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

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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

Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

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.

And say, Thus saith the Lord God; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:

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.

He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.

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.

He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.

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.

And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

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.

There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

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.

It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.

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.

Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.

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.

Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

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

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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.

Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;

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,

And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:

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.

That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.

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?

But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

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.

As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.

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.

Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:

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.

Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.

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.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.

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.

And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.

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.

And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it.

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.

Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:

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.

In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.

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.

And all the trees of the field shall 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 to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.