1A message from the LORD came to me. The LORD said,2‘Son of man, tell the people of Israel a story about their kings. Let them know what will happen to them.3Tell them, “The LORD and King says, ‘A great eagle came to the city of “Lebanon”. It had powerful wings and a lot of long feathers. The feathers were colourful and beautiful. The eagle landed in the top of a cedar tree.4It broke off the highest twig. The eagle carried it away to the land of Babylon. There are many traders in that land. The eagle planted the twig in the city of Babylon.5‘ “ ‘Then it took from the land a seed that had just sprouted. It put it in rich soil near plenty of water. It planted the seed like a willow tree.6The seed grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned towards the eagle. And its roots remained under the eagle. So the seed became a vine. It produced branches and put out leaves.7‘ “ ‘But there was another great eagle. It also had powerful wings and a lot of feathers. The vine now sent out its roots towards that eagle. It sent them out from the place where it was planted. And it reached out its branches to the eagle for water.8The seed had been planted in good soil near plenty of water. Then it could produce branches and bear fruit. It could become a beautiful vine.’ ”9‘Ezekiel, tell the Israelites, “The LORD and King asks, ‘Will the vine grow? Won’t it be pulled up by its roots? Won’t all its fruit be stripped off? Won’t it dry up? All its new growth will dry up. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up.10It has been planted, but will it grow? No. It will dry up completely when the east wind strikes it. It will dry up in the place where it grew.’ ” ’11A message from the LORD came to me. The LORD said,12‘These people refuse to obey me. Ask them, “Don’t you know what these things mean?” Tell them, “Nebuchadnezzar went to Jerusalem. He was the king of Babylon. He carried off King Jehoiachin and the nobles. He brought them back with him to the city of Babylon.13Then Nebuchadnezzar made a peace treaty with Zedekiah. He was a member of Jerusalem’s royal family. Nebuchadnezzar made him promise he would keep the treaty. He also took away the leading men of the land as prisoners.14He did it to bring down their kingdom. It would not rise again. In fact, it would be able to last only by keeping his treaty.15But Zedekiah turned against him. He sent messengers to Egypt. They went there to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does things like that escape? Can he break the peace treaty and still escape?16‘ “Zedekiah will die in Babylon,” announces the LORD and King. “And that is just as sure as I am alive. He will die in the land of King Nebuchadnezzar, who put him on the throne. Zedekiah didn’t keep his promise to Nebuchadnezzar and broke his treaty.17So Nebuchadnezzar will build ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. He will set up war machines to destroy many lives. Pharaoh will not be able to help Zedekiah during the war. The huge and mighty army of Egypt will not be of any help.18Zedekiah didn’t keep his promise to Nebuchadnezzar and broke his treaty. Zedekiah had made a firm promise to keep it. But he broke it anyway. So he will not escape.19‘ “The LORD and King says, ‘Zedekiah didn’t keep the promise he made in my name. He broke the treaty. So I will pay him back. And that is just as sure as I am alive.20I will spread out my net to catch him. He will be caught in my trap. I will bring him to Babylon. I will judge him there because he was not faithful to me.21All Zedekiah’s best troops will be killed by swords. Those who are left alive will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I have spoken. I am the LORD.’22‘ “The LORD and King says, ‘I myself will get a twig from the very top of a cedar tree and plant it. I will break off the highest twig. I will plant it on a very high mountain.23I will plant it on the high mountains of Israel. It will produce branches and bear fruit. It will become a beautiful cedar tree. All kinds of birds will make their nests in it. They will live in the shade of its branches.24All the trees in the forest will know that I bring down tall trees. I make short trees grow tall. I dry up green trees. And I make dry trees green.’ ‘ “I have spoken. I will do this. I am the LORD.” ’
Ezekiel 17
English Standard Version
Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine
1The word of the Lord came to me:2“Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; (Eze 2:1; Eze 20:49; Eze 24:3)3say, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. (Jer 22:23; Jer 48:40; Eze 17:7; Eze 17:22; Eze 31:3; Eze 31:10)4He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants.5Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil.[1] He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, (De 8:7; Isa 44:4)6and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs. (Eze 15:6; Eze 17:14)7“And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it. (Eze 17:15; Eze 31:4)8It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine. (Eze 17:5)9“Say, 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 fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. (Eze 17:7)10Behold, it is planted; will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it—wither away on the bed where it sprouted?” (Eze 19:12; Ho 13:15)11Then the word of the Lord came to me:12“Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. (2Ki 24:11; Eze 2:3; Eze 12:9)13And he took one of the royal offspring[2] and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath (the chief men of the land he had taken away), (2Ki 24:14; 2Ki 24:17; 2Ch 36:13; Eze 17:15; Eze 17:18; Eze 21:23)14that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand.15But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape? (De 17:16; 2Ki 24:20; 2Ch 36:13; Isa 31:1; Isa 31:3; Isa 36:6; Isa 36:9; Jer 37:5; Eze 16:59; Eze 17:7; Eze 17:9; Eze 17:13; Eze 23:27)16“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. (Eze 12:13; Eze 16:48; Eze 17:13)17Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. (Jer 37:5; Eze 4:2; Eze 17:15)18He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape.19Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head.20I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me. (Eze 12:13; Eze 14:13; Eze 20:35; Eze 38:22)21And all the pick[3] of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind, and you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken.” (Eze 5:10; Eze 17:24; Eze 21:17; Eze 21:32; Eze 26:5; Eze 26:14; Eze 28:10; Eze 30:12; Eze 34:24; Eze 39:5)22Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. (Ps 2:6; Eze 17:3; Eze 17:4)23On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. (Eze 20:40; Eze 31:6; Eze 34:14; Da 4:12; Mt 13:32)24And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.” (Eze 20:47; Eze 21:26; Eze 22:14; Eze 24:14; Eze 36:36; Eze 37:14; Lu 23:31)