Ezekiel 17

English TL (The Living Bible) (1971)

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1Then this message came to me from the Lord:

2“Son of dust, give this riddle to the people of Israel:

3“A great eagle with broad wings full of many-colored feathers came to Lebanon

4and plucked off the shoot at the top of the tallest cedar tree and carried it into a city filled with merchants.

5There he planted it in fertile ground beside a broad river, where it would grow as quickly as a willow tree.

6It took root and grew and became a low but spreading vine that turned toward the eagle and produced strong branches and luxuriant leaves.

7But when another great, broad-winged, full-feathered eagle came along, this tree sent its roots and branches out toward him instead,

8even though it was already in good soil with plenty of water to become a splendid vine, producing leaves and fruit.

9The Lord God asks: “Shall I let this tree grow and prosper? No! I will pull it out, roots and all! I will cut off its branches and let its leaves wither and die. It will pull out easily enough—it won't take a big crew or a lot of equipment to do that.

10Though the vine began so well, will it thrive? No, it will wither away completely when the east wind touches it, dying in the same choice soil where it had grown so well.“

11Then this message came to me from the Lord:

12“Ask these rebels of Israel: Don't you understand what this riddle of the eagles means? I will tell you. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon the first of the two eagles, came to Jerusalem, took away her king and princes her topmost buds and shoots, and brough

13Nebuchadnezzar made a covenant with a member of the royal family Zedekiah, and made him take an oath of loyalty. He took a seedling and planted it in fertile ground beside a broad river. He also exiled the top men of Israel's government,

14so that Israel would not be strong again and revolt. But by keeping her promises, Israel could be respected and maintain her identity.

15“Nevertheless, Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to seek for a great army and many horses to fight against Nebuchadnezzar. But will Israel prosper after breaking all her promises like that? Will she succeed?

16No! For as I live,“ says the Lord, “the king of Israel shall die. (Nebuchadnezzar will pull out the tree, roots and all!) Zedekiah shall die in Babylon, where the king lives who gave him his power, and whose covenant he despised and broke.

17Pharaoh and all his mighty army shall fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and slaughters many lives.

18For the king of Israel broke his promise after swearing to obey; therefore he shall not escape.“

19The Lord God says: “As I live, surely I will punish him for despising the solemn oath he made in my name.

20I will throw my net over him, and he shall be captured in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and deal with him there for this treason against me.

21And all the best soldiers of Israel will be killed by the sword, and those remaining in the city will be scattered to the four winds. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken these words.“

22The Lord God says: “I will take a tender sprout from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel's highest mountain.

23It shall become a noble cedar, bringing forth branches and bearing seed. Animals of every sort will gather under it; its branches will shelter every kind of bird.

24And everyone shall know that it is I, the Lord, who cuts down the high trees and exalts the low, that I make the green tree wither and the dead tree grow. I, the Lord, have said that I would do it, and I will.“

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