Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.^{(A) 3} Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle^(B) with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon.^(C) Taking hold of the top of a cedar, ⁴ he broke off^(D) its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.

⁵ “‘He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water,^{(E) 6} and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches^(F) turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.^(G)

⁷ “‘But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.^{(H) 8} It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches,^(I) bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

⁹ “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots.^{(J) 10} It has been planted,^(K) but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?^(L)’”

¹¹ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹² “Say to this rebellious people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?^(M)’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles,^(N) bringing them back with him to Babylon.^{(O) 13} Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty^(P) with him, putting him under oath.^(Q) He also carried away the leading men^(R) of the land, ¹⁴ so that the kingdom would be brought low,^(S) unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. ¹⁵ But the king rebelled^(T) against him by sending his envoys to Egypt^(U) to get horses and a large army.^(V) Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?^(W)

¹⁶ “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die^(X) in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.^{(Y) 17} Pharaoh^(Z) with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps^(AA) are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.^{(AB) 18} He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge^(AC) and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.

¹⁹ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant.^{(AD) 20} I will spread my net^(AE) for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment^(AF) on him there because he was unfaithful^(AG) to me. ²¹ All his choice troops will fall by the sword,^(AH) and the survivors^(AI) will be scattered to the winds.^(AJ) Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.^(AK)

²² “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot^(AL) from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.^{(AM) 23} On the mountain heights^(AN) of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit^(AO) and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.^{(AP) 24} All the trees of the forest^(AQ) will know that I the Lord bring down^(AR) the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.^(AS)

“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.^(AT)’”

Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon

31 In the eleventh year,^(A) in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(B) 2} “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:

¹⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud^(R) of its height, ¹¹ I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,^{(S) 12} and the most ruthless of foreign nations^(T) cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys;^(U) its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it.^{(V) 13} All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.^{(W) 14} Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined^(X) for death,^(Y) for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.^(Z)

¹⁵ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away.^{(AA) 16} I made the nations tremble^(AB) at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees^(AC) of Eden,^(AD) the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled^(AE) in the earth below.^{(AF) 17} They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword,^(AG) along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.

¹⁸ “‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised,^(AH) with those killed by the sword.

“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”