Now the word of the LORD
came
to me saying
,
"Son of man
, propound
a riddle
and speak
a aparable
to the house
of Israel
,
1saying, `Thus
says
the Lord
2GOD
, "A great
aeagle
with bgreat
wings
, long
pinions
and a full
plumage
of many
colors
came
to cLebanon
and took
away the top
of the cedar
.
"He 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 also took some
of the seed
of the land
and planted
it in 1 afertile
soil
. He 2placed
it beside
abundant
waters
; he set
it like a bwillow
.
"Then 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
.
"But there was 1another 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 aplanted
, that he might water
it.
"It was planted in good
1soil
beside
abundant
waters
, that it might yield
branches
and bear
fruit
and become
a splendid
vine
."'
"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 sprouting
leaves
wither
? And neither
by great
1strength
nor
by many
people
can it be raised
from its roots
again.
"Behold, though it is planted
, will it thrive
? Will it not acompletely
wither
as soon as the east
wind
strikes
it--wither
on the beds
where
it grew
?""'
Moreover, the word of the LORD
came
to me, saying
,
"Say now
to the arebellious
house
, `Do you not bknow
what
these
things
mean?' Say
, `Behold
, the cking
of Babylon
came
to Jerusalem
, took
its king
and princes
and brought
them to him in Babylon
.
`He took one of the royal
1 afamily
and made
a covenant
with him, 2putting
him under boath
. He also took
away the cmighty
of the land
,
that the kingdom might abe 1in subjection
, not exalting
itself, but keeping
his covenant
that it might continue
.
`But he arebelled against him by sending
his envoys
to Egypt
that they might give
him horses
and many
1troops
. Will he succeed
? Will he who does
such
things
bescape
? Can he indeed break
the covenant
and escape
?
`As I live,' declares
the Lord
GOD
, `Surely
in the 1country
of the king
who 2put
him on the throne
, whose
oath
he adespised
and whose
covenant
he broke
, 3 bin Babylon
he shall die
.
` aPharaoh with his mighty
army
and great
company
will not 1help
him in the war
, when they cast
up ramps
and build
siege
walls
to cut
off
many
lives
.
`Now he despised the oath
by breaking
the covenant
, and behold
, he 1 apledged
his allegiance
, yet did
all
these
things
; he shall not escape
.' "
Therefore, thus
says
the Lord
GOD
, "As I live
, surely
My oath
which
he despised
and My covenant
which
he broke
, I will 1inflict
on his head
.
"I will spread My anet
over
him, and he will be bcaught
in My snare
. Then I will bring
him to Babylon
and center
into judgment
with him there
regarding the unfaithful
act
which
he has committed
against Me.
"All the 1 achoice
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
."
Thus 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 ahigh
and lofty
mountain
.
"On the high mountain
of Israel
I will plant
it, that it may bring
forth
boughs
and bear
fruit
and become
a stately
acedar
. And birds
of every
1kind
will 2nest
under
it; they will 2nest
in the shade
of its branches
.
"All the atrees
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
bflourish
. I am the LORD
; I have spoken
, and I will perform
it."