Ezekiel 17
1. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying * ,
2. Son of man, put forth * a riddle, and speak * a parable unto the house of Israel;
3. 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:
4. 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 * .
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying * ,
12. 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;
13. 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:
14. That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up * , but that by keeping * of his covenant it might stand * .
15. 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 * ?
16. 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 * .
17. 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:
18. 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 * .
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. 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 * :
23. 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 * .
24. 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.
