17 And
the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son
of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; 3 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: 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 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. 10 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. 11 Moreover
the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 12 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;
13
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: 14 That
the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by
keeping of his covenant it might stand. 15 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? 16 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. 17 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: 18 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. 19 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. 20 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. 21 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. 22 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: 23 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. 24 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.