Ezekiel 17

The Two Eagles and the Vine

1The word of the Lord came to me: 2O mortal, propound a riddle, and speak an allegory to the house of Israel. 3Say: Thus says the Lord God:

A great eagle, with great wings and long pinions,

rich in plumage of many colors,

came to the Lebanon.

He took the top of the cedar,

4broke off its topmost shoot;

He carried it to a land of trade,

set it in a city of merchants.

5Then he took a seed from the land,

placed it in fertile soil;

A plant#17.5 Meaning of Heb uncertain by abundant waters,

he set it like a willow twig.

6It sprouted and became a vine

spreading out, but low;

Its branches turned toward him,

its roots remained where it stood.

So it became a vine;

it brought forth branches,

put forth foliage.

7There was another great eagle,

with great wings and much plumage.

And see! This vine stretched out

its roots toward him;

It shot out its branches toward him,

so that he might water it.

From the bed where it was planted

8it was transplanted

to good soil by abundant waters,

so that it might produce branches

and bear fruit

and become a noble vine.

9Say: Thus says the Lord God:

Will it prosper?

Will he not pull up its roots,

cause its fruit to rot#17.9 Meaning of Heb uncertain and wither,

its fresh sprouting leaves to fade?

No strong arm or mighty army will be needed

to pull it from its roots.

10When it is transplanted, will it thrive?

When the east wind strikes it,

will it not utterly wither,

wither on the bed where it grew?

11Then the word of the Lord came to me: 12Say now to the rebellious house: Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and its officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon. 13He took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath (he had taken away the chief men of the land), 14so that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and that by keeping his covenant it might stand. 15But he rebelled against him by sending ambassadors to Egypt, in order that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape? 16As I live, says the Lord God, surely in the place where the king resides who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke—in Babylon he shall die. 17Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when ramps are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. 18Because he despised the oath and broke the covenant, because he gave his hand and yet did all these things, he shall not escape. 19Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, I will surely return upon his head my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. 20I will spread my net over him, and he shall be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treason he has committed against me. 21All the pick#17.21 Another reading is fugitives of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.

Israel Exalted at Last

22Thus says the Lord God:

I myself will take a sprig

from the lofty top of a cedar;

I will set it out.

I will break off a tender one

from the topmost of its young twigs;

I myself will plant it

on a high and lofty mountain.

23On the mountain height of Israel

I will plant it,

in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,

and become a noble cedar.

Under it every kind of bird will live;

in the shade of its branches will nest

winged creatures of every kind.

24All the trees of the field shall know

that I am the Lord.

I bring low the high tree,

I make high the low tree;

I dry up the green tree

and make the dry tree flourish.

I the Lord have spoken;

I will accomplish it.

Currently Selected:

Ezekiel 17: NRSV

Highlight

Copy

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

Learn More About New Revised Standard Version

Ezekiel 17

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

1And the word of Yahweh came#Literally “was” to me, saying,#Literally “to say” 2“Son of man,#Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind” tell a riddle and quote a proverb to the house of Israel, 3and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “The great eagle with great wings and long feathers#Literally “the eagle the great great of the wings long of the feather” and full of variegated plumage#Literally “full of the plumage which is for him the variegated” came to Lebanon and he took the treetop of the cedar. 4He plucked the top of its new plant shoot, and he brought it to the land of Canaan and put it in a city of merchants, 5and he took from the seed of the land and placed it in fertile soil#Literally “a field of seed” on#Or “by” many waters; like a willow he planted it. 6And it sprouted, and it became a vine spreading out,#Literally “he was to vine spreading out” low of height, turning its branches to him, and its roots were under it, and it became a vine,#Literally “and it was to a vine” and it made#Or “sprouted” branches, and it sent out foliage.

7“ ‘ “And there was another great eagle, great of wings and with abundant plumage, and look! This vine stretched out its roots toward him and extended its branches to him to water it from the garden bed where it was planted.#Literally “from the garden bed of its planting” 8It was planted in#Or “to” a good field by#Or “to” many waters#Hebrew “water” to produce branches#Hebrew “branch” and to bear fruit to become#Hebrew “be” a beautiful vine.” ’#Literally “to a vine of splendor” 9Say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Will it prosper? Will he not tear out its roots, and will he not make its fruit scaly, and it will wither, and all of the freshness of its vegetation will dry up? And to lift it from its roots will not require great strength or many people.#Literally “not with strong arm and with many people” 10And look! Though it is planted, will it prosper? When the east wind strikes it,#Literally “at striking her/it the wind of the east” will it not dry up completely? On the garden bed of its vegetation it will dry up!” ’ ”

11And the word of Yahweh came#Literally “was” to me, saying, 12“Say now to the rebellious house of Israel, ‘Do you not know what these are?’#Or “mean” Say, ‘Look! The king of Babylon will come to Jerusalem, and he will take its king and its officials, and he will bring#Or “take” them to himself,#Hebrew “him” to Babylon. 13And he took from the seed of the kingship, and he made with him a covenant, and he brought him under oath,#Literally “and he brought him into oath” and he took the rulers of the land, 14so that they would be a humble kingdom and not lift itself up to keep his covenant in order for it to stand.#Literally “to standing her”; or “to let her stand” 15But he rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Egypt to give to him horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he escape doing these things, and can he break the covenant and escape? 16As I live,’#Literally “live I” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh, ‘surely#Literally “if not” in the place of the king who made#Literally “who he was making” him king, who despised his oath and who broke his covenant with him—in the midst of Babylon he will die. 17And not with a great army and with a great crowd will Pharaoh work#Or “help/aid” with him in the war, at the pouring out of a siege ramp and the building of siege works to destroy many lives. 18And he despised the oath to break covenant. And, look, he gave his hand in pledge, and yet he did all of these things. He will not escape.’ 19Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘As I live,#Literally “live I” surely#Literally “if not” my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke I will return upon his head. 20And I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my hunting net, and I will bring him to Babylon, and I will enter into judgment with him there about his infidelity that he displayed against me. 21And all of his choice troops, among all of his troops, they will fall by the sword, and those who are remaining,#Or “left over” they will be scattered to all the directions of the wind, and you will know that I, Yahweh, I have spoken.’ 22Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘And I will take, even I, from the treetop of the high cedar, and I will plant it, from the head of its new plant shoot I will pluck a tender one, and I will plant it, even I, on a high and lofty mountain. 23On the height of the mountain of Israel I will plant it, and it will carry#Or “bear” branches,#Hebrew “branch” and it will bear fruit, and it will become a noble cedar,#Literally “he will be to a cedar noble” and all of the birds of all wings#Or “kinds” will dwell under it in the shade of its branches. 24And all of the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, I will bring low a high tree, and I will exalt a low, fresh tree, and I will make a dry tree flourish. I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will do it.’ ”

Currently Selected:

Highlight

Copy

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Learn More About Lexham English Bible