Hiezechielis Prophetæ 17
1 Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens:
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 Fili hominis propone aenigma, et narra parabolam ad domum Israel,
“Son of man, tell a riddle, and 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 say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “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.
4 Summitatem frondium eius avulsit: et transportavit eam in Terram Chanaan, in urbe negotiatorum posuit illam.
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 Et tulit de semine terrae, et posuit illud in terra pro semine, ut firmaret radicem super aquas multas: in superficie posuit illud.
“‘“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 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 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, produced branches, and shot out sprigs.
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.
“‘“There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. Behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot out its branches toward him, from the ground where it was planted, 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 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 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?
“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 Ecce plantata est: ergone prosperabitur? nonne cum tetigerit eam ventus urens siccabitur, et in areis germinis sui arescet?
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 Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens:
Moreover the LORD’s word 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.
“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 Et tollet de semine regni, ferietque cum eo foedus: et ab eo accipiet iusiurandum. sed et fortes terrae tollet,
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 ut sit regnum humile, et non elevetur, sed custodiat pactum eius, et servet illud.
that the kingdom might be brought low, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
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 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 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 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 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 great company won’t help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts to cut off many persons.
18 Spreverat enim iuramentum ut solveret foedus, et ecce dedit manum suam: et cum omnia haec fecerit, non effugiet.
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 Propterea haec dicit Dominus Deus: Vivo ego, quoniam iuramentum, quod sprevit, et foedus, quod praevaricatus est, ponam in caput eius.
“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 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 on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed 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 fugitives in all his bands will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered toward every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken it.’
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.
“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 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 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 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.
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.’”
