Ehekiera 17

1 I puta mai ano te kupu a Ihowa ki ahau; i mea,

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

2 E te tama a te tangata, whakaaria atu he paki, korerotia atu he kupu whakarite ki te whare o Iharaira;

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

3 Mea atu, Ko te kupu tenei a te Ariki, a Ihowa; He ekara nui, he nui nga parirau, he roroa nga hou, kapi tonu i te huruhuru, he mea kotingotingo, i haere mai ia ki Repanona, tangohia ana e ia te kauru rawa o te hita.

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 Katohia ana e ia te pito o ona manga ngawari, kawea ana ki te whenua hokohoko, waiho iho e ia i te pa o nga kaihokohoko.

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

5 I tikina ano e ia etahi o nga purapura o te whenua, whakatokia iho e ia ki te mara hua, kawea ana e ia ki te taha o nga wai maha, whakatokia ana ano he wirou.

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 A ka tupu taua mea, he waina papaku e torotoro ana, ko ona manga i anga atu ki a ia, a ko ona pakiaka i raro i a ia: na ka whakawaina, ka tupu ona manga, a ka totoro ona peka.

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 Na tera ano tetahi atu ekara nui, he nunui nga parirau, a he maha nga huruhuru: na i piko atu nga pakiaka o te waina nei ki a ia, i toro atu ona manga ki a ia i nga wahi i whakatokia ai, kia whakamakukutia ai e ia.

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 He mea whakato ia ki te mara pai ki te taha o nga wai maha, kia tupu ai he manga, kia hua ai he hua, kia tino pai ai taua waina.

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

9 Mea atu koe, Ko te kupu tenei a te Ariki, a Ihowa, E tupu ranei? e kore ianei e hutia atu e ia ona pakiaka? e kore ianei e tapahia ona hua, e maroke ai, e maroke ano ai ona rau katoa e pihi ana; ahakoa kahore e nui te ringa, e nui ranei te iwi he i huaranga?

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 Ae ra, na, i te mea kua whakatokia, e tupu ranei? e kore ianei e maroke rawa ina pa te hau marangai ki a ia? ka maroke ano i te tupuranga i pihi ai.

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 I puta mai ano te kupu a Ihowa ki ahau, i mea,

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

12 Tena, mea atu ki te whare whakakeke, Kahore ranei koutou e mohio ki te tikanga o enei mea? mea atu, Nana, i tae mai te kingi o Papurona ki Hiruharama, a tangohia ana e ia to reira kingi, o reira rangatira, kawea ana ki Papurona;

“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 Na i mau ia ki te uri kingi, whakaritea ana he kawenata ki a ia; i whakaoatitia ano ia e ia, a mauria atu ana ano e ia te hunga nunui o te whenua;

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 Kia tutua ai tona kingitanga, kia kaua ai e ara ake ki runga, engari he turanga mona ko te pupuri i tana kawenata.

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

15 Heoi whakakeke ana ia ki a ia, unga ana e ia ana karere ki Ihipa kia homai etahi hoiho ki a ia, me etahi tangata, he tini. E tika ranei tana? e mawhiti ranei te kaimahi o enei mea? e whakataka ranei e ia te kawenata, a mawhiti ake?

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 E ora ana ahau, e ai ta te Ariki, ta Ihowa, ina, i te wahi ano o te kingi nana nei ia i whakakingi, nana nei te oati i whakahaweatia e ia, nana nei te kawenata i whakataka e ia, i tona taha ano i waenganui o Papurona ka mate ia.

‘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 Na e kore a Parao me tana ope nui, me tona huihui nui, e whai wahi ki a ia i te whawhai, ina whakahauputia ake e ratou he pukepuke, hanga ranei he taumaihi, e hatepea atu ai nga tangata tokomaha.

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 Kua whakahaweatia hoki e ia te oati, i tana whakatakanga i te kawenata; nana, kua hoatu e ia tona ringa, otiia kua mahia e ia enei mea katoa; e kore ia e mawhiti.

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 Mo reira ko te kupu tenei a te Ariki, a Ihowa; E ora ana ahau, ina ka utua e ahau ki runga ki tona matenga taku oati i whakahaweatia e ia, me taku kawenata i whakataka e ia.

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 Ka horahia ano e ahau taku kupenga ki runga ki a ia, a ka mau ia i taku rore, ka kawea ano ia e ahau ki Papurona, ka whakawakia e ahau ki reira mo tona he i he ai ia ki ahau.

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 Na, ko ona whati katoa, i roto i ona ropu katoa, ka hinga i te hoari, ka whakamararatia atu hoki nga morehu ki nga hau katoa; a ka mohio koutou naku, na Ihowa, te kupu.

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 Ko te kupu tenei a te Ariki, a Ihowa, Ka tangohia ano e ahau tetahi wahi o te kauru o te hita tiketike, a ka whakatupuria; ka katohia mai e ahau tetahi mea ngawari i te matamata o ona rara hou, a ka whakatokia ki runga ki te maunga tiketike e pu rero ana ki runga.

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 Ka whakatokia e ahau ki te maunga tiketike o Iharaira: a ka wana ona manga, ka hua nga hua, a ko te putanga, he hita pai; ka noho hoki nga manu katoa, ia parirau, ia parirau, ki raro i a ia; ka noho ratou ki te taumarumarunga iho o ona manga.

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 A ka mohio nga rakau katoa o te parae, naku, na Ihowa, i whakaiti te rakau tiketike, naku i tiketike ai te rakau papaku; naku i whakamareke te rakau kaiota, naku hoki i tupu ai te rakau maroke: naku, na Ihowa, te kupu, naku ano i mahi.

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.’”