Ezekiel 17

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

1Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2“Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a 1parable to the house of Israel, 32saying, ‘Thus says the Lord 3God, “A great 4eagle with 5great wings, long pinions and a full plumage of many colors came to 6Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. 4He plucked 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 some of the seed of the land and planted it in 78fertile soil. He 9placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a 10willow. 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 yielded shoots and sent out branches.

7“But there was 11another 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 12planted, that he might water it. 8It was planted in good 13soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.”’ 9Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “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 14strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. 10Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not 15completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it--wither on the beds where it grew?”’”

Zedekiah’s Rebellion

11Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12“Say now to the 16rebellious house, ‘Do you not 17know what these things mean?’ Say, ‘Behold, the 18king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon. 13He took one of the royal 1920family and made a covenant with him, 21putting him under 22oath. He also took away the 23mighty of the land, 14that the kingdom might 24be 25in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue. 15But he 26rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many 27troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things 28escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? 16As I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘Surely in the 29country of the king who 30put him on the throne, whose oath he 31despised and whose covenant he broke, 3233in Babylon he shall die. 1734Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not 35help him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives. 18Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he 3637pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.’” 19Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will 38inflict on his head. 20I will spread My 39net over him, and he will be 40caught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and 41enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me. 21All the 4243choice 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.”

22Thus says the Lord God, “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 44high and lofty mountain. 23On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately 45cedar. And birds of every 46kind will 47nest under it; they will 48nest in the shade of its branches. 24All the 49trees 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 50flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”