17
1 The
LORD’s word came
to me, saying,
2 “Son
of man, tell a
riddle, and speak
a parable to
the house of
Israel;
3 and say, ‘The
Lord GOD says: “A
great eagle with
great wings and
long feathers,
full of feathers
which had various
colors, came to
Lebanon and took
the top of
the cedar.
4 He cropped
off the topmost
of its young
twigs, and carried
it to a land
of traffic. He planted
it in a
city of merchants.
5 “ ‘ “He also
took some of
the seed of
the land and
planted it in
fruitful soil. He
placed it beside
many waters. He
set it as
a willow tree.
6 It
grew and became
a spreading vine
of low stature,
whose branches turned
toward him, and
its roots were
under him. So
it became a
vine, produced
branches, and shot
out sprigs.
7 “ ‘ “There
was also another
great eagle with
great wings and
many feathers.
Behold, this vine
bent its roots
toward him, and
shot out its
branches toward
him, from
the ground where
it was planted,
that he might
water it.
8 It
was planted in
a good soil
by many waters,
that it might
produce branches
and that it might
bear fruit, that
it might be a
good vine.” ’
9 “Say, ‘The
Lord GOD says: “Will
it prosper? Won’t
he pull up
its roots and
cut off its
fruit, that it
may wither, that
all its fresh
springing leaves
may wither? It
can’t be raised
from its roots
by a strong
arm or many
people.
10 Yes,
behold, being planted,
will it prosper?
Won’t it utterly
wither when the
east wind touches
it? It will
wither in
the ground where
it grew.” ’ ”
11 Moreover
the LORD’s word
came to me,
saying,
12 “Say now
to the rebellious
house, ‘Don’t you
know what these
things mean?’ Tell
them, ‘Behold, the
king of Babylon
came to Jerusalem,
and took its
king, and its
princes, and
brought them to
him to Babylon.
13 He
took one of
the royal
offspring,
and made a
covenant with him.
He also brought
him under an oath,
and took away
the mighty of
the land,
14 that
the kingdom might
be brought low,
that it might
not lift itself up,
but that by
keeping his
covenant it might
stand.
15 But
he rebelled
against him in
sending his
ambassadors into
Egypt, that they
might give him
horses and many
people. Will he
prosper? Will he
who does such
things escape?
Will he break
the covenant, and
still escape?
16 “ ‘As
I live,’ says
the Lord GOD, ‘surely
in the place
where the
king dwells who
made him king,
whose oath he despised, and whose
covenant he broke,
even with him
in the middle
of Babylon he will
die.
17 Pharaoh
with his mighty
army and great
company won’t help
him in the
war, when they
cast up mounds and
build forts to
cut off many
persons.
18 For
he has despised
the oath by
breaking the
covenant; and
behold, he had
given his hand,
and yet has
done all these
things. He won’t
escape.
19 “Therefore
the Lord GOD
says: ‘As I
live, I will
surely bring on
his own head
my oath that he
has despised and
my covenant that
he has broken.
20 I
will spread my
net on him,
and he will
be taken in
my snare. I
will bring him
to Babylon, and
will enter into
judgment with him
there for his
trespass that he
has trespassed
against me.
21 All
his fugitives in
all his bands will
fall by the
sword, and those
who remain will
be scattered
toward every wind.
Then you will
know that I,
the LORD, have
spoken it.’
22 “The
Lord GOD says: ‘I
will also take some
of the lofty
top of the cedar,
and will plant
it. I will crop
off from the
topmost of its
young twigs a
tender one, and
I will plant
it on a
high and lofty
mountain.
23 I
will plant it
in the mountain
of the height
of Israel; and
it will produce
boughs, and bear
fruit, and be
a good cedar. Birds
of every kind
will dwell in
the shade of
its branches.
24 All
the trees of
the field will
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 flourish.
“ ‘I, the LORD,
have spoken and
have done it.’ ”