"Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell the house of israel a parable.
Say to them, Thos is what the Sovereign LORD says; A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plunage if caried colors came to Lebanon, Taking hold of the top of a cedar,
he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.
"He took some of the seed of your land and put it in fertile soil. H planted it like a willow by abundant water.
and it sprounted and became a low, spreding vine, Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and product branches and put out leafy boughs.
"But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.
It had been planted in good soil by abubdant water so that it would produce brabxhes, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.
"Say to them, This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will it thjrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so thjat it withers? All is new grown will wither, It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the toots.
Even if it transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it- wither away in the plot where it grew?"
Then the word of the LORD came to me.
"Say to this rebellious house , Do you not know what these things mean? Say to them; "The king pf Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her npb,es, bringing tghem back with him to Babylon.
Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him to Babylon
Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him putting him under oath. He also carried away the leading men of the land.
so that the king rebelled against him bys ending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army, Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?
"As surely as I live,d eclares the Sovereign LORD. he shall die in Babylon, In the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath bhe despised and whose treaty he broke.
Pharaoh with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.
He despised the oath by breaking the covenant , Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.
"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says; As surely as I live, I will bring down on his head my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke.
I will spread my net for him, amnd he will be cajughjt in my snare, I will bring him to Babyloon and execute judgement upon him there because he was unfaithful to me.
All his fleeing troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that LORD have spoken.
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will take a shoot from thev ery top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender spring from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; Itbreak off a tender spring from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain
On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it wkill produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar, Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.
All the trees of the field will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the lpw three grow tall. I dry up theg reen tree and make the dry tree flourish."I the LORD have spoken and I will do it.
Ezekiel 18
The word of the LORD came to me
"What do you [people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel;"The fathers eat sour grapes, and tehc hildren's teeth are set on edge?
'As surely as I live,d eclares tbe Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this priverb in Israel
For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son- both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
"Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right.
He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or lie with a woman during her period.
He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between man and man.
He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws, That man is righteous he will surely live. declares the Sovereign LORD.
"Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things,
(though thef ather has done none of them):"He eats at the mountain shrines. He defits his neighbor's wife.
He oppresses the poor and needy, He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things.
He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head.
"But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees, them, he does not do such things.
"He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife
He does not oppress anyone or requird a pledge for a loan, He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
He withholds his hand from sin and takes no usury or excessive interest. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely limy decrees.
But his father will die for his own sin, because he practied extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
"Yet you ask, "Why does teh son not share thbe guilt of his father?" Since the son has done what is just and right an d has been careful to keep all my decrees. he will surely live.
The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son, The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.
"But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live, he will not die.
None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him, Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live,
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather , am I not pleased when they furn from their ways and live?
"Byt if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remmenbered. Because of the ungaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed he will die.
"Yet you say, "The way of the Lord is not just. Hear, O house of Israel. Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it, because of the sin he has committed he will die.
But if a wicked man turns away from the wickeness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life.
Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live, he will not die.
Yet the house of Israel says, "The way of the Lord is not just, Are my ways unjust. O house of Israel? Is it mot your ways that are unjust?
"Tehrefore, O house of Israel! I will judge you, each one according to his ways. declares th Sovereign LORD, Repent! Turn away from all your offenses. then sin will not be your downfall.
Rid yourslves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die. O house of Israel?
For I take no pleasure in thed eath of anyone,d eclares the sOVEREIGN lord Repent and live!