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Ezekiel 17:1–18:32

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

1 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

2 “Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a aparable to the house of Israel,

3 1saying, ‘Thus says the Lord 2God, “A great aeagle with bgreat wings, long pinions and a full plumage of many colors came to cLebanon and took away the top of the cedar.

4 “He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders.

5 “He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in 1afertile soil. He 2placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a bwillow.

6 “Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and yielded shoots and sent out branches.

7 “But there was 1another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was aplanted, that he might water it.

8 “It was planted in good 1soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.” ’

9 “Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great 1strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.

10 “Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not acompletely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?” ’ ”

Zedekiah’s Rebellion

11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

12 “Say now to the arebellious house, ‘Do you not bknow what these things mean?’ Say, ‘Behold, the cking of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon.

13 ‘He took one of the royal 1afamily and made a covenant with him, 2putting him under boath. He also took away the cmighty of the land,

14 that the kingdom might abe 1in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue.

15 ‘But he arebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many 1troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things bescape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?

16 ‘As I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘Surely in the 1country of the king who 2put him on the throne, whose oath he adespised and whose covenant he broke, 3bin Babylon he shall die.

17 aPharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not 1help him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives.

18 ‘Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he 1apledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.’ ”

19 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will 1inflict on his head.

20 “I will spread My anet over him, and he will be bcaught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and center into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me.

21 “All the 1achoice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”

22 Thus says the Lord God, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a ahigh and lofty mountain.

23 “On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately acedar. And birds of every 1kind will 2nest under it; they will 2nest in the shade of its branches.

24 “All the atrees of the field will know that I am the Lord; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree bflourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it.

Chapter 18

God Deals Justly with Individuals

1 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2 aWhat do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying,

bThe fathers eat the sour grapes,

But the children’s teeth 1are set on edge’?

3 “As I live,” declares the Lord 1God, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore.

4 “Behold, aall 1souls are Mine; the 2soul of the father as well as the 2soul of the son is Mine. The 3soul who bsins will die.

5 “But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness,

6 and does not aeat at the mountain shrines or blift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or cdefile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period—

7 if a man does not oppress anyone, but arestores to the debtor his pledge, bdoes not commit robbery, but cgives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,

8 if he does not lend money on ainterest or take bincrease, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and cexecutes true justice between man and man,

9 if he walks in aMy statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully—bhe is righteous and will surely clive,” declares the Lord God.

10 “Then he may 1have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother

11 (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and adefiles his neighbor’s wife,

12 oppresses the apoor and needy, bcommits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and ccommits abomination,

13 he alends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he will surely be put to death; his bblood will be 1on his own head.

14 “Now behold, he 1has a son who has observed all his father’s sins which he committed, and aobserving does not do likewise.

15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife,

16 or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery, but he agives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,

17 he keeps his hand from 1the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; ahe will not die for his father’s iniquity, he will surely live.

18 “As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say, ‘aWhy should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced bjustice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.

20 “The person who asins will die. The bson will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the crighteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

21 “But if the awicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

22 aAll his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his brighteousness which he has practiced, he will live.

23 aDo I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “1rather than that he should bturn from his ways and live?

24 “But when a righteous man aturns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? bAll his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his ctreachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.

25 “Yet you say, ‘aThe way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is bMy way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

26 “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die.

27 “Again, when a wicked man turns away afrom his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.

28 “Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

29 “But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord God. “aRepent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.

31 aCast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a bnew heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?

32 “For I have ano pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”

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