1 Now the word of the Loʀᴅ came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a AEzek 20:49; 24:3parable to the house of Israel, 3 1Lit and you shall saysaying, ‘Thus says the Lord 2Heb YHWH, usually rendered Loʀᴅ, and so throughout the chGoᴅ, “A great AJer 48:40; Ezek 17:12; Hos 8:1eagle with BDan 4:22great wings, long pinions and a full plumage of many colors came to CJer 22:23Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. 4  “He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders. 5  “He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in 1Lit a field of seedADeut 8:7-9fertile soil. He 2Lit tookplaced it beside abundant waters; he set it like a BIs 44:4willow. 6  “Then 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 yielded shoots and sent out branches.

7 “But there was 1So with several ancient versions; M.T. oneanother great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was AEzek 31:4planted, that he might water it. 8  “It was planted in good 1Lit fieldsoil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.” ’ 9  “Say, ‘Thus says the Lord Goᴅ, “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great 1Lit armstrength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. 10  “Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not AEzek 19:14; Hos 13:15completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?” ’ ”

11 Moreover, the word of the Loʀᴅ came to me, saying, 12 “Say now to the AEzek 2:3-5rebellious house, ‘Do you not BEzek 12:9-11; 24:19know what these things mean?’ Say, ‘Behold, the C2 Kin 24:11, 12, 15; Ezek 1:2; 17:3king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon. 13  ‘He took one of the royal 1Lit seedA2 Kin 24:17; Ezek 17:5family and made a covenant with him, 2Lit and caused him to enter into an oathputting him under B2 Chr 36:13oath. He also took away the C2 Kin 24:15, 16mighty of the land, 14 that the kingdom might AEzek 29:14be 1Lit lowin subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue. 15  ‘But he A2 Kin 24:20; 2 Chr 36:13; Jer 52:3; Ezek 17:7rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many 1Lit peopletroops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things BJer 34:3; 38:18, 23; Ezek 17:18escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? 16  ‘As I live,’ declares the Lord Goᴅ, ‘Surely in the 1Lit placecountry of the king who 2Lit made him kingput him on the throne, whose oath he A2 Kin 24:17, 20; Ezek 16:59; 17:13, 18, 19despised and whose covenant he broke, 3Lit with him in BabylonBJer 52:11; Ezek 12:13in Babylon he shall die. 17  ‘AIs 36:6; Jer 37:5, 7; Ezek 29:6, 7Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not 1Lit act withhelp him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives. 18  ‘Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he 1Lit gave his handA1 Chr 29:24pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.’ ” 19 Therefore, thus says the Lord Goᴅ, “As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will 1Lit give itinflict on his head. 20  “I will spread My AEzek 12:13; 32:3net over him, and he will be BJer 39:5-7caught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and CJer 2:35; Ezek 20:35, 36enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me. 21  “All the 1So many ancient mss and versions; M.T. fugitivesA2 Kin 25:5, 11; Ezek 5:2, 10, 12-14choice 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 Loʀᴅ, have spoken.”

22 Thus says the Lord Goᴅ, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a APs 72:16; Ezek 20:40; 37:22high and lofty mountain. 23  “On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately APs 92:12cedar. And birds of every 1Lit wingkind will 2Lit dwellnest under it; they will 2Lit dwellnest in the shade of its branches. 24  “All the APs 96:12; Is 55:12trees of the field will know that I am the Loʀᴅ; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree BAmos 9:11flourish. I am the Loʀᴅ; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”