Hiezechielis Prophetæ 17
1 Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens:
Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 Fili hominis propone aenigma, et narra parabolam ad domum Israel,
“Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel
3 et dices: Haec dicit Dominus Deus: Aquila grandis magnarum alarum, longo membrorum ductu, plena plumis, et varietate, venit ad Libanum, et tulit medullam cedri.
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 Summitatem frondium eius avulsit: et transportavit eam in Terram Chanaan, in urbe negotiatorum posuit illam.
He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders.
5 Et tulit de semine terrae, et posuit illud in terra pro semine, ut firmaret radicem super aquas multas: in superficie posuit illud.
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 Cumque germinasset, crevit in vineam latiorem, humili statura, respicientibus ramis eius ad eam: et radices eius sub illa erant. facta est ergo vinea, et fructificavit in palmites, et emisit propagines.
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 Et facta est aquila altera grandis magnis alis, multisque plumis: et ecce vinea ista quasi mittens radices suas ad eam, palmites suos extendit ad illam, ut irrigaret eam de areolis germinis sui.
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 terra bona super aquas multas plantata est: ut faciat frondes, et portet fructum, ut sit in vineam grandem.
It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’
9 Dic: Haec dicit Dominus Deus: Ergone prosperabitur? nonne radices eius evellet, et fructus eius distringet, et siccabit omnes palmites germinis eius, et arescet: et non in brachio grandi, neque in populo multo, ut evelleret eam radicitus?
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 Ecce plantata est: ergone prosperabitur? nonne cum tetigerit eam ventus urens siccabitur, et in areis germinis sui arescet?
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 Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens:
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
12 Dic ad domum exasperantem: Nescitis quid ista significent? Dic: Ecce venit rex Babylonis in Ierusalem: et assumet regem, et principes eius, et adducet eos ad semetipsum in Babylonem.
“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 Et tollet de semine regni, ferietque cum eo foedus: et ab eo accipiet iusiurandum. sed et fortes terrae tollet,
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 ut sit regnum humile, et non elevetur, sed custodiat pactum eius, et servet illud.
so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.
15 Qui recedens ab eo misit nuncios ad Aegyptum ut daret sibi equos, et populum multum. Numquid prosperabitur, vel consequetur salutem qui fecit haec? et qui dissolvit pactum, numquid effugiet?
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 Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus: quoniam in loco regis, qui constituit eum regem, cuius fecit irritum iuramentum, et solvit pactum, quod habebat cum eo, in medio Babylonis morietur.
‘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 Et non in exercitu grandi, neque in populo multo faciet contra eum Pharao praelium: in iactu aggeris, et in extructione vallorum ut interficiat animas multas.
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 Spreverat enim iuramentum ut solveret foedus, et ecce dedit manum suam: et cum omnia haec fecerit, non effugiet.
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 Propterea haec dicit Dominus Deus: Vivo ego, quoniam iuramentum, quod sprevit, et foedus, quod praevaricatus est, ponam in caput eius.
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 Et expandam super eum rete meum, et comprehendetur in sagena mea: et adducam eum in Babylonem, et iudicabo eum ibi in praevaricatione, qua despexit 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 Et omnes profugi eius cum universo agmine suo, gladio cadent: residui autem in omnem ventum dispergentur: et scietis quia ego Dominus locutus sum.
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 Haec dicit Dominus Deus: Et sumam ego de medulla cedri sublimis, et ponam: de vertice ramorum eius tenerum distringam, et plantabo super montem excelsum et eminentem.
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 monte sublimi Israel plantabo illud, et erumpet in germen, et faciet fructum, et erit in cedrum magnam: et habitabunt sub ea omnes volucres, et universum volatile sub umbra frondium eius nidificabit.
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 Et scient omnia ligna regionis, quia ego Dominus humiliavi lignum sublime, et exaltavi lignum humile: et siccavi lignum viride, et frondere feci lignum aridum. Ego Dominus locutus sum, et feci.
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.’”
