¹ Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also:

² Menschensohn, gib ein ätsel auf und rede ein Gleichnis zu dem Hause Israel,

³ und sprich: So spricht der Herr, Jehova: Ein großer Adler mit großen Flügeln, langen Schwingen, voll buntfarbigen Gefieders, kam zum Libanon und nahm den Wipfel einer Ceder.

⁴ Den obersten ihrer Schößlinge brach er ab und brachte ihn in ein Krämerland, in eine Stadt von Kaufleuten setzte er ihn.

⁵ Und er nahm von dem Samen (d. h. von den Setzlingen) des Landes und setzte ihn in ein Saatfeld, er brachte ihn zu vielen Wassern, behandelte ihn wie eine Weide (W. setzte ihn als Weide.)

⁶ Und er wuchs und wurde zu einem üppigen Weinstock von niedrigem Wuchse, damit seine anken sich zu ihm hin (d. h. zu dem Adler hin) wendeten und seine Wurzeln unter ihm wären; und er wurde zu einem Weinstock und trieb Äste und breitete sein Laubwerk aus. -

⁷ Und da war ein anderer großer Adler mit großen Flügeln und vielem Gefieder. Und siehe, von den Beeten seiner Pflanzung aus streckte dieser Weinstock seine Wurzeln lechzend zu ihm hin und breitete seine anken nach ihm aus, damit er ihn tränke.

⁸ In ein gutes Feld, an vielen Wassern war er gepflanzt, um Zweige zu treiben und Frucht zu tragen, um zu einem herrlichen Weinstock zu werden.

⁹ Sprich: So spricht der Herr, Jehova: Wird er gedeihen? Wird man nicht seine Wurzeln ausreißen und seine Frucht abschneiden, so daß er verdorrt? Alle frischen Blätter seines Triebes werden verdorren; und nicht mit großem Arme und zahlreichem Volke wird es möglich sein, ihn von seinen Wurzeln emporzuheben (d. h. ihm wieder aufzuhelfen; vergl. v 17.)

¹⁰ Und siehe, wenngleich er gepflanzt ist, wird er gedeihen? Wird er nicht, sobald der Ostwind ihn berührt, ganz verdorren? Auf den Beeten, wo er wächst, wird er verdorren.

¹¹ Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also:

¹² Sprich doch zu dem widerspenstigen Hause: Wisset ihr nicht, was das ist? Sprich: Siehe, der König von Babel (Vergl. 2. Kön. 24,11 usw.; Jer. 24,1;29,2) ist nach Jerusalem gekommen, und hat seinen König und seine Fürsten weggenommen und hat sie zu sich nach Babel geführt.

¹³ Und er hat von dem königlichen Samen genommen und einen Bund mit ihm gemacht, und hat ihn einen Eid eingehen lassen; die Mächtigen des Landes aber hat er mitgenommen,

¹⁴ damit das Königreich niedrig wäre, auf daß es sich nicht erhöbe, und damit er seinen Bund hielte, auf daß es bestände.

¹⁵ Aber er empörte sich wider ihn, indem er seine Boten nach Ägypten sandte, damit es ihm osse und viel Volks gäbe. Wird er gedeihen? Wird er, der solches getan hat, entrinnen? Da er den Bund gebrochen hat, sollte er entrinnen?

¹⁶ So wahr ich lebe, spricht der Herr, Jehova, wenn er nicht an dem Orte des Königs, der ihn zum König gemacht hat, dessen Eid er verachtet und dessen Bund er gebrochen hat, bei ihm in Babel sterben wird!

¹⁷ Und nicht wird der Pharao mit einem großen Heere und mit einer zahlreichen Schar für ihn etwas ausrichten im Kriege, wenn man einen Wall aufschüttet und Belagerungstürme baut, um viele Seelen auszurotten (Vergl. Jer. 34. 21;37,5.)

¹⁸ Da er den Eid verachtet und den Bund gebrochen hat-und siehe, er hatte seine Hand darauf gegeben und tat dennoch alles dieses, -so wird er nicht entrinnen.

