The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

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

Son of man, pose a riddle and tell a parable to the house of Israel.

Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

Say this: ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers, and full of colorful plumage came to Lebanon and took the top of a cedar tree.

And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:

It plucked the highest branch and carried it to the land of merchants, where it planted it in a city of traders.

He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.

Then it took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil, placing it by abundant waters like a willow.

He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.

The plant sprouted and became a low, spreading vine, with its branches facing the eagle and its roots growing beneath it. So it became a vine, produced branches, and sent out leaves.

And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and abundant feathers. And behold, the vine bent its roots toward it and stretched its branches toward the eagle to be watered from the surrounding garden.

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

It was planted in fertile soil by abundant waters to produce branches, bear fruit, and become a splendid vine.

It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.

Say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and its fruit stripped so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a great effort or many people to pull it out by its roots.

Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.

Even if transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes it, drying up in the very garden bed where it grew?’

Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

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

Say to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not understand what these things mean? Tell them: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon.

Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;

He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under an oath. Then he carried away the leaders of the land.

And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:

This kingdom was made humble so that it would not exalt itself, and so that by keeping its covenant, it might stand firm.

That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.

But he rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Egypt to obtain horses and a great army. Will he prosper? Will he escape if he does such things? Can a person break a covenant and still escape?

But 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 that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, in the place where the king who made him king resides—whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—there in Babylon he will die.

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.

Pharaoh and his mighty army and great company will not help him in battle, when mounds are heaped up and siege walls are built to destroy many people.

Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:

He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Though he gave his hand in pledge, he did all these things. He will not escape!

Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will bring upon his own head.

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.

I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the unfaithfulness he committed against Me.

And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.

All his fugitives in all his troops will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered to every direction. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.’

And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I Myself will take a branch from the top of a lofty cedar and plant it. I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:

I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel. It will bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. Every bird of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches.

In 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 fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.

Then all the trees of the field will know that I, the LORD, bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.’

And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD 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 the LORD have spoken and have done it.