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1. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:
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1. And the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came H1961 unto H413 me, saying H559 ,
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2. "Human, give a riddle and tell a story to the people of Israel.
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2. Son H1121 of man H120 , put forth H2330 a riddle H2420 , and speak H4911 a parable H4912 unto H413 the house H1004 of Israel H3478 ;
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3. Say, 'This is what the Lord God says: A giant eagle with big wings and long feathers of many different colors came to Lebanon and took hold of the top of a cedar tree.
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3. And say H559 , Thus H3541 saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 ; A great H1419 eagle H5404 with great H1419 wings H3671 , long H750 H83 -winged, full H4392 of feathers H5133 , which H834 had divers colors H7553 , came H935 unto H413 Lebanon H3844 , and took H3947 H853 the highest branch H6788 of the cedar H730 :
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4. He pulled off the top branch and brought it to a land of traders, where he planted it in a city of traders.
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4. He cropped off H6998 H853 the top H7218 of his young twigs H3242 , and carried H935 it into H413 a land H776 of traffic H3667 ; he set H7760 it in a city H5892 of merchants H7402 .
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5. "'The eagle took some seed from the land and planted it in a good field near plenty of water. He planted it to grow like a willow tree.
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5. He took H3947 also of the seed H4480 H2233 of the land H776 , and planted H5414 it in a fruitful H2233 field H7704 ; he placed H3947 it by H5921 great H7227 waters H4325 , and set H7760 it as a willow tree H6851 .
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6. It sprouted and became a low vine that spread over the ground. The branches turned toward the eagle, but the roots were under the eagle. So the seed became a vine, and its branches grew, sending out leaves.
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6. And it grew H6779 , and became H1961 a spreading H5628 vine H1612 of low H8217 stature H6967 , whose branches H1808 turned H6437 toward H413 him , and the roots H8328 thereof were H1961 under H8478 him : so it became H1961 a vine H1612 , and brought forth H6213 branches H905 , and shot forth H7971 sprigs H6288 .
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7. "'But there was another giant eagle with big wings and many feathers. The vine then bent its roots toward this eagle. It sent out its branches from the area where it was planted toward the eagle so he could water it.
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7. There was H1961 also another H259 great H1419 eagle H5404 with great H1419 wings H3671 and many H7227 feathers H5133 : and, behold H2009 , this H2063 vine H1612 did bend H3719 her roots H8328 toward him , and shot forth H7971 her branches H1808 toward H5921 him , that he might water H8248 it by the furrows H4480 H6170 of her plantation H4302 .
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8. It had been planted in a good field by plenty of water so it could grow branches and give fruit. It could have become a fine vine.'
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8. It H1931 was planted H8362 in H413 a good H2896 soil H7704 by H413 great H7227 waters H4325 , that it might bring forth H6213 branches H6057 , and that it might bear H5375 fruit H6529 , that it might be H1961 a goodly H155 vine H1612 .
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9. "Say to them, 'This is what the Lord God says: The vine will not continue to grow. The first eagle will pull up the vine's roots and strip off its fruit. Then the vine and all its new leaves will dry up and die. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull the vine up by its roots.
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9. Say H559 thou, Thus H3541 saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 ; Shall it prosper H6743 ? shall he not H3808 pull up H5423 H853 the roots H8328 thereof , and cut off H7082 the fruit H6529 thereof , that it wither H3001 ? it shall wither H3001 in all H3605 the leaves H2965 of her spring H6780 , even without H3808 great H1419 power H2220 or many H7227 people H5971 to pluck it up H5375 H853 by the roots H4480 H8328 thereof.
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10. Even if it is planted again, it will not continue to grow. It will completely dry up and die when the east wind hits it in the area where it grew.'"
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10. Yea, behold H2009 , being planted H8362 , shall it prosper H6743 ? shall it not H3808 utterly wither H3001 H3001 , when the east H6921 wind H7307 toucheth H5060 it? it shall wither H3001 in H5921 the furrows H6170 where it grew H6780 .
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11. Then the Lord spoke his word to me, saying:
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11. Moreover the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came H1961 unto H413 me, saying H559 ,
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12. "Say now to the people who refuse to obey: 'Do you know what these things mean?' Say: 'The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took the king and important men of Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon.
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12. Say H559 now H4994 to the rebellious H4805 house H1004 , Know H3045 ye not H3808 what H4100 these H428 things mean ? tell H559 them , Behold H2009 , the king H4428 of Babylon H894 is come H935 to Jerusalem H3389 , and hath taken H3947 H853 the king H4428 thereof , and the princes H8269 thereof , and led H935 them with H413 him to Babylon H894 ;
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13. Then he took a member of the family of the king of Judah and made an agreement with him, forcing him to take an oath. The king also took away the leaders of Judah
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13. And hath taken H3947 of the king H4410 's seed H4480 H2233 , and made H3772 a covenant H1285 with H854 him , and hath taken H935 an oath H423 of him : he hath also taken H3947 the mighty H352 of the land H776 :
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14. to make the kingdom weak so it would not be strong again. Then the kingdom of Judah could continue only by keeping its agreement with the king of Babylon.
