1 ث ُمَّ أتَتْ إلَيَّ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ:

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

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

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

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

and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “A great eagle with large wings and long pinions, Full of feathers of various colors, Came to Lebanon And took from the cedar the highest branch.

4 و َكَسَرَ أغصاناً صَغِيرَةً طَرِيَّةً مِنْ قِمَّةِ الشَّجَرَةِ، وَأخَذَها إلَى أرْضِ التُّجّارِ وَمَدِينَةِ الباعَةِ.

He cropped off its topmost young twig And carried it to a land of trade; He set it in a city of merchants.

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

Then he took some of the seed of the land And planted it in a fertile field; He placed it by abundant waters And set it like a willow tree.

6 ف َنَمَتِ 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.

And it grew and became a spreading vine of low stature; Its branches turned toward him, But its roots were under it. So it became a vine, Brought forth branches, And put forth shoots.

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

“But there was another great eagle with large wings and many feathers; And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, And stretched its branches toward him, From the garden terrace where it had been planted, That he might water it.

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

It was planted in good soil by many waters, To bring forth branches, bear fruit, And become a majestic vine.”’

9 « 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.

“Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots, Cut off its fruit, And leave it to wither? All of its spring leaves will wither, And no great power or many people Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots.

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

Behold, it is planted, Will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew.”’”

11 و َأتَتْ إلَيَّ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ:

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

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

“Say now to the rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean? ’ Tell them, ‘Indeed the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes, and led them with him to Babylon.

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

And he took the king’s offspring, made a covenant with him, and put him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land,

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

that the kingdom might be brought low and not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.

15 و َلَكِنَّ 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؟»

But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?

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

‘ 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—with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.

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

Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, when they heap up a siege mound and build a wall to cut off many persons.

18 ف َلأنَّهُ احتَقَرَ القَسَمَ وَكَسَرَ العَهدَ بَعْدَ أنْ رَفَعَ يَدَهُ وَأقسَمَ، لَنْ يَنجُو.»

Since he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and in fact gave his hand and still did all these things, he shall not escape.’”

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

Therefore thus says the Lord God: “ As I live, surely My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head.

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

I will spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and try him there for the treason which he committed against Me.

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

All his fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.” Israel Exalted at Last

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

Thus says the Lord God: “I will take also one of the highest branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and will plant it on a high and prominent mountain.

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

On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell.

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

And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it. ”