Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me: ^2 (A)“Son of man, ^(B)propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; ³ say, Thus says the Lord God: ^(C)A great eagle ^(D)with great wings and long pinions, ^(E)rich in plumage of many colors, came ^(F)to Lebanon ^(G)and took the top of the cedar. ⁴ He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. ⁵ Then he took of the seed of the land ^(H)and planted it in fertile soil.^[a] He placed it beside abundant waters. ^(I)He set it like a willow twig, ⁶ and it sprouted and became a ^(J)low ^(K)spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs.

^7 (L)“And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, ^(M)and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from ^(N)the bed where it was planted, that he might water it. ^8 (O)It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine.

⁹ “Say, Thus says the Lord God: ^(P)Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. ¹⁰ Behold, it is planted; will it thrive? ^(Q)Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it—wither away on the bed where it sprouted?”

¹¹ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹² “Say now to ^(R)the rebellious house, ^(S)Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, ^(T)the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. ^13 (U)And he took one of the royal offspring^{[b] (V)}and made a covenant with him, ^(W)putting him under oath (^(X)the chief men of the land he had taken away), ¹⁴ that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand. ^15 (Y)But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors ^(Z)to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. ^(AA)Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he ^(AB)break the covenant and yet escape?

^16 (AC)“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely ^(AD)in the place where the king dwells ^(AE)who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. ^17 (AF)Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, ^(AG)when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. ¹⁸ He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape. ¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head. ^20 (AH)I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon ^(AI)and enter into judgment with him there ^(AJ)for the treachery he has committed against me. ²¹ And all the pick^[c] of his troops shall fall by the sword, ^(AK)and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind, and you shall know that ^(AL)I am the Lord; I have spoken.”

²² Thus says the Lord God: ^(AM)“I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. ^(AN)I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and ^(AO)I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ^23 (AP)On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. ^(AQ)And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. ²⁴ And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; ^(AR)I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up ^(AS)the green tree, and make ^(AT)the dry tree flourish. ^(AU)I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

Be Ready for Every Good Work

3 Remind them ^(A)to be submissive to rulers and authorities, ^(B)to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ^2 (C)to speak evil of no one, ^(D)to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and ^(E)to show perfect courtesy toward all people. ³ For ^(F)we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. ⁴ But when ^(G)the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, ^(H)not because of works done by us in righteousness, but ^(I)according to his own mercy, by ^(J)the washing of regeneration and ^(K)renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he ^(L)poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that ^(M)being justified by his grace we might become ^(N)heirs ^(O)according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸ The saying is ^(P)trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful ^(Q)to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. ⁹ But ^(R)avoid foolish ^(S)controversies, ^(T)genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for ^(U)they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰ As for a person who stirs up division, ^(V)after warning him once and then twice, ^(W)have nothing more to do with him, ¹¹ knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Final Instructions and Greetings

¹² When I send Artemas or ^(X)Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me ^(Y)at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³ Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and ^(Z)Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. ¹⁴ And let our people learn ^(AA)to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not ^(AB)be unfruitful.

¹⁵ All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

^(AC)Grace be with you all.