1 A nd the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

ثُمَّ أتَتْ إلَيَّ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ:

2 S on of man, put forth a riddle and speak a parable or allegory to the house of Israel;

«يا إنْسانُ، تَكَلَّمْ بِهَذا اللُّغزِ، وَكَلِّمْ بَني إسْرائِيلَ بِهَذا اللُّغْزِ وَالمَثَلِ،

3 S ay, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in feathers of various colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.

وَقُلْ: ‹يَقُولُ الرّبُّ الإلَهُ: «أتَى إلَى لُبنانَ نَسرٌ ضَخمٌ لَهُ أجنِحَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ. قَوادِمُهُ طَوِيلَةٌ وَرِيشُهُ مُتَعَدِّدُ الألوانِ. فَأخَذَ غُصناً مِنْ قِمَّةِ شَجَرَةِ أرْزٍ

4 H e broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it into a land of trade; he set it in a city of merchants.

وَكَسَرَ أغصاناً صَغِيرَةً طَرِيَّةً مِنْ قِمَّةِ الشَّجَرَةِ، وَأخَذَها إلَى أرْضِ التُّجّارِ وَمَدِينَةِ الباعَةِ.

5 H e took also of the seedlings of the land and planted it in fertile soil and a fruitful field; he placed it beside abundant waters and set it as a willow tree.

كَما أخَذَ بَعضَ البُذُورِ مِنْ تِلكَ الأرْضِ، وَزَرَعَها فِي الحُقُولِ المُعَدَّةِ لِلزِّراعَةِ. فَزَرَعَها قُربَ المِياهِ الغَزِيرَةِ، وَأقامَها كَشَجَرَةِ صَفْصافٍ.

6 A nd it grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots remained under and subject to him; so it became a vine and brought forth branches and shot forth leafy twigs.

فَنَمَتِ البُذُورُ وَصارَتْ كَرمَةً مُمتَدَّةٌ. وَمَعَ أنَّ جِذعَها كانَ قَصِيراً، لَكِنَّ فُرُوعَها بَدَأتْ تَمتَدُّ وَتَنمُو، وَكانَ لَها جُذُورٌ طَوِيلَةٌ وَمَتِينَةٌ. وَنَمَتْ حَتَّى أصبَحَتْ كَرمَةً أخرَجَتْ فُرُوعاً وَأنتَجَتْ ثَمَراً.

7 T here was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him, away from the beds of its planting, for him to water.

«وَكانَ هُناكَ نَسرٌ عَظِيمٌ آخَرُ لَهُ أجنِحَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ جِدّاً. قَوادِمُهُ طَوِيلَةٌ وَمُكتَمِلَةٌ. فَأرسَلَتْ جُذُورَها نَحوَهُ، وَمَدَّتْ فُرُوعَها باتِّجاهِهِ لِيَسقِيها.

8 T hough it was planted in good soil where water was plentiful for it to produce leaves and to bear fruit, it was transplanted, that it might become a splendid vine.

كانَتِ الكَرمَةُ قَدْ غُرِسَتْ فِي حَقلٍ جَيِّدٍ، قُربَ مِياهٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، لِتُخرِجَ أغصاناً كَثِيرَةً وَثَمَراً كَثِيراً، لِتَنمُوَ وَتَصِيرَ كَرمَةً جَمِيلَةً.»

9 T hus says the Lord God: Ask, Will it thrive? Will he not pluck up its roots and strip off its fruit so that all its fresh sprouting leaves will wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pluck it up by its roots.

«هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ: هَلْ سَتَنجَحُ؟ ألَنْ تُقلَعَ جُذُورُها وَيُقطَعُ ثَمَرُها؟ ألَنْ يَيْبَسَ وَرَقُها وَيَمُوتُ؟ لَنْ يَحتاجَ قَلعُها مِنْ جُذُورِها إلَى أيدٍ قَوِيَّةٍ أوْ أُناسٍ كَثِيرِينَ.

10 Y es, behold, though transplanted, will it prosper? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the furrows and beds where it sprouted and grew.

لَكِنْ إنْ نُقِلَتْ إلَى مَكانٍ آخَرٍ، فَهَلْ سَتَنمُو؟ ألَنْ تَيْبَسَ حِينَ تَهُبُّ الرِّيحُ الشَّرقِيَّةُ عَلَى البُستانِ الَّذِي زُرِعَتْ فِيهِ؟»

11 M oreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

وَأتَتْ إلَيَّ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ:

12 S ay now to the rebellious house, Do you not know and realize what these things mean? Tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and its princes and brought them with him to Babylon.

«قُلْ للِشَّعبِ المُتَمَرِّدِ: ‹ألا تَفهَمُونَ مَعنَى هَذِهِ الأمْثالِ؟ ها إنَّ مَلِكَ بابِلَ أتَى إلَى مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ وَأسَرَ مَلِكَها وَكُلَّ رُؤَسائِها وَأخَذَهُمْ إلَى بابِلَ.

13 A nd he took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took the mighty and chief men of the land,

ثُمَّ اختارَ مَلِكُ بابِلَ واحِداً مِنَ النَّسلِ المَلَكِيِّ وَقَطَعَ مَعَهُ عَهداً. وَجَعَلَهُ يُقْسِمُ عَلَى الوَلاءِ. وَأخَذَ الرِّجالَ المُقتَدِرِينَ ذَوِي النُّفُوذِ مِنَ الأرْضِ.

