The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 17 The Parable of the Two Eagles and the Vine

 The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 17

The Parable of the Two Eagles and the Vine

1 The word of the Lord came to me:

2 “Son of man, set forth a parable, and tell it to the house of Israel.

3 Say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage of colorful feathers came to Lebanon and took the topmost branch of a cedar.

4 It broke off its topmost branch and brought it to a trading land; it set it in a city of merchants.

5 It took some of the seed of the land and planted it in a field of seed; with great care it planted it by abundant waters.

6 It sprouted and became a large, low vine, its branches turning toward it, because its roots were under it. It became a vine that produced shoots and sent out new branches.

7 And there was another great eagle, with great wings and full of feathers; and behold, this vine sent out its roots toward it, and extended its branches toward it from the edges of its planting, so that it might water it.

8 It was planted in good soil by abundant waters, to produce branches and bear fruit, so that it would be a choice vine.

9 Say, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it prosper? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit so that it withers? All the leaves of its shoots will wither; it will not be pulled up by a large arm or many people.

10 But when it is planted, will it prosper? Will it not wither completely when the east wind touches it? It will wither from the edges of its planting.”

11 Then the word of the Lord came to me:

12 “Say now to this rebellious house, ‘Do you not understand what these things mean?’” Say: Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king and its princes, and carried them away with him to Babylon;

13 And he took one of the royal seed, and made a covenant with him, and brought him under oath; and he took the mighty men of the land;

14 That the kingdom might be humbled, and not rise up; that, by keeping his covenant, it might endure.

15 But he rebelled against him, sending his messengers to Egypt, that they might send him horses and many men. Shall he prosper or escape who does such things? Or shall he break the covenant and escape?

16 As I live, says the Lord God, in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, yes, with him in the midst of Babylon he shall surely die.

17 And Pharaoh, neither with a great army nor with a numerous company, will do anything against him in war, raising siege ramps and building bulwarks, to destroy many lives.

18 Because he despised the oath, broke the covenant, and gave his hand; having done all these things, he will not escape.

19 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: As I live, my oath, which he despised, and my covenant, which he broke, this I will bring upon his own head.

20 And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be caught in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon, and there I will enter into judgment with him for the rebellion with which he rebelled against me.

21 And all his fugitives, with all his troops, shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered in every direction; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it.

22 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take the top of the cedar and plant it; I will cut off the tenderest of its shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

23 On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, and it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. All kinds of birds will nest under it and in the shade of its branches they will find shelter.

24 Then all the trees of the field will know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, I have dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.