The Book of Ezekiel (WEB)
17: 1The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 17:2Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a
parable to the house of Israel; 17:3and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: A great eagle with great
wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the
top of the cedar: 17:4he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and carried it to a land of
traffic; he set it in a city of merchants. 17:5He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a
fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as a willow tree. 17:6It grew, and became a
spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots of it were under
him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. 17:7There was also
another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend its roots
toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might
water it. 17:8It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might bring forth branches, and
that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine. 17:9Say you, Thus says the Lord Yahweh:
Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots of it, and cut off the fruit of it, that it may wither;
that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? and not by a strong arm or much people can it be
raised from the roots of it. 17:10Yes, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly
wither, when the east wind touches it? it shall wither in the beds where it grew. 17:11Moreover the
word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 17:12Say now to the rebellious house, Don't you know what
these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king of
it, and the princes of it, and brought them to him to Babylon: 17:13and he took of the seed royal, and
made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the
land; 17:14that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his
covenant it might stand. 17:15But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt,
that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape who does
such things? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape? 17:16As I live, says the Lord Yahweh,
surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose
covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 17:17Neither shall Pharaoh
with his mighty army and great company help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and
build forts, to cut off many persons. 17:18For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and
behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things; he shall not escape. 17:19Therefore
thus says the Lord Yahweh: As I live, surely my oath that he has despised, and my covenant that
he has broken, I will even bring it on his own head. 17:20I will spread my net on him, and he shall be
taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there
for his trespass that he has trespassed against me. 17:21All his fugitives in all his bands shall fall by
the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered toward every wind: and you shall know that I,
Yahweh, have spoken it. 17:22Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will also take of the lofty top of the
cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will
plant it on a high and lofty mountain: 17:23in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and
it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds
of every wing; in the shade of the branches of it shall they dwell. 17:24All the trees of the field shall
know that I, Yahweh, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up
the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish; I, Yahweh, have spoken and have done it.
World English Bible