Ehekiera 17
1 I puta mai ano te kupu a Ihowa ki ahau; i mea,
A message from 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, present this riddle—share it as a parable with the people 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.
Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: There was a great eagle that had large wings, long feathers, and multi-colored plumage. It came to Lebanon and took off 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 broke off its highest branch and took it to a country 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 good soil beside a large river where he could grow it 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.
The seed sprouted and grew into a low, spreading vine, with its branches facing toward him, and its roots went down into the ground beneath. So the vine developed, growing leaves and branches.
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 that had large wings and many feathers. This vine sent out its roots toward him. It stretched out its branches to him from where it had been planted, wanting him to 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.
Yet it had been planted in good soil beside a large river so it could grow strong, produce fruit, and become a superb 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 tell them this is what the Lord God says: ‘Will it grow well? Won't it be uprooted and its fruit ripped off so that it withers? All its leaves will dry up. You wouldn't need strong arms or lots of 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's transplanted, is it going to survive? Won't it wither up completely when the east wind blows? In fact, it will wither right where it was planted.”
11 I puta mai ano te kupu a Ihowa ki ahau, i mea,
A message from 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;
“Tell these rebellious people: ‘Don't you know what this riddle means?’ Explain to them, ‘Look, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, made its king and officials his prisoners, and took 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 made an agreement with one of the royal family and made him take an oath that he would be a loyal subject as king. Then he took into exile the country's leaders,
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 kept in subjection and wouldn't be strong enough to rebel—it would only survive by keeping its agreement with him.
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?
However, this king did rebel against Babylon, and sent ambassadors to Egypt to ask for help by supplying horses and many soldiers. Will he do well? Would someone who acts like this succeed? Could he break an agreement and not be punished?’
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 I live, declares the Lord God, ‘he is going to die in Babylon, in the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he disregarded and whose agreement 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 powerful army of many soldiers won't help him in battle, when attack ramps are piled up and siege walls built and many people end up being killed.
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 disregarded his oath by breaking the agreement. Because he shook hands as a sign of the promise he made, yet rebelled in this way, he won't go unpunished!’
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.
So this is what the Lord God says: As I live, I will punish him for disregarding my oath and for breaking my agreement.
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 throw my net over him and catch him; I will trap in my snare. I will take him to Babylon and sentence him to punishment there for his treason towards 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 best soldiers will be killed in battle, and those who do survive will be scattered in all directions. 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'm going to break off a branch from the high top of the cedar, and I will plant it on the top of a high 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 Israel's high mountain so that it can grow branches, produce fruit and become a magnificent cedar. All kinds of birds will live in it, nesting 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.
All the trees in the countryside will know that I am the Lord. I can bring down the tall and have the low tree grow tall. I can make the green tree dry up, and make the withered tree become green again. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.”
