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

¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

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

Son of man, propose a figure and compose an enigma 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 hath the Lord GOD said, A great eagle with great wings and long members, full of feathers of diverse 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 principal shoot and carried it into a land of markets; he set it in the city of the merchants.

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.

He also took 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 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 vine of many branches, low of stature, whose branches looked at him, and its roots were under him: so 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.

There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers; and, behold, this vine joined her roots toward him and extended her branches toward him that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

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 soil by many waters that it might bring forth branches and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly 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 thou: Thus hath the Lord GOD said, Shall it be prospered? Shall he not pull it up its roots and destroy its fruit and let it wither? All of the leaves of her spring shall wither, even without great power or many people plucking 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

Yea, behold, being planted, shall it be prospered? Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

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

And the word of the LORD 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: Do ye not know what these things mean? Tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem and has taken 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 has taken of the seed of the kingdom and made a covenant with him and has brought him to an oath: he has also taken 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 cast down, that it might not lift itself up, but that it might keep his covenant and stay in her.

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 unto Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he be prospered, shall he that does such things escape? And shall he who broke the covenant be able to flee?

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.

As I live, said the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwells that made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon, he shall 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.

And not with a mighty army, nor with a great company shall Pharaoh do anything for him in the battle when they cast up mounts, and build forts to cut off many lives:

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.’”

seeing he despised the oath to invalidate the covenant when, behold, he had given his hand and has 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 hath the Lord GOD said: As I live, surely my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken, even it will I turn upon his own 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 trespass with which he has rebelled 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 armies shall fall by the sword, and those 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 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 hath the Lord GOD said: I will also take of the highest branch of that high cedar and will set it up; I will crop off from the principal branch a shoot and will plant it upon the high and sublime 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.

in the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a magnificent cedar; and under it shall dwell every fowl; everything that flies shall dwell in the shadow of its branches.

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 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.