The Parable of the Eagles and the Vine
1 The Lord spoke to me. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “tell the Israelites a parable 3 to let them know what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: There was a giant eagle with beautiful feathers and huge wings, spread wide. He flew to the Lebanon Mountains and broke off the top of a cedar tree, 4 which he carried to a land of commerce and placed in a city of merchants. 5 Then he took a young plant from the land of Israel and planted it in a fertile field, where there was always water to make it grow. 6 The plant sprouted and became a low, wide-spreading grapevine. The branches grew upward toward the eagle, and the roots grew deep. The vine was covered with branches and leaves.
7 “There was another giant eagle with huge wings and thick plumage. And now the vine sent its roots toward him and turned its leaves toward him, in the hope that he would give it more water than there was in the garden where it was growing. 8 But the vine had already been planted in a fertile, well-watered field so that it could grow leaves and bear grapes and be a magnificent vine.
9 “So I, the Sovereign Lord, ask: Will this vine live and grow? Won't the first eagle pull it up by its roots, pull off the grapes, and break off the branches and let them wither? It will not take much strength or a mighty nation to pull it up. 10 Yes, it is planted, but will it live and grow? Won't it wither when the east wind strikes it? Won't it wither there where it is growing?”
The Parable Is Explained
11 The Lord said to me, 12 “Ask these rebels if they know what the parable means. Tell them that the king of Babylonia came to Jerusalem and took the king and his officials back with him to Babylonia. 13 He took one of the king's family, made a treaty with him, and made him swear to be loyal. He took important men as hostages 14 to keep the nation from rising again and to make sure that the treaty would be kept. 15 But the king of Judah rebelled and sent agents to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Can he get away with that? He cannot break the treaty and go unpunished!
16 “As surely as I am the living God,” says the Sovereign Lord, “this king will die in Babylonia because he broke his oath and the treaty he had made with the king of Babylonia, who put him on the throne. 17 Even the powerful army of the king of Egypt will not be able to help him fight when the Babylonians build earthworks and dig trenches in order to kill many people. 18 He broke his oath and the treaty he had made. He did all these things, and now he will not escape.”
19 The Sovereign Lord says, “As surely as I am the living God, I will punish him for breaking the treaty which he swore in my name to keep. 20 I will spread out a hunter's net and catch him in it. I will take him to Babylonia and punish him there, because he was unfaithful to me. 21 His best soldiers will be killed in battle, and the survivors will be scattered in every direction. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”
God's Promise of Hope
22 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“I will take the top of a tall cedar
and break off a tender sprout;
I will plant it on a high mountain,
23 on Israel's highest mountain.
It will grow branches and bear seed
and become a magnificent cedar.
Birds of every kind will live there
and find shelter in its shade.
24 All the trees in the land will know
that I am the Lord.
I cut down the tall trees
and make small trees grow tall.
I wither up the green trees
and make the dry trees become green.
I, the Lord, have spoken. I will do what I have said I would do.”
Omasanekero wozonguvi mbari nomuvite
1 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 2 “Muatje womundu, hakisa Ovaisrael otjihakwa nu u keveserekarere omasanekero 3 wokuvetjivisa imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mbi me hungire ku wo: Pa ri onguvi onene ndja ri nomainya omawa omamanise novivava ovinene tjinene mbya nyaturukire ouparanga. Oyo ya tukire ai i kondundu Libanon nai kateya okarutavi kondomba yorupapa; 4 oyo ya twara okarutavi nga kehi rovarandise nai keketwa motjihuro tjomarandero. 5 Tjazumba otji ya toora omukono mbwa nyomoka nai keukuna mehi romakunino mu mwa ri omeva omengi okuutjatja aruhe. 6 Omukono mbwi wa hapa au rire omuvite womandjembere omusupi mbwa tandavara. Omikono vyawo vya hapere kombanda kuṱa konguvi, nomize vyawo vya hitire mehi. Omuvite mbwi wa potere notutavi nomaso.
