schal take awei the stronge men of the lond,
He took one of the royal offspring, and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land,
14 that it be a meke rewme, and be not reisid, but that it kepe the couenaunt of hym, and holde it.
that the kingdom might be brought low, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
15 Which yede awei fro hym, and sente messangeris in to Egipt, that it schulde yyue to hym horsis and miche puple. Whether he that dide these thingis, schal haue prosperite, ether schal gete helthe? and whether he that brekith couenaunt, schal ascape?
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape?
16 Y lyue, seith the Lord God, for in the place of the king that made hym kyng, whos ooth he made voide, and brak the couenaunt, which he hadde with hym, in the myddis of Babiloyne he schal die.
“‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘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 middle of Babylon he will die.
17 And not in greet oost, nether in myche puple Farao schal make batel ayens hym, in the castyng of erthe, and in bildyng of palis, that he sle many persones.
Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company won’t help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts to cut off many persons.
18 For he dispiside the ooth, that he schulde breke the boond of pees, and lo! he yaf his hond; and whanne he hath do alle these thingis, he schal not ascape.
For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things. He won’t escape.
19 Therfor the Lord God seith these thingis, Y lyue, for Y schal sette on his heed the ooth which he dispiside, and the boond of pees which he brak.
“Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘As I live, I will surely bring on his own head my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken.
20 And Y schal spredde abrood my net on hym, and he schal be takun in my net, and Y schal brynge hym in to Babiloyne; and there Y schal deme hym in the trespassyng, bi which he dispiside me.
I will spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgement with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against me.
21 And alle hise flieris a wei with al his cumpenye schulen falle doun bi swerd, forsothe the remenauntis schulen be schaterid in to ech wynd; and ye schulen wite, that Y the Lord spak.
All his fugitives in all his bands will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered towards every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken it.’
22 The Lord God seith these thingis, And Y schal take of the merowe of an hiy cedre, and Y schal sette a tendir thing of the cop of hise braunchis; Y schal streyne, and Y schal plaunte on an hiy hil, and apperynge fer.
“The Lord GOD says: ‘I will also take some of the lofty top of the cedar, and will plant 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.
23 In the hiy hil of Israel Y schal plaunte it; and it schal breke out in to buriownyng, and it schal make fruyt, and it schal be in to a greet cedre, and alle briddis schulen dwelle vndur it; ech volatil schal make nest vndur the schadewe of hise boowis.
I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches.
24 And alle trees of the cuntrei schulen wite, that Y am the Lord; Y made low the hiy tre, and Y enhaunside the low tre, and Y made drie the greene tree, and Y made the drie tree to brynge forth boowis; Y the Lord haue spoke, and Y haue do.
All the trees of the field will 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 flourish. “‘I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.’”
