Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. ] Here follows the explanation of the above riddle and parable, which the prophet from the Lord had orders to deliver.
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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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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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And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
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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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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,)