17The LORD spoke to me.H1697H3068H5592"Mortal man," he said, "tell the Israelites a parableH1121H120H2330H2420H4911H4912H1004H34783to let them know what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to them: There was a giant eagle with beautiful feathers and huge wings, spread wide. He flew to the Lebanon Mountains and broke off the top of a cedar tree,H559H559H136H3069H1419H5404H1419H3671H83H750H4392H5133H7553H935H3844H3947H6788H7304which he carried to a land of commerce and placed in a city of merchants.H6998H7218H3242H935H776H3667H7760H5892H74025Then he took a young plant from the land of Israel and planted it in a fertile field, where there was always water to make it grow.H3947H2233H776H5414H2233H7704H3947H7227H4325H7760H68516The plant sprouted and became a low, wide-spreading grapevine. The branches grew upward toward the eagle, and the roots grew deep. The vine was covered with branches and leaves.H6779H5628H1612H8217H6967H1808H6437H8328H1612H6213H905H7971H62887"There was another giant eagle with huge wings and thick plumage. And now the vine sent its roots toward him and turned its leaves toward him, in the hope that he would give it more water than there was in the garden where it was growing.H259H1419H5404H1419H3671H7227H5133H1612H3719H8328H7971H1808H8248H6170H43028But the vine had already been planted in a fertile, well-watered field so that it could grow leaves and bear grapes and be a magnificent vine.H8362H2896H7704H7227H4325H6213H6057H5375H6529H155H16129"So I, the Sovereign LORD, ask: Will this vine live and grow? Won't the first eagle pull it up by its roots, pull off the grapes, and break off the branches and let them wither? It will not take much strength or a mighty nation to pull it up.H559H559H136H3069H6743H5423H8328H7082H6529H3001H3001H2964H6780H1419H2220H7227H5971H5375H832810Yes, it is planted, but will it live and grow? Won't it wither when the east wind strikes it? Won't it wither there where it is growing?"H8362H6743H3001H3001H6921H7307H5060H3001H6170H6780
The Parable Is Explained
11The LORD said to me,H1697H3068H55912"Ask these rebels if they know what the parable means. Tell them that the king of Babylonia came to Jerusalem and took the king and his officials back with him to Babylonia.H559H4805H1004H3045H559H4428H894H935H3389H3947H4428H8269H935H89413He took one of the king's family, made a treaty with him, and made him swear to be loyal. He took important men as hostagesH3947H4410H2233H3772H1285H935H423H3947H352H77614to keep the nation from rising again and to make sure that the treaty would be kept.H4467H8217H5375H8104H1285H597515But the king of Judah rebelled and sent agents to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Can he get away with that? He cannot break the treaty and go unpunished!H4775H7971H4397H4714H5414H5483H7227H5971H6743H4422H6213H6565H1285H442216"As surely as I am the living God," says the Sovereign LORD, "this king will die in Babylonia because he broke his oath and the treaty he had made with the king of Babylonia, who put him on the throne.H2416H5002H136H3069H4725H4428H4427H423H959H1285H6565H8432H894H419117Even the powerful army of the king of Egypt will not be able to help him fight when the Babylonians build earthworks and dig trenches in order to kill many people.H6547H1419H2428H7227H6951H6213H4421H8210H5550H1129H1785H3772H7227H531518He broke his oath and the treaty he had made. He did all these things, and now he will not escape."H959H423H6565H1285H5414H3027H6213H442219The Sovereign LORD says, "As surely as I am the living God, I will punish him for breaking the treaty which he swore in my name to keep.H559H136H3069H2416H423H959H1285H6331H5414H721820I will spread out a hunter's net and catch him in it. I will take him to Babylonia and punish him there, because he was unfaithful to me.H6566H7568H8610H4686H935H894H8199H4603H460421His best soldiers will be killed in battle, and the survivors will be scattered in every direction. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken."H4015H102H5307H2719H7604H6566H7307H3045H3068H1696
God’s Promise of Hope
22This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "I will take the top of a tall cedar and break off a tender sprout; I will plant it on a high mountain,H559H136H3069H3947H6788H7311H730H5414H6998H7218H3127H7390H8362H1364H2022H852423on Israel's highest mountain. It will grow branches and bear seed and become a magnificent cedar. Birds of every kind will live there and find shelter in its shade.H2022H4791H3478H8362H5375H6057H6213H6529H117H730H7931H6833H3671H6738H1808H793124All the trees in the land will know that I am the LORD. I cut down the tall trees and make small trees grow tall. I wither up the green trees and make the dry trees become green. I, the LORD, have spoken. I will do what I have said I would do."H6086H7704H3045H3068H8213H1364H6086H1361H8217H6086H3001H3892H6086H3002H6086H6524H3068H1696H6213
Dublin, OH