7 “Pa ri onguvi ongwao yarwe onene ndja ri novivava ovinene tjinene nomainya omatindi. Nomuvite mbwi wa tanaurira omize vyawo nomikono vyawo kombanda ku yo amau undju kutja onguvi ndji i u hire omeva omengi pu inga nga ri motjikunino hi mu wa hapere. 8 Nungwari omuvite mbwi wa vazerwe awa kunwa mehi romakunino nda tjatjwa nawa, kokutja owo u sore okuhapisa omaso nokutwa ko omapunda womandjembere, nokutja u rire omuvite omunene tjinene.
9 “Nambano ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, otji me pura nai: ‘Omuvite mbwi mau kara ko nau hapa are? Onguvi ndji ondenga kai nokuzukura omize vyawo ai pora omandjembere nai teya otutavi nai tjiti kutja tu kukute are? Kape nokuhepwa omasa omanene notjiwaṋa otjinamasa okuzukura omize vyawo. 10 Ii, omuvite mbwi wa kunwa, nungwari hapo nai mau kara ko nau hapa are? Kau nokukukuta ombepo yokomuhuka tji mai hingi okuriveta mu wo are? Mau kukutire mbo pu wa hapa.’ ”
Omasanekero maye mangururwa
11 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: 12 “Pura ovapirukire mba kutja mave tjiwa omaheero womasanekero nga? Ve raera kutja ombara ya Babilon ye ya kOjerusalem nu ya twara ombara ya Jerusalem novahongore vayo kehi ra Babilon. 13 Oyo ya toorora omurumendu umwe weṱunḓu rombara ai tjiti omazuvasaneno puna ye nai mu yanisa kutja a tje ma rire omuṱakame. Nungwari ya twara ovarumendu ovatjiukwa vehi 14 kokutja i tjaere otjiwaṋa okurira otjinene rukwao, nokutja omazuvasaneno nga ye yenenisiwe tjiri. 15 Nungwari ombara ya Juda ya pirukira ombara ya Babilon nai hindi ovakuramenepo vayo kOengipte okukaeta oukambe notjimbumba otjinene tjovita. Oyo hapo nai mai toṋa are? Ingwi ngwa tjita nai, maa yenene okupenga omberero are? Ingwi ngwa teya omazuvasaneno ma isiwa nokuhavererwe are?”
16 Muhona Ndjambi ma tja nai: “Tjiri, otja ngu mbi ri Ndjambi omunamuinyo, ombara ndji mai ṱire mehi ra Babilon, orondu oyo ya teya oruyano rwayo nomazuvasaneno ngu ya tjitire nombara ya Babilon ndje i pa otjihavero tjouhona. 17 Nandarire otjimbumba otjinamasa tjovita tjombara ya Engipte katji nokuyenena okuivatera motjirwa, Ovababilon tji mave tungu ozondunduvahi nokusa oturora kokutja ve zepe ovandu ovengi. 18 Oyo ya teya oruyano rwayo nomazuvasaneno ngu ya tjitire. Ya tjita oviṋa avihe mbi, nambano kai nakupenga omberero.”
19 Muhona Ndjambi ma tja nai: “Tjiri, otja ngu mbi ri Ndjambi omunamuinyo me i vere mena rokutja ya teya omazuvasaneno ngu ya yana mena randje kutja mai yenenisa wo. 20 Ami me pata ongwehe ne kambura na yo ombara ndji. Me i twara kehi ra Babilon ne keiverera ngo, tjinga ai ha ṱakamene mu ami. 21 Ovarwe vayo ozombanḓe mave ṱu motjirwa, nu imba mbu mave hupu po mave rimbwa kominda avihe. Notji mave tjiwa kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, mba hungire.”
Omakwizikiro womaundjiro
22 Muhona Ndjambi ma tja nai:
“Ami omuini me kambura ondomba
yorupapa orure e teya ko omukono
omutarazu nu e u kunu kondundu onde,
23 kondundu onde tjinene ya Israel.
Owo mau hapa otutavi nau eta ovihape
nau rire orupapa oruwa orumanise.
Ozonḓera zomihoko pekepeke maze yekutura
mu rwo naze suva momuzire warwo.
24 Omiti avihe mokuti mavi tjiwa kutja
owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.
Ami me kere omiti omire pehi
nu e kurisa imbi omisupi.
Me kukutisa omiti otuhapo ne
nyomona imbi mbya kukuta.
Ami ngu mbi ri Muhona, mba hungire. Me tjiti imbi mbi mba tja me tjiti.”
