[1] The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, [2] Son of man, put forth a
riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; [3] and say, Thus says
the Lord Yahweh: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of
feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of
the cedar: [4] he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and
carried it to a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants. [5] He
took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a 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 the roots of it 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 its
roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of
its plantation, that he might water it. [8] It was planted in a good soil
by many waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear
fruit, that it might be a goodly vine. [9] Say you, Thus says the Lord
Yahweh: Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots of it, and cut off
the fruit of it, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves
may wither? and not by a strong arm or much people can it be raised from
the roots of it. [10] Yes, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall
it not utterly wither, when the east wind touches it? it shall wither in
the beds where it grew. [11] Moreover the word of Yahweh 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 the king of it, and the princes of it, and brought them to him to
Babylon: [13] and he took of the seed royal, 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 base, 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 much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape who does such things?
shall he break the covenant, and yet escape? [16] As I live, says the Lord
Yahweh, 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 midst
of Babylon he shall die. [17] Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army
and great company 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 shall not escape. [19] Therefore thus says the Lord
Yahweh: As I live, surely my oath that he has despised, and my covenant
that he has broken, I will even bring it on his own head. [20] I will
spread my net on him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and 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 shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered
toward every wind: and you shall know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it. [22]
Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar,
and will set 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] 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
birds of every wing; in the shade of the branches of it shall they dwell.
[24] All the trees of the field shall know that I, Yahweh, 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, Yahweh, have spoken and
have done it.
