EZEKIEL Chapter 17

Two Eagles And A Vine

The Word of the Lord came to me:

2 'Son of man, set forth an Allegory

And tell the House of Israel a Parable.

3 Say to them,

'THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:

A Great Eagle with Powerful Wings, long feathers

And Full Plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon.

Taking hold of the top of a cedar,

4 He broke off its topmost shoot

And carried it away to a land of Merchants,

Where he planted it in a City of Traders.

5 'He took some of the Seed of your Land

And put it in Fertile Soil.

He Planted it like a Willow by abundant water,

6 And it sprouted and became a low, spreading Vine.

Its branches turned toward him,

But its roots remained under it.

So it became a Vine and produced branches

And put out leafy boughs.

7 'But there was another Great Eagle

With Powerful Wings and Full Plumage.

The Vine now sent out its roots toward him

From the Plot where it was planted

And stretched out its branches to him for water.

8 It had been planted in good soil by abundant water

So that it would produce branches, bear fruit

And become a Splendid Vine.'

9 'Say to them,

'THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:

Will it Thrive?

Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its Fruit

So that it withers?

All its new growth will wither.

It will not take a Strong Arm

Or many people to pull it up by the roots.

10 Even if it is Transplanted will it Thrive?

Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it--

Wither away in the Plot where it grew?'

11 Then the Word of the Lord came to me:

'Say to this Rebellious House,

'Do you not know what these things mean?'

Say to them :

'The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem

And carried off her king and her nobles,

Bringing them back with him to Babylon.

13 Then he took a member of the Royal Family

And mad a Treaty with him,

Putting him under Oath.

He also carried away the leading men of the Land,

So that the kingdom would be brought Low,

Unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his Treaty.

15 But the king Rebelled against him

By sending his Envoys to Egypt

To get horses and a large army.

Will he succeed?

Will he who does such things escape?

Will he break the Treaty and yet escape”

16 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord,

He shall Die in Babylon,

the land of the king who put him on the Throne,

Whose Oath he Despised and whose Treaty he Broke.

17 Pharaoh with his Mighty Army and Great Horde

Will be of no help to him in war,

When ramps are built and Siege Works Erected

To destroy many lives.

18 HE DESPISED THE OATH BY BREAKING THE COVENANT.

Because he had given his and in Pledge

And yet did all these things,

HE SHALL NOT ESCAPE.

19 'THEREFORE THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:

As surely as I live,

I will bring down on his head My Oath that he Despised

And My Covenant that he Broke.

20 I WILL SPREAD MY NET FOR HIM,

AND HE WILL BE CAUGHT IN MY SNARE.

I will bring him to Babylon

AND EXECUTE JUDGMENT UPON HIM THERE

Because he was Unfaithful to Me.

21 ALL HIS FLEEING TROOPS WILL FALL BY THE SWORD,

And the Survivors will be scattered to the winds.

THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT I THE LORD HAVE SPOKEN.

22 THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:

I Myself will take a Shoot from the very top of a cedar

And Plant it;

I will Break Off a Tender Sprig from its Topmost Shoots

And Plant it on a High and Lofty Mountain.

23 On the Mountain Heights of Israel I will Plant it;

It will Produce Branches and Bear Fruit

And become a Splendid Cedar.

Birds of every kind will nest in it;

They will find Shelter in the Shade of its Branches.

ALL THE TRESS OF THE FIELD WILL KNOW

THAT I THE LORD BRING DOWN THE TALL TREE

AND MAKE THE LOW TREE GROW TALL.

I DRY UP THE GREEN TREE AND MAKE THE DRY TREE FLOURISH.

I THE LORD HAVE SPOKEN, AND I WILL DO IT.'

(Ezekiel 17)