Ezekiel 17–19

Chapter 17

A Story of Two Eagles

Then this message came to me from the Lord: ²“Son of man, give this riddle, and tell this story to the people of Israel. ³Give 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 tree

⁴and plucked off its highest branch.

He carried it away to a city filled with merchants.

He planted it in a city of traders.

⁵He 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.

⁶It 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.

⁷But then another great eagle came

with broad wings and full plumage.

So the vine now sent its roots and branches

toward him for water,

⁸even 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.

⁹“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.

¹⁰But 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.”

The Riddle Explained

¹¹Then this message came to me from the Lord: ¹²“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. ¹³He 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, ¹⁴so Israel would not become strong again and revolt. Only by keeping her treaty with Babylon could Israel survive.

¹⁵“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? ¹⁶No! 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. ¹⁷Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys many lives. ¹⁸For the king of Israel disregarded his treaty and broke it after swearing to obey; therefore, he will not escape.

¹⁹“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. ²⁰I 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. ²¹And 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.

²²“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. ²³It 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. ²⁴And 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!”

Chapter 18

The Justice of a Righteous God

Then another message came to me from the Lord: ²“Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste’? ³As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you will not quote this proverb anymore in Israel. ⁴For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.

⁵“Suppose a certain man is righteous and does what is just and right. ⁶He does not feast in the mountains before Israel’s idols or worship them. He does not commit adultery or have intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period. ⁷He is a merciful creditor, not keeping the items given as security by poor debtors. He does not rob the poor but instead gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy. ⁸He grants loans without interest, stays away from injustice, is honest and fair when judging others, ⁹and faithfully obeys my decrees and regulations. Anyone who does these things is just and will surely live, says the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁰“But suppose that man has a son who grows up to be a robber or murderer and refuses to do what is right. ¹¹And that son does all the evil things his father would never do—he worships idols on the mountains, commits adultery, ¹²oppresses the poor and helpless, steals from debtors by refusing to let them redeem their security, worships idols, commits detestable sins, ¹³and lends money at excessive interest. Should such a sinful person live? No! He must die and must take full blame.

¹⁴“But suppose that sinful son, in turn, has a son who sees his father’s wickedness and decides against that kind of life. ¹⁵This son refuses to worship idols on the mountains and does not commit adultery. ¹⁶He does not exploit the poor, but instead is fair to debtors and does not rob them. He gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy. ¹⁷He helps the poor, does not lend money at interest, and obeys all my regulations and decrees. Such a person will not die because of his father’s sins; he will surely live. ¹⁸But the father will die for his many sins—for being cruel, robbing people, and doing what was clearly wrong among his people.

¹⁹“ ‘What?’ you ask. ‘Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?’ No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps my decrees, that child will surely live. ²⁰The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. ²¹But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. ²²All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.

²³“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. ²⁴However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.

²⁵“Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? ²⁶When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. ²⁷And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. ²⁸They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die. ²⁹And yet the people of Israel keep saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what’s right, not I.

³⁰“Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! ³¹Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? ³²I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!

Chapter 19

A Funeral Song for Israel’s Kings

“Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel:

²“What is your mother?

A lioness among lions!

She lay down among the young lions

and reared her cubs.

³She raised one of her cubs

to become a strong young lion.

He learned to hunt and devour prey,

and he became a man-eater.

⁴Then the nations heard about him,

and he was trapped in their pit.

They led him away with hooks

to the land of Egypt.

⁵“When the lioness saw

that her hopes for him were gone,

she took another of her cubs

and taught him to be a strong young lion.

⁶He prowled among the other lions

and stood out among them in his strength.

He learned to hunt and devour prey,

and he, too, became a man-eater.

⁷He demolished fortresses

and destroyed their towns and cities.

Their farms were desolated,

and their crops were destroyed.

The land and its people trembled in fear

when they heard him roar.

⁸Then the armies of the nations attacked him,

surrounding him from every direction.

They threw a net over him

and captured him in their pit.

⁹With hooks, they dragged him into a cage

and brought him before the king of Babylon.

They held him in captivity,

so his voice could never again be heard

on the mountains of Israel.

¹⁰“Your mother was like a vine

planted by the water’s edge.

It had lush, green foliage

because of the abundant water.

¹¹Its branches became strong—

strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter.

It grew very tall,

towering above all others.

It stood out because of its height

and its many lush branches.

¹²But the vine was uprooted in fury

and thrown down to the ground.

The desert wind dried up its fruit

and tore off its strong branches,

so that it withered

and was destroyed by fire.

¹³Now the vine is transplanted to the wilderness,

where the ground is hard and dry.

¹⁴A fire has…