42 (A)So will I satisfy my wrath on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you. I will be calm and will no more be angry. 43 Because you have not remembered (B)the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things, therefore, behold, (C)I have returned your deeds upon your head, declares the Lord God. Have you not (D)committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations?

44 “Behold, everyone (E)who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45 You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of (F)your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. (G)Your mother was a Hittite and (H)your father an Amorite. 46 And (I)your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and (J)your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 (K)Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time (L)you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. 48 (M)As I live, declares the Lord God, your sister (N)Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, (O)excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and (P)did an abomination before me. So (Q)I removed them, when I saw it. 51 (R)Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have committed more abominations than they, and (S)have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have committed. 52 (T)Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have intervened on behalf of your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

53 (U)“I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in their midst, 54 that you may bear your disgrace (V)and be ashamed of all that you have done, (W)becoming a consolation to them. 55 As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, (X)and Samaria and her daughters shall return (Y)to their former state, (Z)and you and your daughters shall return (AA)to your former state. 56 Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth (AB)in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become (AC)an object of reproach for the daughters of Syria[a] and all those around her, and for (AD)the daughters of the Philistines, (AE)those all around who despise you. 58 (AF)You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, declares the Lord.

The Lord's Everlasting Covenant

59 “For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you (AG)who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, 60 yet (AH)I will remember my covenant with you (AI)in the days of your youth, (AJ)and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. 61 (AK)Then you will remember your ways (AL)and be ashamed when you take (AM)your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you (AN)as daughters, but not on account of[b] the covenant with you. 62 I will establish my covenant with you, (AO)and you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 that you may remember and be confounded, and (AP)never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.”

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me: (AQ)“Son of man, (AR)propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; say, Thus says the Lord God: (AS)A great eagle (AT)with great wings and long pinions, (AU)rich in plumage of many colors, came (AV)to Lebanon (AW)and took the top of the cedar. 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. Then he took of the seed of the land (AX)and planted it in fertile soil.[c] He placed it beside abundant waters. (AY)He set it like a willow twig, and it sprouted and became a (AZ)low (BA)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.

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

“Say, Thus says the Lord God: (BF)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? (BG)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 (BH)the rebellious house, (BI)Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, (BJ)the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. 13 (BK)And he took one of the royal offspring[d] (BL)and made a covenant with him, (BM)putting him under oath ((BN)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 (BO)But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors (BP)to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. (BQ)Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he (BR)break the covenant and yet escape?

16 (BS)“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely (BT)in the place where the king dwells (BU)who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. 17 (BV)Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, (BW)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 (BX)I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon (BY)and enter into judgment with him there (BZ)for the treachery he has committed against me. 21 And all the pick[e] of his troops shall fall by the sword, (CA)and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind, and you shall know that (CB)I am the Lord; I have spoken.”

22 Thus says the Lord God: (CC)“I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. (CD)I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and (CE)I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 (CF)On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. (CG)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; (CH)I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up (CI)the green tree, and make (CJ)the dry tree flourish. (CK)I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:57 Some manuscripts (compare Syriac) of Edom
  2. Ezekiel 16:61 Or not apart from
  3. Ezekiel 17:5 Hebrew in a field of seed
  4. Ezekiel 17:13 Hebrew seed
  5. Ezekiel 17:21 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts all the fugitives

42 Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.(A)

43 “‘Because you did not remember(B) the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down(C) on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?(D)

44 “‘Everyone who quotes proverbs(E) will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” 45 You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised(F) her husband(G) and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.(H) 46 Your older sister(I) was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.(J) 47 You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.(K) 48 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign(L) Lord, your sister Sodom(M) and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.(N)

49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:(O) She and her daughters were arrogant,(P) overfed and unconcerned;(Q) they did not help the poor and needy.(R) 50 They were haughty(S) and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.(T) 51 Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.(U) 52 Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous(V) than you. So then, be ashamed and bear(W) your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

53 “‘However, I will restore(X) the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them,(Y) 54 so that you may bear your disgrace(Z) and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. 55 And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.(AA) 56 You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned(AB) by the daughters of Edom[a](AC) and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. 58 You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.(AD)

59 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.(AE) 60 Yet I will remember the covenant(AF) I made with you in the days of your youth,(AG) and I will establish an everlasting covenant(AH) with you. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed(AI) when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters,(AJ) but not on the basis of my covenant with you. 62 So I will establish my covenant(AK) with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(AL) 63 Then, when I make atonement(AM) for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed(AN) and never again open your mouth(AO) because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AP)’”

Two Eagles and a Vine

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

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

“‘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.(AX) It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches,(AY) bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

“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.(AZ) 10 It has been planted,(BA) but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?(BB)’”

11 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Say to this rebellious people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?(BC)’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles,(BD) bringing them back with him to Babylon.(BE) 13 Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty(BF) with him, putting him under oath.(BG) He also carried away the leading men(BH) of the land, 14 so that the kingdom would be brought low,(BI) unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. 15 But the king rebelled(BJ) against him by sending his envoys to Egypt(BK) to get horses and a large army.(BL) Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?(BM)

