1
And the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068] came unto me, saying[H559],
2Son[H1121] of man[H120], put forth[H2330] a riddle[H2420], and speak[H4911] a parable[H4912] unto the house[H1004] of Israel[H3478];
3
And say[H559], Thus saith[H559] the Lord[H136]GOD[H3069]; A great[H1419]eagle[H5404] with great[H1419]wings[H3671], longwinged[H83], full[H4392] of feathers[H5133], which had divers colours[H7553], came[H935] unto Lebanon[H3844], and took[H3947] the highest branch[H6788] of the cedar[H730]:
4
He cropped off[H6998] the top[H7218] of his young twigs[H3242], and carried[H935] it into a land[H776] of traffick[H3667]; he set[H7760] it in a city[H5892] of merchants[H7402].
5
He took[H3947] also of the seed[H2233] of the land[H776], and planted[H5414] it in a fruitful[H2233]field[H7704]; he placed[H3947] it by great[H7227]waters[H4325], and set[H7760] it as a willow tree[H6851].
6
And it grew[H6779], and became a spreading[H5628]vine[H1612] of low[H8217]stature[H6967], whose branches[H1808]turned[H6437] toward him, and the roots[H8328] thereof were under him: so it became a vine[H1612], and brought forth[H6213]branches[H905], and shot[H7971]forth[H6213]sprigs[H6288].
7
There was also another[H259]great[H1419]eagle[H5404] with great[H1419]wings[H3671] and many[H7227]feathers[H5133]: and, behold, this vine[H1612] did bend[H3719] her roots[H8328] toward him, and shot forth[H7971] her branches[H1808] toward him, that he might water[H8248] it by the furrows[H6170] of her plantation[H4302].
8
It was planted[H8362] in a good[H2896]soil[H7704] by great[H7227]waters[H4325], that it might bring forth[H6213]branches[H6057], and that it might bear[H5375]fruit[H6529], that it might be a goodly[H155]vine[H1612].
9Say[H559] thou, Thus saith[H559] the Lord[H136]GOD[H3069]; Shall it prosper?[H6743] shall he not pull up[H5423] the roots[H8328] thereof, and cut off[H7082] the fruit[H6529] thereof, that it wither?[H3001] it shall wither[H3001] in all the leaves[H2964] of her spring[H6780], even without great[H1419]power[H2220] or many[H7227]people[H5971] to pluck it up[H5375] by the roots[H8328] thereof.
10
Yea, behold, being planted[H8362], shall it prosper?[H6743] shall it not utterly[H3001]wither[H3001], when the east[H6921]wind[H7307]toucheth[H5060] it? it shall wither[H3001] in the furrows[H6170] where it grew[H6780].
11
Moreover the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068] came unto me, saying[H559],
12Say[H559] now to the rebellious[H4805]house[H1004], Know[H3045] ye not what these things mean? tell[H559] them, Behold, the king[H4428] of Babylon[H894] is come[H935] to Jerusalem[H3389], and hath taken[H3947] the king[H4428] thereof, and the princes[H8269] thereof, and led[H935] them with him to Babylon[H894];
13
And hath taken[H3947] of the king's seed[H2233], and made[H3772] a covenant[H1285] with him, and hath taken[H935] an oath[H423] of him: he hath also taken[H935] the mighty[H352] of the land[H776]:
14
That the kingdom[H4467] might be base[H8217], that it might not lift itself up[H5375], but that by keeping[H8104] of his covenant[H1285] it might stand[H5975].
15
But he rebelled[H4775] against him in sending[H7971] his ambassadors[H4397] into Egypt[H4714], that they might give[H5414] him horses[H5483] and much[H7227]people[H5971]. Shall he prosper?[H6743] shall he escape[H4422] that doeth[H6213] such things? or shall he break[H6565] the covenant[H1285], and be delivered?[H4422]
16
As I live[H2416], saith[H5002] the Lord[H136]GOD[H3069], surely in the place[H4725] where the king[H4428] dwelleth that made him king[H4427], whose oath[H423] he despised[H959], and whose covenant[H1285] he brake[H6565], even with him in the midst[H8432] of Babylon[H894] he shall die[H4191].
17
Neither shall Pharaoh[H6547] with his mighty[H1419]army[H2428] and great[H7227]company[H6951]make[H6213] for him in the war[H4421], by casting up[H8210]mounts[H5550], and building[H1129]forts[H1785], to cut off[H3772]many[H7227]persons[H5315]:
18
Seeing he despised[H959] the oath[H423] by breaking[H6565] the covenant[H1285], when, lo, he had given[H5414] his hand[H3027], and hath done[H6213] all these things, he shall not escape[H4422].
19
Therefore thus saith[H559] the Lord[H136]GOD[H3069]; As I live[H2416], surely mine oath[H423] that he hath despised[H959], and my covenant[H1285] that he hath broken[H6331], even it will I recompense[H5414] upon his own head[H7218].
20
And I will spread[H6566] my net[H7568] upon him, and he shall be taken[H8610] in my snare[H4686], and I will bring[H935] him to Babylon[H894], and will plead[H8199] with him there for his trespass[H4603] that he hath trespassed[H4604] against me.
21
And all his fugitives[H4015] with all his bands[H102] shall fall[H5307] by the sword[H2719], and they that remain[H7604] shall be scattered[H6566] toward all winds[H7307]: and ye shall know[H3045] that I the LORD[H3068] have spoken[H1696] it.
22
Thus saith[H559] the Lord[H136]GOD[H3069]; I will also take[H3947] of the highest branch[H6788] of the high[H7311]cedar[H730], and will set[H5414] it; I will crop off[H6998] from the top[H7218] of his young twigs[H3127] a tender one[H7390], and will plant[H8362] it upon an high[H1364]mountain[H2022] and eminent[H8524]:
23
In the mountain[H2022] of the height[H4791] of Israel[H3478] will I plant[H8362] it: and it shall bring forth[H5375]boughs[H6057], and bear[H6213]fruit[H6529], and be a goodly[H117]cedar[H730]: and under it shall dwell[H7931] all fowl[H6833] of every wing[H3671]; in the shadow[H6738] of the branches[H1808] thereof shall they dwell[H7931].
24
And all the trees[H6086] of the field[H7704] shall know[H3045] that I the LORD[H3068] have brought down[H8213] the high[H1364]tree[H6086], have exalted[H1361] the low[H8217]tree[H6086], have dried[H3001] up the green[H3892]tree[H6086], and have made the dry[H3002]tree[H6086] to flourish[H6524]: I the LORD[H3068] have spoken[H1696] and have done[H6213] it.