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

ثُمَّ أتَتْ إلَيَّ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ:

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 “ 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.

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

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

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

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.

«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 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

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 “ 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.

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

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,

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 be in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue.

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

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?

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,’ 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.

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 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.

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

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.’”

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 which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will inflict on his head.

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

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.

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

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.”

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.”

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