Chapter 17

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Son of man, put forth³ a riddle, and speak³ a parable unto the house of Israel;

And say,¹ Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, ⁷⁵⁰ full of feathers, which had divers colours, came¹ unto Lebanon, and took⁴ the highest branch of the cedar:

He cropped off¹ the top of his young twigs, and carried⁵⁵ it into a land of traffick; he set¹ it in a city of merchants.⁶

He took⁴ also of the seed of the land, and planted⁴ it in a fruitful field; he placed¹ [it] by great waters, [and] set¹ it [as] a willow tree.

And it grew,⁴ and became a spreading⁶ vine of low stature, whose branches turned² toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth⁴ branches, and shot forth¹⁷ sprigs.

There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend¹ her roots toward him, and shot forth¹⁴ her branches toward him, that he might water⁵³ it by the furrows of her plantation.

It was planted⁷ in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth² branches, and that it might bear² fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.

Say³ thou, Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper?⁴ shall he not pull¹⁷ up the roots thereof, and cut off²⁵ the fruit thereof, that it wither?¹ it shall wither⁴ in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up² by the roots thereof.

Yea, behold, [being] planted,⁷ shall it prosper?⁴ shall it not utterly² wither,⁴ when the east wind toucheth² it? it shall wither⁴ in the furrows where it grew.

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Say³ now to the rebellious house, Know¹ ye not what these [things mean]? tell³ [them], Behold, the king of Babylon is come⁶ to Jerusalem, and hath taken⁴ the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led⁵⁵ them with him to Babylon;

And hath taken⁴ of the king's seed, and made⁴ a covenant with him, and hath taken⁵⁵ an oath of him: he hath also taken¹ the mighty of the land:

That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up,⁹⁹ [but] that by keeping² of his covenant it might stand.²

But he rebelled⁴ against him in sending² his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give² him horses and much people. Shall he prosper?⁴ shall he escape¹¹ that doeth⁶ such [things]? or shall he break⁵² the covenant, and be delivered?⁸

[As] I live, saith⁷ the Lord GOD, surely in the place [where] the king [dwelleth] that made him king,⁵⁶ whose oath he despised,¹ and whose covenant he brake,⁵² [even] with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.⁴

Neither shall Pharaoh with [his] mighty army and great company make⁴ for him in the war, by casting up² mounts, and building² forts, to cut off⁵³ many persons:

Seeing he despised¹ the oath by breaking⁵³ the covenant, when, lo, he had given¹ his hand, and hath done¹ all these [things], he shall not escape.¹¹

Therefore thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; [As] I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised,¹ and my covenant that he hath broken,⁵² even it will I recompense¹ upon his own head.

And I will spread¹ my net upon him, and he shall be taken⁸ in my snare, and I will bring⁵² him to Babylon, and will plead⁸ with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed¹ against me.

And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall⁴ by the sword, and they that remain¹² shall be scattered¹¹ toward all winds: and ye shall know¹ that I the LORD have spoken¹⁴ [it].

Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; I will also take¹ of the highest branch of the high⁶ cedar, and will set¹ [it]; I will crop off⁴ from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant¹ [it] upon an high mountain and eminent:⁷

In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant⁴ it: and it shall bring forth¹ boughs, and bear¹ fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell¹ all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.⁴

And all the trees of the field shall know¹ that I the LORD have brought down⁵² the high tree, have exalted⁵² the low tree, have dried up⁵² the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish:⁵² I the LORD have spoken¹⁴ and have done¹ [it].