14 T hat the kingdom might become low and base and be unable to lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.

فَكانَ العَهدُ يَقضِي بِأنْ تَبقَى المَملَكَةُ خاضِعَةً فَلا تَرتَفِعُ، بَلْ تُحافِظُ عَلَى هَذا العَهْدِ مُقابِلَ سَلامَتِها.

15 B ut he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Will he prosper? Will he escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant with and yet escape?

وَلَكِنَّ المَلِكَ تَمَرَّدَ عَلَى مَلِكِ بابِلَ، وَأرسَلَ مَبعُوثِينَ إلَى مِصرَ لإحضارِ خُيُولٍ وَجَيشٍ عَظِيمٍ. فَهَلْ سَيَنجَحُ؟ هَلْ سَيَنجُو مِنَ العِقابِ؟ هَلْ يَنجُو مَنْ يَفعَلُ ذَلِكَ؟ هَلْ يَنجُو مَنْ يَكسِرُ العَهدَ؟»

16 A s I live, says the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwells who made king, whose oath despised and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon shall die.

يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ: «أُقسِمُ بِذاتِي إنَّ ذَلِكَ المَلِكَ سَيَمُوتُ فِي بابِلَ. عَيَّنَهُ مَلِكُ بابِلَ عَلَى أرْضِ يَهُوذا، لَكِنَّهُ نَكَثَ بِقَسَمِهِ، وَكَسَرَ العَهْدَ مَعَ مَلِكِ بابِلَ.

17 N either shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war when the cast up mounds and build forts to destroy many lives.

لَن تَأتِي قُوّاتُ فِرعَوْنَ وَجُيُوشُهُ الضَّخمَةُ لِمُساعَدَتِهِ فِي وَقتِ الحَربِ. فَسَتُبنَى حَواجِزُ تُرابِيَّةٌ وَأبراجُ حِصارٍ عِندَ الأسوارِ، لِلقَضاءِ عَلَى نُفُوسٍ كَثِيرَةٍ.

18 F or despised the oath and broke the covenant and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things; he shall not escape.

فَلأنَّهُ احتَقَرَ القَسَمَ وَكَسَرَ العَهدَ بَعْدَ أنْ رَفَعَ يَدَهُ وَأقسَمَ، لَنْ يَنجُو.»

19 T herefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely My oath that has despised and My covenant with him that he has broken, I will even bring down on his own head.

وَلِهَذا، يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ: «أُقسِمُ بِذاتِي إنِّي سَأُحَمِّلُهُ نتيجَةَ قَسَمِي الَّذِي احتَقَرَهُ وَعَهدِي الَّذِي كَسَرَهُ!

20 A nd I will spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare; and I will bring him to Babylon and will enter into judgment and punishment with him there for his trespass and treason that he has committed against Me.

سَأُلقِي بِشَبَكَتِي عَلَيهِ، وَسَيَعلَقُ بِفَخِّي. سَأحمِلُهُ إلَى بابِلَ، وَهُناكَ سَأُدِينُهُ عَلَى التَّمَرُّدِ عَلَيَّ وَخِيانَتِهِ لِي.

21 A nd all his fugitives in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward every wind. And you shall know (understand and realize) that I the Lord have spoken it.

سَيُحاوِلُ الكَثِيرُ مِنْ جُيُوشِهِ الهَرَبَ، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ سَيُقتَلُونَ بِالسَّيفِ. وَالَّذِينَ سَيَبقُونَ سَيَتَبَعثَرُونَ فِي كُلِّ مَكانٍ. حِينَئِذٍ، سَيَعرِفُونَ أنِّي أنا اللهَ تَكَلَّمْتُ.»

22 T hus says the Lord God: I Myself will take a twig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and will plant it upon a mountain high and exalted.

هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ: «سَآخُذُ غُصناً مِنْ أعلَى شَجَرَةِ الأرْزِ. سَأقطَعُ غُصناً طَرِيّاً مِنْ قِمَّتِها، وَسَأزرَعُهُ بِنَفسِي عَلَى جَبَلٍ عالٍ وَمُرتَفِعٍ.

23 O n the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and be a noble cedar, and under it shall dwell all birds of every feather; in the shade of its branches they shall nestle and find rest.

سَأغرِسُهُ عَلَى جَبَلٍ عالٍ فِي إسْرائِيلَ، وَسَيُنْبِتُ أغصاناً وَ ثَمَراً. سَتُصبِحُ أشَّجارَ أرزٍ جَمِيلَةً تَسكُنُ تَحتَها العَصافِيرُ بِأنواعِها، وَتُعَشِّشُ فِي ظِلَّ أغصانِها جَميعُ أنواعِ الطُّيُورِ.

24 A nd all the trees of the field shall know (understand and realize) that I the Lord have brought low 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 I will do it.

«حِينَئِذٍ، سَتَعرِفُ كُلُّ أشجارِ الحَقلِ أنِّي، أنا اللهَ ، أخفَضْتُ الشَّجَرَ الطَّوِيلَ وَرَفَعْتُ القَصِيرَ، يَبَّسْتُ الشَّجَرَةَ الخَضْراءَ، وَمَلأتُ اليابِسَةَ بِالبَراعِمِ.»