1 N ow the word of the Lord came to me saying,

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

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

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

3 s aying, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “A great eagle with great wings, long pinions and a full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.

and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A great eagle with great wings, long-pinioned, full of feathers, which was of divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar.

4 H e plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders.

He cropped off the top of its young shoots, and carried it into a merchants' land; he set it in a city of traders.

5 H e also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow.

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

6 T hen it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and yielded shoots and sent out branches.

And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, so that its branches should turn toward him, and the roots thereof be under him; and it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

7 “ But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, that he might water it.

And there was another great eagle with great wings and many feathers; and behold, from the beds of her plantation, this vine did bend her roots unto him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it.

8 I t was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.”’

It was planted in a good field by many waters, that it might bring forth branches and bear fruit, that it might be a noble vine.

9 S ay, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.

Say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither? All its fresh sprouting leaves shall wither, even without a great arm and many people to pluck it up by its roots.

10 B ehold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?”’” Zedekiah’s Rebellion

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

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

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

12 “ Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things mean ?’ Say, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon.

Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things are? Say, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king and its princes, and led them with him to Babylon.

13 H e took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land,

And he took of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and brought him under an oath, and he took away the mighty of the land;

14 t hat the kingdom might be in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue.

that the kingdom might be abased, that it might not lift itself up, that it might keep his covenant in order to stand.

15 B ut he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and 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? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape?

16 A s I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘Surely in the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall die.

I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, verily in the place of the king that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him, in the midst of Babylon, shall he die.

17 P haraoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives.

Neither shall Pharaoh with a mighty army and a great assemblage do anything for him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts to cut off many persons.

18 N ow he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.’”

He despised the oath, and broke the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, yet hath he done all these things: he shall not escape.

19 T herefore, thus says the Lord God, “As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will inflict on his head.

Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I live, verily, mine oath which he hath despised, and my covenant which he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his head.

20 I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which 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 enter into judgment with him there for his unfaithfulness in which he hath been unfaithful against me.

21 A ll the choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”

And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward every wind; and ye shall know that I Jehovah have spoken.

22 T hus says the Lord God, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will also take of the highest branch of the lofty cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of its young shoots a tender one, and I will plant it upon a high and eminent mountain:

23 O n the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches.

upon the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth branches, and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar; and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.

24 A ll the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”

And all the trees of the field shall know that I Jehovah have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and made the dry tree to flourish: I Jehovah have spoken, and will do.