1 And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:2 Son of man Put thou forth a riddle And speak thou a parable,- Unto the house of Israel:3 So then thou shalt say, Thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh, A great eagle, with large wings of long pinion, full of plumage, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:4 The crown of its young twigs, plucked he off, and brought it into a land of traffic, :in a city of merchants, he t it.5 So he took of the seed of the land, and planted it in a field for seed,- He took it near mighty waters, Like a willow-tree, he set it.6 And it shot forth, and became a spreading vine of lowly stature, Its branches turning towards him, And its roots under him spread,- So it became a vine, And brought forth shoots, And sent forth boughs.7 And it came to pass that there was another great eagle, with large wings, and abundant plumage,- And lo! this vine, stretched its roots hungry towards him. And its branches, sent it forth unto him, That he might cause it to drink out of the beds where it was planted:8 In a goodly field by mighty waters, was it planted,- That it might bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, That it might become a splendid vine.9 Say thou, Thus saith My Lord. Yahweh, I Shall it thrive? Its roots, will he not tear up? Its fruit, will he not cut off, that it wither? All the fresh leaves it hath caused to spring forth shall wither without a strong I arm. or many people, to pull it up by its roots.10 Lo! therefore though planted, shall it thrive? As soon as an east wind toucheth it, will it not utterly wither? On the beds where it sprang up, will it not wither?11 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying:12 Say, I pray thee unto the perverse house, Know ye not what these things are? Say thou Lo! the King of Babylon entered Jerusalem And took her king and her princes, And brought them unto him in Babylon;13 Yea took of the seed royal And solemnised with him a covenant, And brought him into an oath, Also the mighty ones of the land, did he take.14 That, the kingdom might be abased, so as not to lift itself up, By the keeping of his covenant, might be made to stand.15 But he hath rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Egypt, that there should be given to him horses, and much people. Shall he thrive? Shall he escape that doeth these things? Shall he break a covenant and escape?16 As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Very! in the place where dwelleth the king that made him king, Whose oath he hath despised, And whose covenant he hath broken With him in the midst of Babylon, shall he die.17 Neither shall Pharaoh with a great force. or with a large gathered host, work with him in the war, by casting up an earthwork and by building a siege-wall, to the cuting off of many lives.18 Seeing he hath despised an oath. by breaking a covenantyea lo! hath given his hand and all these things hath done he shall not escape.19 Therefore, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh As I live, Surely it is mine oath which he hath despised, and my covenant which he hath broken, Therefore will I bring it upon his own head:20 And I will spread over him my net, And he shall be taken in my snare, And I will bring him into Babylon and will enter into judgment with him there, as to his treachery wherewith he hath been treacherous against me;21 And all his fugitives throughout all his bands by the sword, shall fall, And they who are left, to every wind, shall be scattered,-22 Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Therefore will I, Myself, take of the highest branch of the lofty cedar and set it, Of the crown of its young twigs, a tender one, will I pluck off, and I. myself will plant it upon a mountain high and terraced,23 In the mountain of the height of Israel, will I plant it, And it shall put forth boughs And bear fruit, And become a majestic cedar,- And every bird of every wing shall dwell under it, In the shade of its branches, shall they dwell.24 So shall all the trees of the field know that I Yahweh Have laid low the high tree Have exalted the low tree, Have dried up the moist tree, And have caused to flourish the tree, that was dry, I, Yahweh, have spoken, and performed.

1 E veio a mim a palavra do Senhor, dizendo: 2 Filho do homem, propõe uma parábola e usa de uma comparação para com a casa de Israel. 3 E dize: Assim diz o Senhor Jeová: Uma grande águia, de grandes asas, de farta plumagem, cheia de penas de várias cores, veio ao Líbano e levou o mais alto ramo de um cedro. 4 E arrancou a ponta mais alta dos seus ramos e a trouxe a uma terra de mercancia; na cidade de mercadores a pôs. 5 Tomou da semente da terra e a lançou num campo de semente; tomando-a, a pôs junto às grandes águas, com grande prudência. 6 E brotou e tornou-se numa videira mui larga, de pouca altura, virando-se para ela os seus ramos, porque as suas raízes estavam debaixo dela; e tornou-se numa videira, e produzia sarmentos, e lançava renovos.

7 Houve mais uma grande águia, de grandes asas, e cheia de penas; e eis que essa videira lançou para ela as suas raízes e estendeu para ela os seus ramos, desde as auréolas do seu plantio, para que a regasse. 8 Numa boa terra, à borda de muitas águas, estava ela plantada, para produzir ramos e para dar fruto, para que fosse videira excelente. 9 Dize: Assim diz o Senhor Jeová: Ela prosperará? Não lhe arrancará ele as suas raízes e não cortará o seu fruto, para que se seque? Em todas as folhas de seus renovos se secará; e, não com braço grande, nem com muita gente, será arrancada pelas suas raízes. 10 Mas, estando plantada, prosperará? Porventura, tocando-lhe vento oriental, de todo não se secará? Desde as auréolas do seu plantio se secará.

11 Então, veio a mim a palavra do Senhor, dizendo: 12 Dize, agora, à casa rebelde: Não sabeis o que significam estas coisas? Dize: Eis que veio o rei de Babilônia a Jerusalém, e tomou o seu rei e os seus príncipes, e os levou consigo para Babilônia; 13 e tomou um da semente real e fez concerto com ele; e o trouxe sob juramento e tomou os poderosos da terra, 14 para que o reino ficasse humilhado e não se levantasse; para que, guardando o seu concerto, pudesse subsistir. 15 Mas rebelou-se contra ele, enviando os seus mensageiros ao Egito, para que lhe mandassem cavalos e muita gente; prosperará ou escapará aquele que faz tais coisas? Ou quebrantará o concerto e escapará? 16 Como eu vivo, diz o Senhor Jeová, no lugar em que habita o rei que o fez reinar, cujo juramento desprezou e cujo concerto quebrantou, sim, com ele, no meio de Babilônia certamente morrerá. 17 E Faraó, nem com grande exército, nem com uma companhia numerosa, fará coisa alguma com ele em guerra, levantando tranqueiras e edificando baluartes, para destruir muitas vidas. 18 Pois que desprezou o juramento, quebrantando o concerto, feito com aperto de mão; havendo feito todas essas coisas, não escapará. 19 Portanto, assim diz o Senhor Jeová: Vivo eu, que o meu juramento, que desprezou, e o meu concerto, que quebrantou, isto farei recair sobre a sua cabeça. 20 Estenderei sobre ele a minha rede, e ficará preso no meu laço; e o levarei a Babilônia e ali entrarei em juízo com ele pela rebeldia com que se rebelou contra mim. 21 E todos os seus fugitivos, com todas as suas tropas, cairão à espada, e os que restarem serão espalhados em todas as direções; e sabereis que eu, o Senhor, o disse.

22 Assim diz o Senhor Jeová: Também eu tomarei o topo do cedro e o plantarei; do principal dos seus renovos cortarei o mais tenro e o plantarei sobre um monte alto e sublime. 23 No monte alto de Israel, o plantarei, e produzirá ramos, e dará fruto, e se fará um cedro excelente; e habitarão debaixo dele todas as aves de toda sorte de asas e à sombra dos seus ramos habitarão. 24 Assim saberão todas as árvores do campo que eu, o Senhor, abati a árvore alta, elevei a árvore baixa, sequei a árvore verde e fiz reverdecer a árvore seca; eu, o Senhor, o disse e o farei.