Ezekiel 17

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,	1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
2 'Son of man, put a riddle, propound a parable to the House of Israel.	2 Son of man, propose a riddle, and speak this proverb to the house of Israel:
3 Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: A great eagle with great wings, long-pinioned, rich with many-coloured plumage, came to the Lebanon.	3 Thus speaks the Lord GOD: The great eagle, with great wings, with long pinions, with thick plumage, many-hued, came to Lebanon. He took the crest of the cedar,
4 He took the top of the cedar tree, he plucked off the top branch, he carried it off to the country ofmerchants and set it down in a city of shopkeepers.	4 tearing off its topmost branch, And brought it to a land of tradesmen, set it in a city of merchants.
5 Next, he took one of the country's seeds and put it in a fertile field; by the side of a generous stream,like a wil ow tree, he placed it.	5 Then he took some seed of the land, and planted it in a seedbed; A shoot by plentiful waters, like a willow he placed it,
6 It grew and became a fruitful vine of modest size, grew up towards the eagle, its roots grewdownwards. So it became a vine, branching out and sprouting new shoots.	6 To sprout and grow up a vine, dense and low-lying, Its branches turned toward him, its roots lying under him. Thus it became a vine, produced branches and put forth shoots.
7 But there was another great eagle with great wings and thick plumage. And now the vine twisted itsroots towards him and stretched its branches towards him, for him to water it away from the bed where it wasplanted.	7 But there was another great eagle, great of wing, rich in plumage; To him this vine bent its roots, sent out its branches, That he might water it more freely than the bed where it was planted.
8 It was in a fertile field, by the side of a wide stream that the vine had been planted, to branch out andbear fruit and become a noble vine."	8 In a fertile field by plentiful waters it was planted, to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a majestic vine.
9 Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: Will it succeed? Wil the eagle not tear out its roots and strip off itsfruit, so that al the new leaves it puts out wil wither, and no great strength is needed nor many people to pul itup by the roots?	9 Say: Thus says the Lord GOD: Can it prosper? Will he not rather tear it out by the roots and strip off its fruit, so that all its green growth will wither when he pulls it up by the roots? (No need of a mighty arm or many people to do this.)
10 Planted it may be -- wil it succeed? Wil it not shrivel up when the east wind blows? It wil wither inthe bed where it was growing!" '	10 True, it is planted, but will it prosper? Will it not rather wither, when touched by the east wind, in the bed where it grew?
11 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows:	11 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
12 'Say to that tribe of rebels, "Do you not know what this means?" Say this, 'Look, the king of Babyloncame to Jerusalem; he carried away the king and the princes, and took them to his home in Babylon.	12 Son of man, say now to the rebellious house: Do you not understand what this means? It is this: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took away its king and princes with him to Babylon.
13 He took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him, forcing him to swear loyalty, havingalready deported the leading men of the country,	13 Then he selected a man of the royal line with whom he made a covenant, binding him under oath, while removing the nobles of the land,
14 so that the kingdom would remain modest and without ambitions, and would keep and honour histreaty.	14 so that the kingdom would remain a modest one, without aspirations, and would keep his covenant and obey him.
15 But the prince rebelled against him and sent envoys to Egypt to procure himself horses and a largenumber of troops. Wil he succeed? Wil a man who has done this go unpunished? Can he break a treaty and gounpunished?	15 But this man rebelled against him, sending envoys to Egypt to obtain horses and a great army. Can he prosper? Can he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still go free?
16 As I live, I swear it -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- in Babylon, in the country of the king who put himon the throne, whose oath he has disregarded and whose treaty he has broken, there he will die.	16 As I live, says the Lord GOD, in the home of the king who set him up to rule, whose oath he spurned, whose covenant with him he broke, there in Babylon I swear he shall die!
17 Despite the pharaoh's great army and hordes of men, he wil not be able to save him by fighting,however many earthworks are raised, however many trenches dug to the loss of many lives.	17 When ramps are cast up and siege towers are built for the destruction of many lives, he shall not be saved in the conflict by Pharaoh with a great army and numerous troops.
18 He has disregarded the oath by breaking the treaty to which he had pledged himself and, havingdone al this, wil not go unpunished.	18 He spurned his oath, breaking his covenant. Though he gave his hand in pledge, he did all these things. He shall not escape!
19 "So, the Lord Yahweh says this: As I live, I swear it: my oath which he has disregarded, my treatywhich he has broken, I shall make them both recoil on his own head.	19 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, my oath which he spurned, my covenant which he broke, I swear to bring down upon his head.
20 I shal throw my net over him, he wil be caught in my mesh; I shall take him to Babylon and punishhim there for being unfaithful to me.	20 I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there over his breaking faith with me.
21 Al the pick of al his troops wil fal by the sword, and the survivors be scattered to al the winds. Andyou wil know that I, Yahweh, have spoken.	21 All the crack troops among his forces shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered in every direction. Thus you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken.
22 "The Lord Yahweh says this: From the top of the tal cedar tree, from the highest branch I shal take ashoot and plant it myself on a high and lofty mountain.	22 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, And plant it on a high and lofty mountain;
23 I shal plant it on the highest mountain in Israel. It wil put out branches and bear fruit and grow into anoble cedar tree. Every kind of bird wil live beneath it, every kind of winged creature will rest in the shade of itsbranches.	23 on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
24 And al the trees of the countryside wil know that I, Yahweh, am the one who lays the tal tree lowand raises the low tree high, who makes the green tree wither and makes the withered bear fruit. I, Yahweh,have spoken, and I wil do it." '	24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, Bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, Wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.