CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Ezekiel 17 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ezekiel/17.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/ezekiel/17-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Ezekiel 17</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../ezekiel/16.htm" title="Ezekiel 16">◄</a> Ezekiel 17 <a href="../ezekiel/18.htm" title="Ezekiel 18">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">A Story about Two Eagles and a Vine</h3><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_1"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.1" class="v26_17_1">1</span>The <span class="nd">Lord</span> said:</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_2"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.2" class="v26_17_2">2</span>Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel the following story, </span><span class="v26_17_3"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.3" class="v26_17_3">3</span>so they will understand what I am saying to them:</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_3">A large eagle with strong wings and beautiful feathers once flew to Lebanon. It broke the top branch off a cedar tree, </span><span class="v26_17_4"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.4" class="v26_17_4">4</span>then carried it to a nation of merchants and left it in one of their cities. </span><span class="v26_17_5"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.5" class="v26_17_5">5</span>The eagle also took a seed from Israel and planted it in a fertile field with plenty of water, like a willow tree beside a stream.<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezek.17.5!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v26_17_6"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.6" class="v26_17_6">6</span>The seed sprouted and grew into a grapevine that spread over the ground. It had lots of leaves and strong, deep roots, and its branches grew upward toward the eagle.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_7"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.7" class="v26_17_7">7</span>There was another eagle with strong wings and thick feathers. The roots and branches of the grapevine soon turned toward this eagle, hoping it would bring water for the soil. </span><span class="v26_17_8"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.8" class="v26_17_8">8</span>But the vine was already growing in fertile soil, where there was plenty of water to produce healthy leaves and large grapes.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_9"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.9" class="v26_17_9">9</span>Now tell me, Ezekiel, do you think this grapevine will live? Or will the first eagle pull it up by its roots and pluck off the grapes and let its new leaves die? The eagle could easily kill it without the help of a large and powerful army. </span><span class="v26_17_10"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.10" class="v26_17_10">10</span>The grapevine is strong and healthy, but as soon as the scorching desert wind blows, it will quickly wither.</span></p><h3 class="s1">The <span class="nd">Lord</span> Explains the Story</h3><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_11"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.11" class="v26_17_11">11</span>The <span class="nd">Lord</span> said:</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_12"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.12" class="v26_17_12">12</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Ezek.17.12!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Ezekiel, ask the rebellious people of Israel if they know what this story means.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_12">Tell them that the king of Babylonia came to Jerusalem, then he captured the king of Judah<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezek.17.12!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and his officials, and took them back to Babylon as prisoners. </span><span class="v26_17_13"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.13" class="v26_17_13">13</span>He chose someone from the family of Judah's king<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezek.17.13!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and signed a treaty with him, then made him swear to be loyal. He also led away other important citizens, </span><span class="v26_17_14"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.14" class="v26_17_14">14</span>so that the rest of the people of Judah would obey only him and never gain control of their own country again.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_15"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.15" class="v26_17_15">15</span>But this new king of Judah later rebelled against Babylonia and sent officials to Egypt to get horses and troops. Will this king be successful in breaking the treaty with Babylonia? Or will he be punished for what he's done?</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_16"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.16" class="v26_17_16">16</span>As surely as I am the living <span class="nd">Lord</span> God, I swear that the king of Judah will die in Babylon, because he broke the treaty with the king of Babylonia, who appointed him king. </span><span class="v26_17_17"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.17" class="v26_17_17">17</span>Even the king of Egypt and his powerful army will be useless to Judah when the Babylonians attack and build towers and dirt ramps to destroy the cities of Judah and its people. </span><span class="v26_17_18"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.18" class="v26_17_18">18</span>The king of Judah broke his own promises and ignored the treaty with Babylonia. And so he will be punished!</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v26_17_19"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.19" class="v26_17_19">19</span>He made a promise in my name and swore to honor the treaty. And now that he has broken that promise, my name is disgraced. He must pay for what he's done. </span><span class="v26_17_20"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.20" class="v26_17_20">20</span>I will spread out a net to trap him. Then I will drag him to Babylon and see that he is punished for his unfaithfulness to me. </span><span class="v26_17_21"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.21" class="v26_17_21">21</span>His best troops<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezek.17.21!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> will be killed in battle, and the survivors will be scattered in every direction. I, the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, have spoken.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_22"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.22" class="v26_17_22">22</span>Someday, I, the <span class="nd">Lord</span>,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_22">will cut a tender twig</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v26_17_22">from the top of a cedar tree,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_22">then plant it on the peak</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v26_17_22">of Israel's tallest mountain,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_23"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.23" class="v26_17_23">23</span>where it will grow</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_23">strong branches</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v26_17_23">and produce large fruit.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_23">All kinds of birds will find</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v26_17_23">shelter under the tree,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_23">and they will rest in the shade</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v26_17_23">of its branches.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_24"><span class="reftext" id="Ezek.17.24" class="v26_17_24">24</span>Every tree in the forest</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v26_17_24">will know that I, the <span class="nd">Lord</span>,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_24">can bring down tall trees</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v26_17_24">and help short ones grow.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_24">I dry up green trees</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v26_17_24">and make dry ones green.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v26_17_24">I, the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, have spoken,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v26_17_24">and I will keep my word.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">17.5 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">like a willow tree beside a stream: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">17.12 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">king of Judah: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Probably King Jehoiachin (see 2 Kings 24.10-12,15, 16).</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">17.13 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">someone from the family of Judah's king: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Probably King Zedekiah (see 2 Kings 24.17).</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">17.21 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">best troops: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Two ancient translations; Hebrew “troops that ran away.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at <a href="http://www.get.bible/cev">www.get.bible/cev</a></span></p><br /><br /><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /><br /><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../ezekiel/16.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Ezekiel 16"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 16" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../ezekiel/18.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Ezekiel 18"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 18" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/ezekiel/17-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchapnoad.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>