Chapter 17[a]
Allegory of the Eagles and Vine. 1 This word of the Lord was addressed to me: 2 Son of man, propose a riddle and expound this parable to the house of Israel. 3 Say: Thus says the Lord God:
A great eagle with large wings and long pinions,
rich with multi-colored plumage,
came to Lebanon.
He took the top of the cedar tree,
4 and plucked off its topmost shoot.
He carried it off to a land of tradesmen
and planted it in a city filled with merchants.
5 Then he took some of the seed of the land
and placed it in fertile soil.
Close to a source of abundant water
he set it like a willow tree.
6 It sprouted and became a vine,
low-lying and spreading forth.
Its branches turned toward him,
but its roots remained firmly in place.
Thus it became a vine, produced branches,
and put forth lofty shoots.
7 But there was another great eagle
with large wings and thick plumage.
From the plot where it had been planted
this vine stretched forth its roots toward him
so that he might water it.
It turned away from the bed where it was planted.
8 In a fertile field by abundant waters,
it was planted so that it might branch forth,
bear fruit, and become a noble vine.
9 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Will such a vine flourish?
Will it not be uprooted
with its fruit stripped off
and its freshly sprouted leaves becoming withered?
No great strength or a mighty army is needed
to pull it up by its roots.
10 If it is transplanted, will it flourish?
Will it not totally shrivel up
as though destroyed by the east wind
on the bed where it was growing?
11 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 12 Say now to this rebellious people: Do you not understand what all this means? Say to them: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and its princes, and brought them back to Babylon with him. 13 Then he selected a prince of the royal family and made a covenant with him, binding him under oath, and he deported the leading men of the land 14 so that the kingdom would be humble and submissive and be able to survive only by keeping his covenant and obeying him.
15 However, the prince rebelled against him and sent envoys to Egypt with a request for horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and remain unscathed?
16 As I live, says the Lord God, I swear that that man will die in Babylon, in the country of the king who appointed him to rule, whose oath he forsook and whose covenant he broke. 17 Despite Pharaoh’s mighty army and hordes of troops, he will not be able to save him in war, no matter how many ramps are raised up and siege-towers are built to destroy many lives. 18 He has violated the treaty and disregarded the oath by breaking the treaty he had pledged to observe. Since he has done all this, he will not go unpunished.
19 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: As I live, I will bring down upon his head my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke. 20 I will spread my net over him, and he will be trapped in my snare. I will take him to Babylon and bring him to judgment there for the treasonous acts he has committed against me. 21 All of his most valiant troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.
22 Thus says the Lord:
I myself will break off a tender shoot
from the highest branch of a tall cedar
and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
23 On the highest mountain in Israel I will plant it
so that it may put forth branches and bear fruit
and become a majestic cedar.
Birds of every kind will live beneath it;
in the shelter of its branches
winged creatures of every kind will dwell.
24 All the trees of the countryside will know
that I am the Lord.
I will bring low the tall tree
and raise high the lowly tree.
I cause the green tree to wither
and make the shriveled tree bear fruit.
I, the Lord, have spoken;
so will I do.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 17:1 The great eagle is evidently Nebuchadnezzar; he exiles Jehoiachin (v. 12), who is “the top of the cedar tree,” and replaces him with Zedekiah, the seed of verse 5 (see 2 Ki 24:15). The latter is at first a docile vassal (see 2 Chr 36:13), but he soon negotiates with the pharaoh, the second great eagle (vv. 7, 15), who is already weakened and unable to save anyone. The pessimistic description ends with a ray of hope: someday the ruined Davidic dynasty will be restored. The coming of the future shoot (v. 22), the Messiah, will show once again how the Lord acts on behalf of his people (see Ezek 21:26).