(KJV) Ezekiel 17¹

⥃The Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine ^{[ Matthew 13:24–30 ]}

[1] And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;² [3] And say, Thus saith the Lord God; A great³ eagle with great wings⁴, longwinged, full⁵ of feathers, which had divers colours⁶, came⁷ unto Lebanon, and took the highest⁸ branch of the cedar⁹: [4] He cropped off the top¹⁰ of his young twigs, and carried it into¹¹ a land¹² of traffick; he set it in a city¹³ of merchants. [5] He took also of the seed¹⁴ of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field¹⁵; he placed¹⁶ [it] by great waters, [and] set it [as] a willow tree. [6] And it grew¹⁷, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose¹⁸ branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. [7] There was also another¹⁹ great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend²⁰ her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation. [8] It was planted in a good soil²¹ by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that²² it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine. [9] Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God; Shall it²³ prosper? shall he²⁴ not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit²⁵ thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even²⁶ without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof. [10] Yea, behold, [being] planted, shall it²⁷ prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

⥃The Parable Explained

[11] [¶]Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [12] Say now to the²⁸ rebellious house, Know²⁹ ye not what these [things mean]? tell [them], Behold³⁰, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led³¹ them with him to Babylon; [13] And hath taken³² of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him³³: he hath also³⁴ taken the mighty of the land: [14] That the kingdom³⁵ might be base³⁶, that it might not lift itself up, [but] that by keeping of his covenant it might stand³⁷. [15] But he rebelled³⁸ again³⁹st him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper⁴⁰? shall he escape⁴¹ that doeth such [things]? or shall⁴² he break the covenant, and be delivered? [16] [As] I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place [where] the king [dwelleth] that made him king, whose oath⁴³ he despised, and whose covenant he brake, [even⁴⁴] with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. [17] Neither shall⁴⁵ Pharaoh with [his] mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by⁴⁶ casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons: [18] Seeing⁴⁷ he⁴⁸ despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these [things], he shall⁴⁹ not escape. [19] Therefore thus saith the Lord God; [As] I live, surely⁵⁰ mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. [20] And I will spread⁵¹ my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead⁵² with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. [21] And all his fugitives⁵³ with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know⁵⁴ that I the Lord have spoken [it].

[22] Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest⁵⁵ branch of the high cedar, and will set [it]; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender⁵⁶ one, and will plant [it] upon⁵⁷ an high mountain and eminent: [23] In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it⁵⁸ shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under⁵⁹ it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. [24] And all the trees⁶⁰ of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought⁶¹ down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken⁶² and have done [it].