Ezekiel 17

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

1God's message came to me. He said:

2Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

2"Son of man, give the people of Israel a riddle. Tell them a picture story with a hidden meaning."

Note"Son of man" is what God calls Ezekiel all through this book. It simply means a human being. The "riddle" and "parable" here are one thing: a picture story about eagles and a vine that stands for something real.

3And 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:

3Say this: The Lord God says: A great eagle came to Lebanon. It had huge wings and long feathers of many colors. It took the very top of a cedar tree.

4He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.

4He broke off the highest young shoot. He carried it to a land of traders. He set it down in a city of shopkeepers.

5He 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.

5He also took a seed from that land. He planted it in rich soil beside plenty of water. He set it out like a willow tree.

6And 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.

6It grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward the eagle. Its roots stayed where they were. So it became a vine with branches and new shoots.

7There 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.

7There was another great eagle with big wings and many feathers. This vine bent its roots toward him. It stretched its branches toward him, hoping he would water it.

8It 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.

8It had been planted in good soil beside plenty of water. It could grow branches, bear fruit, and become a fine vine.

9Say 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.

9Say this: The Lord God says: Will the vine do well? No. Someone will pull up its roots. He will strip off its fruit, and it will dry up. Every fresh leaf will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up.

10Yea, 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.

10Even planted there, will it do well? No. When the hot east wind hits it, it will dry up completely. It will wither right in the bed where it grew.

NoteThe east wind blew in off the desert. It was hot and dry, and it could kill plants in a day.

11Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

11Then God's message came to me again. He said:

12Say 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;

12Say to these people who keep turning away from God: "Do you know what this means?" Tell them: the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem. He took away its king and its leaders to Babylon.

13And 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:

13He took a man from the king's own family and made an agreement with him. He made him swear a solemn promise. He also carried off the strongest men of the land.

14That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.

14He did this so the kingdom would stay small and weak. It could not rise up again. It could only keep going by keeping that agreement.

15But 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?

15But that king turned against Babylon. He sent messengers to Egypt to ask for horses and many soldiers. Will he do well? Can a man who does this get away? Can he break his promise and go free?

16As 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.

16The Lord God says: As surely as I live, he will die in Babylon. That is the home of the king who put him on the throne. He treated that king's oath as nothing and broke the agreement.

17Neither 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:

17Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, will not help him in the war. His big army and huge crowd of men will not save him. Ramps and walls will be built, and many people will die.

18Seeing 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.

18He treated the oath as nothing and broke the agreement. He had shaken hands to promise it. He did all these things anyway. He will not get away.

19Therefore 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.

19So the Lord God says: As surely as I live, it was my oath he treated as nothing. It was my agreement he broke. I will make it fall back on his own head.

20And 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.

20I will throw my net over him. He will be caught in my trap. I will bring him to Babylon. I will judge him there for turning against me.

NoteThe old wording says God will "plead with him" there. That does not mean beg. It means put him on trial and judge him.

21And 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.

21His best soldiers will be killed in battle. The ones left alive will be scattered in every direction. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.

22Thus 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:

22The Lord God says: I will take a shoot from the very top of the tall cedar, and I will plant it. I will break off a tender young sprig. I will plant it on a high, tall mountain.

23In 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.

23I will plant it on the high mountains of Israel. It will grow branches and bear fruit. It will become a fine cedar tree. Birds of every kind will live under it. They will rest in the shade of its branches.

24And 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.

24Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down. I make the short tree tall. I dry up the green tree. I make the dry tree grow again. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.