Ezekiel 17 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

The word of Yahweh came to me:

"Son of man, pose a riddle and tell a parable to the house of Israel."

Say: This is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, declares — A great eagle came to Lebanon, with massive wings and long feathers, full of plumage in every color. He took the crown of the cedar.

He snapped off the highest shoot and carried it to a land of merchants, set it down in a city of traders.

Then he took a seedling from the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters, set it out like a willow.

It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low to the ground, its branches turning toward him, its roots growing down beneath him. It became a vine, producing branches and sending out shoots.

But there was another great eagle, with massive wings and thick plumage. And look — this vine bent its roots toward him, stretched its branches toward him, away from the bed where it was planted, so he would water it.

It had been planted in good soil beside abundant waters, so it could produce branches and bear fruit and become a magnificent vine.

Say: This is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, declares — Will it thrive? Won't he rip out its roots and strip off its fruit until it withers? Every fresh leaf will dry up. No mighty arm or great army will be needed to pull it from its roots.

Look — it is planted. But will it thrive? Won't it wither completely when the east wind strikes it? Right there in the bed where it sprouted, it will wither away.

Then the word of Yahweh came to me:

"Say to this rebellious house: Don't you know what these things mean? Tell them: Look — the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and its officials and brought them back with him to Babylon."

Then he took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the leading men of the land,

so that the kingdom would stay low and not rise up on its own — so that by keeping his covenant, the kingdom would stand.

But he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt, asking for horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and get away with it?

"As I live" — this is the declaration of Yahweh, the Sovereign One — "right there in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke — right there in Babylon, he will die."

Pharaoh with his mighty army and vast company will do nothing for him in the war — when siege ramps are raised and walls are built to cut off many lives.

He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Look — he gave his hand in pledge and still did all these things. He will not escape.

Therefore, this is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, declares: "As I live — my oath that he despised, my covenant that he broke — I will bring the consequences down on his own head."

I will spread my net over him and he will be caught in my trap. I will bring him to Babylon and judge him there for the unfaithfulness he committed against me.

All the best of his troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken.

This is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, declares: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of the tall cedar and plant it. From its highest branches I will snap off a tender sprig and I myself will plant it on a high and towering mountain.

On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it. It will produce branches and bear fruit and become a magnificent cedar. Every kind of bird will nest in it — every winged creature will find shelter in the shade of its branches.

Then all the trees of the field will know that I am Yahweh. I bring down the tall tree and raise up the low tree. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree bloom. I, Yahweh, have spoken, and I will do it.