Ezekiel17

¹Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

²“Son of man, ask a riddle and present a parable to the house of Israel,

³saying, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “A great eagle with great wings, long pinions, and a full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.

⁴He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders.

⁵He also took from the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil, a meadow beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow.

⁶Then 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 produced shoots and sent out branches.

⁷“But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine turned its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, so that he might water it.

⁸It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, and become a splendid vine.”’

⁹Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting shoots wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.

¹⁰Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?”’”

¹¹Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

¹²“Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and leaders, and brought them to him in Babylon.

¹³Then he took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land,

¹⁴so that the kingdom would be humbled, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant so that it might continue.

¹⁵But he revolted against him by sending his messengers to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does these things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?

¹⁶As I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘In the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall certainly die.

¹⁷Pharaoh with his mighty army and great contingent will not help him in the war, when they pile up assault ramps and build siege walls to eliminate many lives.

¹⁸Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.’”

¹⁹Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “As I live, My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will certainly inflict on his head.

²⁰And I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My net. Then I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me.

²¹All the choice 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.”

²²This is what the Lord God says: “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

²³On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, so that it may bring forth branches and bear fruit, and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches.

²⁴All the trees 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 flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”