16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die(BN) in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.(BO) 17 Pharaoh(BP) with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps(BQ) are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.(BR) 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge(BS) 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.(BT) 20 I will spread my net(BU) for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment(BV) on him there because he was unfaithful(BW) to me. 21 All his choice troops will fall by the sword,(BX) and the survivors(BY) will be scattered to the winds.(BZ) Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.(CA)

22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot(CB) 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.(CC) 23 On the mountain heights(CD) of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit(CE) and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.(CF) 24 All the trees of the forest(CG) will know that I the Lord bring down(CH) the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.(CI)

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

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:57 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate Aram

Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, (A)one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in (B)the true tent[a] that the Lord (C)set up, not man. For (D)every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus (E)it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve (F)a copy and (G)shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, (H)“See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But as it is, Christ[b] has obtained a ministry that is (I)as much more excellent than the old as (J)the covenant (K)he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. (L)For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

For he finds fault with them when he says:[c]

(M)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
    when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
    and with the house of Judah,
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
    on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant,
    and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
10 (N)For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
    after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
    and (O)write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
    and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall (P)all know me,
    from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
    (Q)and I will remember their sins no more.”

13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And (R)what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 8:2 Or tabernacle; also verse 5
  2. Hebrews 8:6 Greek he
  3. Hebrews 8:8 Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them

The High Priest of a New Covenant

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,(A) who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,(B) and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle(C) set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

Every high priest(D) is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,(E) and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.(F) If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.(G) They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy(H) and shadow(I) of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned(J) when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a](K) But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant(L) of which he is mediator(M) is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.(N) But God found fault with the people and said[b]:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant(O)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors(P)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
    and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant(Q) I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.(R)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.(S)
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,(T)
    from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.(U)[c](V)

13 By calling this covenant “new,”(W) he has made the first one obsolete;(X) and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 8:5 Exodus 25:40
  2. Hebrews 8:8 Some manuscripts may be translated fault and said to the people.
  3. Hebrews 8:12 Jer. 31:31-34

13 But they soon (A)forgot his works;
    they did not wait for (B)his counsel.
14 But they had (C)a wanton craving in the wilderness,
    and (D)put God to the test in the desert;
15 he (E)gave them what they asked,
    but sent (F)a wasting disease among them.

16 When men in the camp (G)were jealous of Moses
    and Aaron, (H)the holy one of the Lord,
17 (I)the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
    and covered the company of Abiram.
18 (J)Fire also broke out in their company;
    the flame burned up the wicked.

19 They (K)made a calf in Horeb
    and worshiped a metal image.
20 They (L)exchanged the glory of God[a]
    for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They (M)forgot God, their Savior,
    who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in (N)the land of Ham,
    and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore (O)he said he would destroy them—
    had not Moses, his (P)chosen one,
(Q)stood in the breach before him,
    to turn away his wrath from destroying them.

24 Then they (R)despised (S)the pleasant land,
    having (T)no faith in his promise.
25 They (U)murmured in their tents,
    and did not obey the voice of the Lord.
26 Therefore he (V)raised his hand and swore to them
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
    (W)scattering them among the lands.

28 Then they (X)yoked themselves to the (Y)Baal of Peor,
    and ate sacrifices offered to (Z)the dead;
29 they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds,
    and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then (AA)Phinehas stood up and intervened,
    and the plague was stayed.
31 And that was (AB)counted to him as righteousness
    from generation to generation forever.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:20 Hebrew exchanged their glory

13 But they soon forgot(A) what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold.(B)
14 In the desert(C) they gave in to their craving;
    in the wilderness(D) they put God to the test.(E)
15 So he gave them(F) what they asked for,
    but sent a wasting disease(G) among them.

16 In the camp they grew envious(H) of Moses
    and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
17 The earth opened(I) up and swallowed Dathan;(J)
    it buried the company of Abiram.(K)
18 Fire blazed(L) among their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf(M)
    and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God(N)
    for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God(O) who saved them,
    who had done great things(P) in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham(Q)
    and awesome deeds(R) by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy(S) them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach(T) before him
    to keep his wrath from destroying them.

24 Then they despised(U) the pleasant land;(V)
    they did not believe(W) his promise.
25 They grumbled(X) in their tents
    and did not obey the Lord.
26 So he swore(Y) to them with uplifted hand
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,(Z)
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
    and scatter(AA) them throughout the lands.

28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor(AB)
    and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the Lord’s anger(AC) by their wicked deeds,(AD)
    and a plague(AE) broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas(AF) stood up and intervened,
    and the plague was checked.(AG)
31 This was credited to him(AH) as righteousness
    for endless generations(AI) to come.

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One who is full loathes (A)honey,
    but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
Like (B)a bird that strays from its nest
    is a man who strays from his home.
(C)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
    and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:9 Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel

One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
    but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

Like a bird that flees its nest(A)
    is anyone who flees from home.

Perfume(B) and incense bring joy to the heart,
    and the pleasantness of a friend
    springs from their heartfelt advice.

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