¹⁹ Darum spricht der Herr, Jehova, also: So wahr ich lebe, wenn ich nicht meinen Eid, den er verachtet, und meinen Bund, den er gebrochen hat, ihm auf seinen Kopf bringe!

²⁰ Und ich will mein Netz über ihn ausbreiten, und in meinem Garne wird er gefangen werden; und ich will ihn nach Babel bringen und daselbst mit ihm rechten wegen seiner Treulosigkeit, die er gegen mich begangen hat.

²¹ Und alle seine Flüchtlinge unter allen seinen Scharen, sie werden durchs Schwert fallen, und die Übriggebliebenen in alle Winde zerstreut werden. Und ihr werdet wissen, daß ich, Jehova, geredet habe.

²² So spricht der Herr, Jehova: Und ich werde von dem Wipfel der hohen Ceder einen Schößling nehmen und ihn setzen; von dem obersten ihrer Schößlinge werde ich einen zarten abbrechen und ihn pflanzen auf einen hohen und erhabenen Berg.

²³ Auf den hohen Berg (Vergl. Kap. 20,40) Israels werde ich ihn pflanzen; und er wird Zweige treiben und Frucht tragen und zu einer herrlichen Ceder werden; und unter ihr werden alle Vögel wohnen, alles Geflügelte: Im Schatten ihrer Zweige werden sie wohnen.

²⁴ Und alle Bäume des Feldes werden erkennen, daß ich, Jehova, den hohen Baum erniedrigt, den niedrigen Baum erhöht habe, den grünen Baum verdorren und den dürren Baum grünen (Eig. treiben, blühen) ließ. Ich, Jehova, habe geredet und werde es tun.

¹ It happened in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me.

² The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

³ Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you.

⁴ Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers;

⁵ and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am Yahweh your God;

⁶ in that day I swore to them, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.

⁷ I said to them, Cast away every man the abominations of his eyes, and don't defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.

⁸ But they rebelled against me, and would not listen to me; they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

⁹ But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰ So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.

¹¹ I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them.

¹² Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.

¹³ But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they didn't walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keep, he shall live in them; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

¹⁴ But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.

¹⁵ Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;

¹⁶ because they rejected my ordinances, and didn't walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.

¹⁷ Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I didn't destroy them, neither did I make a full end of them in the wilderness.

¹⁸ I said to their children in the wilderness, Don't walk in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

¹⁹ I am Yahweh your God: walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them;

²⁰ and make my Sabbaths holy; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.

²¹ But the children rebelled against me; they didn't walk in my statutes, neither kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them; they profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

²² Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth.

²³ Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;

²⁴ because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.

²⁵ Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they should not live;

²⁶ and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through [the fire] all that opens the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Yahweh.

²⁷ Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In this moreover have your fathers blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.

²⁸ For when I had brought them into the land, which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there also they made their pleasant aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings.

²⁹ Then I said to them, What does the high place where you go mean? So its name is called Bamah to this day.

³⁰ Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Do you pollute yourselves in the way of your fathers? and do you play the prostitute after their abominations?

³¹ and when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? and shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you;

³² and that which comes into your mind shall not be at all, in that you say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.

³³ As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, will I be king over you:

³⁴ and I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out;

³⁵ and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face.

³⁶ Like as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you, says the Lord Yahweh.

³⁷ I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;

³⁸ and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and those who disobey against me; I will bring them forth out of the land where they live, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

³⁹ As for you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: Go, serve everyone his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.

⁴⁰ For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord Yahweh, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things.

⁴¹ As a pleasant aroma will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.

⁴² You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers.

⁴³ There you shall remember your ways, and all your doings, in which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed.

⁴⁴ You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have dealt with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, you house of Israel, says the Lord Yahweh.

⁴⁵ The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

⁴⁶ Son of man, set your face toward the south, and drop [your word] toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the south;

⁴⁷ and tell the forest of the South, Hear the word of Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burnt thereby.

⁴⁸ All flesh shall see that I, Yahweh, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.

⁴⁹ Then I said, Ah Lord Yahweh! they say of me, Isn't he a speaker of parables?