Hiezechielis Prophetæ 17

1 et factum est verbum Domini ad me dicens

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 fili hominis propone enigma et narra parabolam ad domum Israhel

“Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel

3 et dices haec dicit Dominus Deus aquila grandis magnarum alarum longo membrorum ductu plena plumis et varietate venit ad Libanum et tulit medullam cedri

and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.

4 summitatem frondium eius avellit et transportavit eam in terram Chanaan in urbem negotiatorum posuit illam

He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders.

5 et tulit de semente terrae et posuit illud in terra pro semine ut firmaret radicem super aquas multas in superficie posuit illud

He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow.

6 cumque germinasset crevit in vineam latiorem humili statura respicientibus ramis eius ad eam et radices eius sub illa erunt facta est ergo vinea et fructificavit in palmites et emisit propagines

It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height, with branches turned toward him; yet its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and yielded branches and sent out shoots.

7 et facta est aquila altera grandis magnis alis multisque plumis et ecce vinea ista quasi mittens radices suas ad eam palmites suos extendit ad illam ut inrigaret eam de areolis germinis sui

But there was another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him. It stretched out its branches to him from its planting bed, so that he might water it.

8 in terra bona super aquas multas plantata est ut faciat frondes et portet fructum et sit in vineam grandem

It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

9 dic haec dicit Dominus Deus ergone prosperabitur nonne radices eius evellet et fructum eius distringet et siccabit omnes palmites germinis eius et arescet et non in brachio grandi neque in populo multo ut evelleret eam radicitus

So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it shrivels? All its foliage will wither! It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots.

10 ecce plantata est ergone prosperabitur nonne cum tetigerit eam ventus urens siccabitur et in areis germinis sui arescet

Even if it is transplanted, will it flourish? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes? It will wither on the bed where it sprouted.’”

11 et factum est verbum Domini ad me dicens

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

12 dic ad domum exasperantem nescitis quid ista significent dic ecce venit rex Babylonis Hierusalem et adsumet regem et principes eius et adducet eos ad semet ipsum in Babylonem

“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon.

13 et tollet de semine regni ferietque cum eo foedus et accipiet ab eo iusiurandum sed et fortes terrae tollet

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

14 ut sit regnum humile et non elevetur sed custodiat pactum eius et servet illud

so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.

15 qui recedens ab eo misit nuntios ad Aegyptum ut daret sibi equos et populum multum numquid prosperabitur vel consequetur salutem qui fecit haec et qui dissolvit pactum numquid effugiet

But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’

16 vivo ego dicit Dominus Deus quoniam in loco regis qui constituit eum regem cuius fecit irritum iuramentum et solvit pactum quod habebat cum eo in medio Babylonis morietur

‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.

17 et non in exercitu grandi neque in populo multo faciet contra eum Pharao proelium in iactu aggeris et in extructione vallorum ut interficiat animas multas

Pharaoh with his mighty army and vast horde will not help him in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives.

18 spreverat enim iuramentum ut solveret foedus et ecce dedit manum suam et cum omnia haec fecerit non effugiet

He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’

19 propterea haec dicit Dominus Deus vivo ego quoniam iuramentum quod sprevit et foedus quod praevaricatus est ponam in caput eius

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke.

20 et expandam super eum rete meum et conprehendetur sagena mea et adducam eum in Babylonem et iudicabo illum ibi in praevaricatione qua despexit me

I will spread My net over him and catch him in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the treason he committed against Me.

21 et omnes profugi eius cum universo agmine gladio cadent residui autem in omnem ventum dispergentur et scietis quia ego Dominus locutus sum

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

22 haec dicit Dominus Deus et sumam ego de medulla cedri sublimis et ponam de vertice ramorum eius tenerum distringam et plantabo super montem excelsum et eminentem

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

23 in monte sublimi Israhel plantabo illud et erumpet in germen et faciet fructum et erit in cedrum magnam et habitabunt sub eo omnes volucres universum volatile sub umbra frondium eius nidificabit

I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel so that it will bear branches; it will yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches.

24 et scient omnia ligna regionis quia ego Dominus humiliavi lignum sublime et exaltavi lignum humile et siccavi lignum viride et frondere feci lignum aridum ego Dominus locutus sum et feci

Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”