And the word of the LORD
came unto me, saying
,
Son of man
, put forth
a riddle
, and speak
a parable
unto the house
of Israel
;
And say, Thus saith
the Lord
GOD
; A great
eagle
with great
wings
, longwinged
, full
of feathers
, which had divers colours
, came
unto Lebanon
, and took
the highest branch
of the cedar
:
He cropped off the top
of his young twigs
, and carried
it into a land
of traffick
; he set
it in a city
of merchants
.
He took also of the seed
of the land
, and planted
it in a fruitful
field
; he placed
it by great
waters
, and set
it as a willow tree
.
And it grew, and became a spreading
vine
of low
stature
, whose branches
turned
toward him, and the roots
thereof were under him: so it became a vine
, and brought forth
branches
, and shot
forth sprigs
.
There was also another great
eagle
with great
wings
and many
feathers
: and, behold, this vine
did bend
her roots
toward him, and shot forth
her branches
toward him, that he might water
it by the furrows
of her plantation
.
It was planted in a good
soil
by great
waters
, that it might bring forth
branches
, and that it might bear
fruit
, that it might be a goodly
vine
.
Say thou, Thus saith
the Lord
GOD
; Shall it prosper
? shall he not pull up
the roots
thereof, and cut off
the fruit
thereof, that it wither
? it shall wither
in all the leaves
of her spring
, even without great
power
or many
people
to pluck it up
by the roots
thereof.
Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper
? shall it not utterly
wither
, when the east
wind
toucheth
it? it shall wither
in the furrows
where it grew
.
Moreover the word of the LORD
came unto me, saying
,
Say now to the rebellious
house
, Know
ye not what these things mean ? tell
them , Behold, the king
of Babylon
is come
to Jerusalem
, and hath taken
the king
thereof, and the princes
thereof, and led
them with him to Babylon
;
And hath taken of the king's
seed
, and made
a covenant
with him, and hath taken
an oath
of him: he hath also taken
the mighty
of the land
:
That the kingdom might be base
, that it might not lift itself up
, but that by keeping
of his covenant
it might stand
.
But he rebelled against him in sending
his ambassadors
into Egypt
, that they might give
him horses
and much
people
. Shall he prosper
? shall he escape
that doeth
such things ? or shall he break
the covenant
, and be delivered
?
As I live, saith
the Lord
GOD
, surely in the place
where the king
dwelleth that made him king
, whose oath
he despised
, and whose covenant
he brake
, even with him in the midst
of Babylon
he shall die
.
Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty
army
and great
company
make
for him in the war
, by casting up
mounts
, and building
forts
, to cut off
many
persons
:
Seeing he despised the oath
by breaking
the covenant
, when, lo, he had given
his hand
, and hath done
all these things , he shall not escape
.
Therefore thus saith the Lord
GOD
; As I live
, surely mine oath
that he hath despised
, and my covenant
that he hath broken
, even it will I recompense
upon his own head
.
And I will spread my net
upon him, and he shall be taken
in my snare
, and I will bring
him to Babylon
, and will plead
with him there for his trespass
that he hath trespassed
against me.
And all his fugitives with all his bands
shall fall
by the sword
, and they that remain
shall be scattered
toward all winds
: and ye shall know
that I the LORD
have spoken
it .
Thus saith the Lord
GOD
; I will also take
of the highest branch
of the high
cedar
, and will set
it ; I will crop off
from the top
of his young twigs
a tender one
, and will plant
it upon an high
mountain
and eminent
:
In the mountain of the height
of Israel
will I plant
it: and it shall bring forth
boughs
, and bear
fruit
, and be a goodly
cedar
: and under it shall dwell
all fowl
of every wing
; in the shadow
of the branches
thereof shall they dwell
.
And all the trees of the field
shall 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
to flourish
: I the LORD
have spoken
and have done
it .