鹰和葡萄树的比喻
1耶和华对我说： 2“人子啊，你要向以色列人出谜语，讲比喻， 3告诉他们，主耶和华说，‘有一只大鹰翅膀宽大，羽毛丰满，色彩缤纷。这只鹰飞到黎巴嫩的香柏树上，折去树梢， 4叼到一个商贾云集的城市，栽在那里。 5它又把以色列的树苗像柳树一样栽在水源丰沛的沃土里。 6树苗很快发了芽，成了向四面蔓延的矮小葡萄树，根深叶茂，枝子向着鹰伸展开去。
7“‘又有一只大鹰飞来，翅膀宽大，羽毛丰满。这葡萄树把根和枝子转向这只鹰，渴望得到它的浇灌。 8但这树已栽在水源丰沛的沃土里，可以长得枝繁叶茂，成为结实累累的好葡萄树。’
9“你要告诉他们，主耶和华这样说，‘这树能长得枝繁叶茂吗？难道那鹰不把它连根拔起，摘掉它的果子，使树和嫩叶全部枯萎吗？不必费多大力气，也不需要多少人就可以把它连根拔起。 10这树虽然被栽种了，又岂能长得茂盛呢？东风一吹，它岂不完全枯萎在园圃中了吗？’”
11耶和华对我说： 12“你要对这些悖逆的人说，‘你们不明白这比喻的意思吗？’要告诉他们，巴比伦王攻取了耶路撒冷，把其中的君王和大臣掳到巴比伦， 13并从犹大王室中选出一人与他立约，要他效忠。巴比伦王掳去犹大国的重臣， 14使犹大国臣服于他，无法图强，只能遵守盟约，以求生存。 15后来，犹大王背叛了巴比伦王，派使者到埃及请求支援军队马匹。他能成功吗？他这样做怎能逃脱惩罚呢？他这样背约怎能逃脱惩罚呢？
16“我凭我的永恒起誓，巴比伦王立他做王，他却弃约背誓，他必死在巴比伦。 17敌人筑起围攻的土垒和高台大肆杀戮的时候，法老虽然兵强马壮，人多势众，仍无法帮他抗敌。 18他起誓降服，却弃约背誓，所以绝不能逃避后果。 19因此，主耶和华说，‘我凭我的永恒起誓，他既藐视与我所立的誓言，背弃与我所定的约，我必惩罚他。 20我要撒开网罗抓住他，把他带到巴比伦，审判他对我不忠的罪。 21他所有的精兵都要丧身刀下，余下的也要四散逃窜。这样，你们就知道这是我耶和华说的。
22“主耶和华说，‘我要从高大的香柏树梢折下一根嫩枝，种植在以色列巍峨的高山上。 23它会生枝结果，成为一棵美丽的香柏树，各类飞鸟都要栖息在它的树枝上。 24田野所有的树都会知道我耶和华使高树倒下、矮树长高、青树枯萎、枯树发荣。我耶和华言出必行。’”
Two Eagles and a Vine
1A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2“Son of man, tell the people of Israel a story about their kings. Let them know what will happen to them. 3Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “A great eagle came to the city of ‘Lebanon.’ It had powerful wings and a lot of long feathers. The feathers were colorful and beautiful. The eagle landed in the top of a cedar tree. 4It broke off the highest twig. The eagle carried it away to the land of Babylon. There are many traders in that land. The eagle planted the twig in the city of Babylon.
5“ ‘ “Then it took from the land a seed that had just sprouted. It put it in rich soil near plenty of water. It planted the seed like a willow tree. 6The seed grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward the eagle. And its roots remained under the eagle. So the seed became a vine. It produced branches and put out leaves.
7“ ‘ “But there was another great eagle. It also had powerful wings and a lot of feathers. The vine now sent out its roots toward that eagle. It sent them out from the place where it was planted. And it reached out its branches to the eagle for water. 8The seed had been planted in good soil near plenty of water. Then it could produce branches and bear fruit. It could become a beautiful vine.” ’
9“Ezekiel, tell the Israelites, ‘The Lord and King asks, “Will the vine grow? Won’t it be pulled up by its roots? Won’t all its fruit be stripped off? Won’t it dry up? All its new growth will dry up. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up. 10It has been planted, but will it grow? No. It will dry up completely when the east wind strikes it. It will dry up in the place where it grew.” ’ ”
11A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 12“These people refuse to obey me. Ask them, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Nebuchadnezzar went to Jerusalem. He was the king of Babylon. He carried off King Jehoiachin and the nobles. He brought them back with him to the city of Babylon. 13Then Nebuchadnezzar made a peace treaty with Zedekiah. He was a member of Jerusalem’s royal family. Nebuchadnezzar made him promise he would keep the treaty. He also took away the leading men of the land as prisoners. 14He did it to bring down their kingdom. It would not rise again. In fact, it would be able to last only by keeping his treaty. 15But Zedekiah turned against him. He sent messengers to Egypt. They went there to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does things like that escape? Can he break the peace treaty and still escape?
16“ ‘Zedekiah will die in Babylon,’ announces the Lord and King. ‘And that is just as sure as I am alive. He will die in the land of King Nebuchadnezzar, who put him on the throne. Zedekiah didn’t keep his promise to Nebuchadnezzar and broke his treaty. 17So Nebuchadnezzar will build ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. He will set up war machines to destroy many lives. Pharaoh will not be able to help Zedekiah during the war. The huge and mighty army of Egypt will not be of any help. 18Zedekiah didn’t keep his promise to Nebuchadnezzar and broke his treaty. Zedekiah had made a firm promise to keep it. But he broke it anyway. So he will not escape.
19“ ‘The Lord and King says, “Zedekiah didn’t keep the promise he made in my name. He broke the treaty. So I will pay him back. And that is just as sure as I am alive. 20I will spread out my net to catch him. He will be caught in my trap. I will bring him to Babylon. I will judge him there because he was not faithful to me. 21All Zedekiah’s best troops will be killed by swords. Those who are left alive will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I have spoken. I am the Lord.”
22“ ‘The Lord and King says, “I myself will get a twig from the very top of a cedar tree and plant it. I will break off the highest twig. I will plant it on a very high mountain. 23I will plant it on the high mountains of Israel. It will produce branches and bear fruit. It will become a beautiful cedar tree. All kinds of birds will make their nests in it. They will live in the shade of its branches. 24All the trees in the forest will know that I bring down tall trees. I make short trees grow tall. I dry up green trees. And I make dry trees green.”
“ ‘I have spoken. I will do this. I am the Lord.’ ”
