Wycliffe WYC
New International Reader's Version NIRV
1 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
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A message came to me from the Lord. He said,
2 Son of man, set forth a dark speech, and tell thou a parable to the house of Israel;
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"Son of man, tell the people of Israel a story about their kings. Let them know what will happen to them.
3 and thou shalt say, The Lord God saith these things. A great eagle of great wings, with long stretching out of members, full of feathers and of diversity, came to the Lebanon, and took away the marrow of the cedar.
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Tell 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.
4 He pulled away the highness of (the) boughs thereof, and bare it over into the land of Canaan, and setted it in the city of merchants. (He pulled away the highness of its branches, and carried it into the land of merchandising, and put it in the city of merchants.)
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It broke off the highest twig. It carried it away to Babylonia. There are many traders in that land. The eagle planted the twig in the city of Babylon.
5 And he took of the seed of the land, and setted it in the land for seed, that it should make steadfast root on many waters (so that it would make a steadfast root by many waters); and he setted it in the higher part.
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" ' "Then it got a seed from your land. It put it in rich soil near plenty of water. It planted the seed like a willow tree.
6 And when it had grown, it increased into a larger vinery, in low stature; for the boughs thereof beheld to that eagle, and the roots thereof were under that eagle; therefore it was made a vinery, and it made fruit into scions, and sent out boughs. (And when it had grown, it increased into a long spreading vine, on the ground; for its branches looked upward to that eagle, and its roots were under that eagle; and so it was made a vine, and it made its fruit among the leaves, and sent out its branches.)
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The 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 And another great eagle was made, with great wings, and many feathers; and lo! this vinery as sending his roots to that eagle, stretched forth his scions to that eagle, that he should moist it (out) of the cornfloors of his seed. (And another great eagle was made, with great wings, and many feathers; and lo! this vine sending its roots toward that eagle, stretched forth its leaves toward that eagle, so that it could water itself from the threshing floors of its seed.)
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" ' "But there was another great eagle. It also had powerful wings and a lot of feathers. The vine now sent its roots out 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.
8 Which is planted in a good land on many waters, that it make boughs, and bear fruit, that it be into a great vinery. (Which is planted in a good land by many waters, so that it can make branches, and bear fruit, and so that it be a great vine.)
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The 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 Say thou, Ezekiel, The Lord God saith these things, Therefore whether he shall have prosperity? Whether Nebuchadnezzar shall not pull away the roots of him, and shall constrain the fruits of him? And he shall make dry all the scions of burgeoning thereof, and it shall be dry; and not in great arm, neither in much people, that he should draw it out by the roots. (Say thou, Ezekiel, The Lord God saith these things, And so shall it have prosperity? Shall Nebuchadnezzar not pull away its roots, and shall constrain its fruit? And he shall make dry all the leaves of its burgeoning, and it shall be dry; and he shall not need a great arm, nor a great many people, to draw it out by its roots.)
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"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 of its fruit be stripped off? Won't it dry up? All of its new growth will dry up. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up.
10 Lo! it is planted, therefore whether it shall have prosperity? Whether not when burning wind shall touch it, it shall be made dry, and shall wax dry in the cornfloors of his seed? (and shall grow dry on the threshing floors of its seed?)
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It will not grow even if it is pulled up and planted somewhere else. It will dry up completely when the east wind strikes it. It will dry up in the place where it grew." ' "
11 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
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A message came to me from the Lord. He said,
12 Say thou to the house (of Israel) stirring (me) to wrath, Know ye not what these things signify? Say thou, Lo! the king of Babylon cometh into Jerusalem; and he shall take the king and the princes thereof, and he shall lead them to himself into Babylon (and he shall take hold of the king and its princes, or its leaders, and he shall bring them back with himself to Babylon).
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"These people refuse to obey me. Ask them, 'Don't you know what these things mean?' Tell them, 'Nebuchadnezzar went to Jerusalem. He was king of Babylonia. He carried off King Jehoiachin and the nobles. He brought them back with him to the city of Babylon.
