1The word of the Lord came to me:2‘Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.3Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: a great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colours came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar,4he 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 one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water,6and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned towards 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 towards him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.8It 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.10It has been planted, but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it – wither away in the plot where it grew?” ’11Then the word of the Lord came to me:12‘Say to this rebellious people, “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.13Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him, putting him under oath. He also carried away the leading men of the land,14so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty.15But 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, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.17Pharaoh 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.18He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand 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 repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant.20I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there because he was unfaithful to me.21All his choice 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.23On 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.24All the trees of the forest 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
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)