17Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H5592“Son of man, give this riddle, and tell this story to the people of Israel.H1121H120H2330H2420H4911H4912H1004H34783Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord. “A great eagle with broad wings and long feathers, covered with many-colored plumage, came to Lebanon. He seized the top of a cedar treeH559H559H136H3069H1419H5404H1419H3671H83H750H4392H5133H7553H935H3844H3947H6788H7304and plucked off its highest branch. He carried it away to a city filled with merchants. He planted it in a city of traders.H6998H7218H3242H935H776H3667H7760H5892H74025He also took a seedling from the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside a broad river, where it could grow like a willow tree.H3947H2233H776H5414H2233H7704H3947H7227H4325H7760H68516It took root there and grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned up toward the eagle, and its roots grew down into the ground. It produced strong branches and put out shoots.H6779H5628H1612H8217H6967H1808H6437H8328H1612H6213H905H7971H62887But then another great eagle came with broad wings and full plumage. So the vine now sent its roots and branches toward him for water,H259H1419H5404H1419H3671H7227H5133H1612H3719H8328H7971H1808H8248H6170H43028even though it was already planted in good soil and had plenty of water so it could grow into a splendid vine and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit.H8362H2896H7704H7227H4325H6213H6057H5375H6529H155H16129“So now the Sovereign Lord asks. Will this vine grow and prosper? No! I will pull it up, roots and all! I will cut off its fruit and let its leaves wither and die. I will pull it up easily without a strong arm or a large army.H559H559H136H3069H6743H5423H8328H7082H6529H3001H3001H2964H6780H1419H2220H7227H5971H5375H832810But when the vine is transplanted, will it thrive? No, it will wither away when the east wind blows against it. It will die in the same good soil where it had grown so well.”H8362H6743H3001H3001H6921H7307H5060H3001H6170H6780
The Riddle Explained
11Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H55912“Say to these rebels of Israel: Don’t you understand the meaning of this riddle of the eagles? The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took away her king and princes, and brought them to Babylon.H559H4805H1004H3045H559H4428H894H935H3389H3947H4428H8269H935H89413He made a treaty with a member of the royal family and forced him to take an oath of loyalty. He also exiled Israel’s most influential leaders,H3947H4410H2233H3772H1285H935H423H3947H352H77614so Israel would not become strong again and revolt. Only by keeping her treaty with Babylon could Israel survive.H4467H8217H5375H8104H1285H597515“Nevertheless, this man of Israel’s royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it?H4775H7971H4397H4714H5414H5483H7227H5971H6743H4422H6213H6565H1285H442216No! For as surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, the king of Israel will die in Babylon, the land of the king who put him in power and whose treaty he disregarded and broke.H2416H5002H136H3069H4725H4428H4427H423H959H1285H6565H8432H894H419117Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys many lives.H6547H1419H2428H7227H6951H6213H4421H8210H5550H1129H1785H3772H7227H531518For the king of Israel disregarded his treaty and broke it after swearing to obey; therefore, he will not escape.H959H423H6565H1285H5414H3027H6213H442219“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will punish him for breaking my covenant and disregarding the solemn oath he made in my name.H559H136H3069H2416H423H959H1285H6331H5414H721820I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and put him on trial for this treason against me.H6566H7568H8610H4686H935H894H8199H4603H460421And all his best warriors will be killed in battle, and those who survive will be scattered to the four winds. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.H4015H102H5307H2719H7604H6566H7307H3045H3068H169622“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel’s highest mountain.H559H136H3069H3947H6788H7311H730H5414H6998H7218H3127H7390H8362H1364H2022H852423It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches.H2022H4791H3478H8362H5375H6057H6213H6529H117H730H7931H6833H3671H6738H1808H793124And all the trees will know that it is I, the Lord, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said!”H6086H7704H3045H3068H8213H1364H6086H1361H8217H6086H3001H3892H6086H3002H6086H6524H3068H1696H6213
will be killed in battle, and those who survive will be scattered to the four winds. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.H4015
