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1. The Word of the Lord came 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. "Son of man, give the people of Israel this picture-story to think about.
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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. Tell them, 'The Lord God says, "A large eagle with big wings and long feathers of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the 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 broke off the very top of its young branches and brought it to a land of traders. He placed it in a city of people who buy and sell.
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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. Then he took some of the seed of the land and planted it in good ground for growing. He planted it like a willow tree where there was much water to make it grow.
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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. And it grew and became a low spreading vine. Its branches grew toward him, but its roots stayed under it. So it became a vine, and branches and leaves grew out from it.
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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 large eagle with big wings and many feathers. And the vine turned its roots and branches toward him from where it was planted, that he might 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 good ground beside much water, that it might grow branches and give fruit and become a beautiful 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. Tell them, 'The Lord God says, "Will it live and grow? Will not its roots be pulled up and its fruit be cut off so that its leaves that started to grow dry up? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the 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, will it live and grow? Will it not dry up when the east wind hits it? Will it not dry up in the place 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 Word of the Lord came 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. "Now tell these sinful people, 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Tell them, 'See, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem. He took its king and the king's sons, and brought them back with him 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. He took one of the king's family and made an agreement with him. And he made him promise to keep it. He also took away the strong leaders of the land,
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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. so that the nation would be under his power and not become strong again. It could only last by keeping his agreement.
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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 him by sending his men to Egypt to get horses and a large army for him. Will it go well for him? Can he get away with that? Can he break the agreement and not be punished?
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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 I live,' says the Lord God, 'he will die in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose promise he hated, and whose agreement he broke. He will die in Babylon.
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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. Pharaoh with his powerful army of many men will not help him in the war, when battle-walls are put up so that many people are killed.
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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. He hated the promise and broke the agreement. Because he had given his promise and then did all these things, he will not get away from being punished.' "
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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 the Lord God says, "As I live, I will punish him for hating My promise and for 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 and punish him there for not being faithful to 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. And all the best of his soldiers will be killed by the sword, and those left alive will be thrown to the 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. The Lord God says, "I will also take a young branch from the very top of the cedar tree and plant it. I will break a soft new one from the very top of its young branches, and plant it on a 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. It will grow branches and give fruit and become a beautiful cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it. They will nest in the shadow of its 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 of the field will know that I am the Lord. I bring down the high tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree become green. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I say."
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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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