11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 “Say now to (A)the rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Indeed (B)the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes, and led them with him to Babylon. 13 (C)And he took the king’s offspring, made a covenant with him, (D)and put him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, 14 that the kingdom might be (E)brought low and not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. 15 But (F)he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, (G)that they might give him horses and many people. (H)Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?

16 As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely (I)in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 17 (J)Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, (K)when they heap up a siege mound and build a [a]wall to cut off many persons. 18 Since he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and in fact (L)gave[b] his hand and still did all these things, he shall not escape.’ ”

19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “As I live, surely My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head. 20 I will (M)spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and (N)try him there for the [c]treason which he committed against Me. 21 (O)All his [d]fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be (P)scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Israel Exalted at Last(Q)

22 Thus says the Lord God: “I will take also one of the highest (R)branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs (S)a tender one, and will (T)plant it on a high and prominent mountain. 23 (U)On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. (V)Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, (W)have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; (X)I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 17:17 Or siege wall
  2. Ezekiel 17:18 Took an oath
  3. Ezekiel 17:20 Lit. unfaithful act
  4. Ezekiel 17:21 So with MT, Vg.; many Heb. mss., Syr. choice men; Tg. mighty men; LXX omits All his fugitives

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.

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