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

16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die(L) in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.(M) 17 Pharaoh(N) with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps(O) are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.(P) 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge(Q) 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.(R) 20 I will spread my net(S) for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment(T) on him there because he was unfaithful(U) to me. 21 All his choice troops will fall by the sword,(V) and the survivors(W) will be scattered to the winds.(X) Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.(Y)

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

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

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11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Now say to that rebellious house:(A) Don’t you know what these things mean? Tell them: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and officials,(B) and brought them back with him to Babylon. 13 He took one of the royal family(C) and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath.(D) Then he took away the leading men of the land, 14 so the kingdom might be humble and not exalt itself(E) but might keep his covenant in order to endure. 15 However, this king revolted against him(F) by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so they might give him horses and a large army.(G) Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still escape?

16 “As I live”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne,(H) whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke. 17 Pharaoh will not help him with his great army and vast horde in battle,(I) when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives. 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. He did all these things even though he gave his hand in pledge.(J) He will not escape!”

19 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “As I live, I will bring down on his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke. 20 I will spread My net over him,(K) and he will be caught in My snare.(L) I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there for the treachery he committed against Me.(M) 21 All the fugitives[a] among his troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every direction of the wind.(N) Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken.”

22 This is what the Lord God says:

I will take a sprig
from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it.(O)
I will pluck a tender sprig
from its topmost shoots,
and I will plant it
on a high towering mountain.
23 I will plant it on Israel’s high mountain(P)
so that it may bear branches, produce fruit,
and become a majestic cedar.
Birds of every kind will nest under it,(Q)
taking shelter in the shade of its branches.
24 Then all the trees of the field will know
that I am Yahweh.
I bring down the tall tree,
and make the low tree tall.(R)
I cause the green tree to wither
and make the withered tree thrive.(S)
I, Yahweh, have spoken
and I will do it.(T)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 17:21 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg read choice men