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14. That the kingdom H4467 might be H1961 base H8217 , that it might not H1115 lift itself up H5375 , but that by keeping H8104 H853 of his covenant H1285 it might stand H5975 .
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15. But the king of Judah turned against the king of Babylon by sending his messengers to Egypt and asking them for horses and many soldiers. Will the king of Judah succeed? Will the one who does such things escape? He cannot break the agreement and escape.
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15. But he rebelled H4775 against him in sending H7971 his ambassadors H4397 into Egypt H4714 , that they might give H5414 him horses H5483 and much H7227 people H5971 . Shall he prosper H6743 ? shall he escape H4422 that doeth H6213 such H428 things ? or shall he break H6565 the covenant H1285 , and be delivered H4422 ?
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16. "'As surely as I live, says the Lord God, he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who made him king of Judah. The king of Judah hated his promise to the king of Babylon and broke his agreement with him.
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16. As I H589 live H2416 , saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 , surely H518 H3808 in the place H4725 where the king H4428 dwelleth that made him king H4427 H853 , whose H834 H853 oath H423 he despised H959 , and whose H834 H853 covenant H1285 he broke H6565 , even with H854 him in the midst H8432 of Babylon H894 he shall die H4191 .
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17. The king of Egypt with his mighty army and many people will not help the king of Judah in the war. The Babylonians will build devices to attack the cities and to kill many people.
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17. Neither H3808 shall Pharaoh H6547 with his mighty H1419 army H2428 and great H7227 company H6951 make H6213 for him in the war H4421 , by casting up H8210 mounts H5550 , and building H1129 forts H1785 , to cut off H3772 many H7227 persons H5315 :
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18. The king of Judah showed that he hated the promise by breaking the agreement. He promised to support Babylon, but he did all these things. So he will not escape.
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18. Seeing he despised H959 the oath H423 by breaking H6565 the covenant H1285 , when, lo H2009 , he had given H5414 his hand H3027 , and hath done H6213 all H3605 these H428 things , he shall not H3808 escape H4422 .
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19. "'So this is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, this is true: I will pay back the king of Judah for hating my promise and breaking my agreement.
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19. Therefore H3651 thus H3541 saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 ; As I H589 live H2416 , surely H518 H3808 mine oath H423 that H834 he hath despised H959 , and my covenant H1285 that H834 he hath broken H6565 , even it will I recompense H5414 upon his own head H7218 .
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20. I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my trap. Then I will bring him to Babylon, where I will punish him for the unfaithful acts he did against me.
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20. And I will spread H6566 my net H7568 upon H5921 him , and he shall be taken H8610 in my snare H4686 , and I will bring H935 him to Babylon H894 , and will plead H8199 with H854 him there H8033 for his trespass H4603 that H834 he hath trespassed H4603 against me.
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21. All the best of his soldiers who escape will die by the sword, and those who live will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.
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21. And all H3605 his fugitives H4015 with all H3605 his bands H102 shall fall H5307 by the sword H2719 , and they that remain H7604 shall be scattered H6566 toward all H3605 winds H7307 : and ye shall know H3045 that H3588 I H589 the LORD H3068 have spoken H1696 it .
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22. "'This is what the Lord God says: I myself will also take a young branch from the top of a cedar tree, and I will plant it. I will cut off a small twig from the top of the tree's young branches, and I will plant it on a very high mountain.
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22. Thus H3541 saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 ; I H589 will also take H3947 of the highest branch H4480 H6788 of the high H7311 cedar H730 , and will set H5414 it ; I will crop off H6998 from the top H4480 H7218 of his young twigs H3127 a tender one H7390 , and will plant H8362 it upon H5921 a high H1364 mountain H2022 and eminent H8524 :
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23. I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel. Then it will grow branches and give fruit and become a great cedar tree. Birds of every kind will build nests in it and live in the shelter of the tree's branches.
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23. In the mountain H2022 of the height H4791 of Israel H3478 will I plant H8362 it : and it shall bring forth H5375 boughs H6057 , and bear H6213 fruit H6529 , and be H1961 a goodly H117 cedar H730 : and under H8478 it shall dwell H7931 all H3605 fowl H6833 of every H3605 wing H3671 ; in the shadow H6738 of the branches H1808 thereof shall they dwell H7931 .
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24. Then all the trees in the countryside will know that I am the Lord. I bring down the high tree and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree grow. I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will do it.'"
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24. And all H3605 the trees H6086 of the field H7704 shall know H3045 that H3588 I H589 the LORD H3068 have brought down H8213 the high H1364 tree H6086 , have exalted H1361 the low H8217 tree H6086 , have dried up H3001 the green H3892 tree H6086 , and have made the dry H3002 tree H6086 to flourish H6524 : I H589 the LORD H3068 have spoken H1696 and have done H6213 it .
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