13 And he shall take of the seed of the realm, and shall smite with it a bond of peace, and he shall take of it an oath; but also he shall take away the strong men of the land, (And he shall take one of the king's children, and shall strike a covenant, or a treaty, with him, and he shall make him swear an oath; and he shall also take away the strong men of the land,)
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" 'Then Nebuchadnezzar made a peace treaty with Zedekiah. He was a member of Jerusalem's royal family. Nebuchadnezzar made him take an oath and promise he would keep the treaty. He also took the leading men of the land away as prisoners.
14 that it be a meek realm, and be not raised [up], but that it keep the covenant of him, and hold it. (so that it be a humble kingdom, and not be raised up, but that it keep his covenant, and hold it firm.)
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He did it to bring their kingdom down. It would not rise again. In fact, it would be able to last only by keeping his treaty.
15 Which went away from him, and sent messengers into Egypt, that it should give to him horses and much people. Whether he that did these things, shall have prosperity, either shall get health? and whether he that breaketh [a] covenant, shall escape? (Who then went away from him, and sent messengers to Egypt, that they should give him horses and a great many people. Shall he who did these things, have prosperity, or shall get salvation, or deliverance? and shall he who breaketh a covenant, be able to escape?)
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" 'But 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 (As) I live, saith the Lord God, for in the place of the king that made him king (for there in the place of the king who made him king), whose oath he made void, and brake the covenant, which he had with him, (there) in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
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" '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. He is the king whose oath Zedekiah hated. He also broke Nebuchadnezzar's treaty.
17 And not in great host, neither in much people, Pharaoh shall make battle against him, in the casting of [an heap of] earth, and in building of pales, that he slay many persons. (And not with a great army, nor with a great many people, shall Pharaoh make battle against him, in the throwing up of heaps of earth, and in the building of stockades, that he kill many people.)
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" 'So 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.
18 For he despised the oath, that he should break the bond of peace, and lo! he gave his hand; and when he hath done all these things, he shall not escape. (For he had so despised the oath, that he broke the covenant, or the treaty, and lo! he had raised up his hand, or he had sworn an oath to it; and now that he hath done all these things, he shall not escape.)
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" 'Zedekiah hated Nebuchadnezzar's oath and broke his treaty. He had made a firm promise to keep it. But he broke it anyway. So he will not escape.
19 Therefore the Lord God saith these things, (As) I live, for I shall set on his head the oath which he despised, and the bond of peace which he brake (and the covenant which he broke).
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" 'The LORD and King says, "Zedekiah hated the oath he took in my name. He broke the treaty. So I will pay him back. And that is just as sure as I am alive.
20 And I shall spread abroad my net [up]on him, and he shall be taken in my net, and I shall bring him into Babylon; and there I shall deem him in the trespassing, by which he despised me (and there I shall judge him for the trespassing, by which he despised me).
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I 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.
21 And all his fleers-away with all his company shall fall down by sword, forsooth the remnants shall be scattered into each wind; and ye shall know, that I the Lord spake.
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" ' "All of Zedekiah's troops will be killed with swords when they try to run away. 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 God saith these things, And I shall take of the marrow of an high cedar, and I shall set a tender thing of the top of his branches (and I shall break a tender thing from off the top of its branches); I shall constrain (it), and I shall plant (it) on an high hill, and appearing far (off).
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" '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.
23 In the high hill of Israel I shall plant it; and it shall break out into burgeoning, and it shall make fruit, and it shall be into a great cedar, and all birds shall dwell under it; each volatile shall make (a) nest under the shadow of his boughs. (On the high hill of Israel I shall plant it; and it shall break out into burgeoning, and it shall make fruit, and it shall be a great cedar, and all the birds shall live under it; each bird shall make a nest under the shadow of its branches.)
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I 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.
24 And all [the] trees of the country shall know, that I am the Lord; I made low the high tree, and I enhanced the low tree, and I made dry the green tree, and I made the dry tree to bring forth boughs; I the Lord have spoken, and I have done. (And all the trees of the countryside shall know, that I am the Lord; I made low the high tree, and I lifted, or I raised, up the low tree, and I dried up the green tree, and I made the dry tree to bring forth branches; I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it.)
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All of the trees in the fields will know that I bring tall trees down. I make short trees grow tall. I dry up green trees. And I make dry trees green." " 'I have spoken. I will do it. I am the Lord.' "
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.