« | Ezekiel 17 | » |
1 And the word of LORD came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel,
3 and say, Thus says lord LORD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar.
4 He cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and carried it to a land of merchandise. He set it in a city of merchants.
5 He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He set it as a willow tree.
6 And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots of it were under him. So it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And, behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it.
8 It was planted in a good soil by many waters that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit that it might be a goodly vine.
9 Say thou, Thus says lord LORD: Shall it flourish? Shall he not pull up the roots of it, and cut off the fruit of it, that it may wither? It shall wither in all its fresh springing leaves, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots of it.
10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it flourish? Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the beds where it grew.
11 Moreover the word of LORD came to me, saying,
12 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? Tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king of it, and the rulers of it, and brought them to him to Babylon.
13 And he took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land,
14 that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt that they might give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape who does such things? Shall he break the covenant, and yet escape?
16 As I live, says lord LORD, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
17 Nor shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war when they cast up mounds and build forts to cut off many persons.
18 For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant. And, behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things. He shall not escape.
19 Therefore thus says lord LORD: As I live, surely my oath that he has despised, and my covenant that he has broken, I will even bring it upon his own head.
20 And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against me.
21 And all his fugitives in all his groups shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered toward every wind. And ye shall know that I, LORD, have spoken it.
22 Thus says lord LORD: I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it. I will crop off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs, and I will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain.
23 I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel, and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar. And all birds of every wing shall dwell under it; they shall dwell in the shade of the branches thereof.
24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, LORD, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish. I, LORD, have spoken and have done it.
A Conservative Version (ACV)
A Conservative Version (ACV) of the Bible is a translation that aims to provide a conservative and literal interpretation of the biblical texts. Developed with a focus on maintaining fidelity to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts, the ACV emphasizes a word-for-word translation methodology. The goal is to preserve the subtleties and nuances of the original languages as accurately as possible. This approach results in a version of the Bible that seeks to remain true to the text's original meaning and context, appealing to readers who prioritize precision and doctrinal integrity.
The text of the Old Testament for A Conservative Version (ACV) came from the American Standard Version published in 1901. The main changes done for the ACV were the replacement of archaic words with more modern ones, except for the old English pronouns, which were kept because they are more communicative. The New Testament was translated from, The New Testament in the Original Greek According to the Byzantine-Majority Text form. That edition was compiled by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, and is of the Textus Receptus tradition from which came the King James Version.
The ACV was created in response to what its translators saw as a trend toward more liberal or dynamic-equivalence translations that prioritize readability over literal accuracy. The translators aimed to produce a text that adheres closely to the original languages, even if this makes the translation more challenging for contemporary readers. This reflects their belief in the importance of preserving the exact words and phrases used in the original scriptures. The ACV also employs traditional theological terminology and phrasing, avoiding modern slang and colloquial expressions in favor of language that conveys the gravity and solemnity of the biblical message.
While the ACV has found appreciation among conservative circles, it has faced criticism for its perceived rigidity and difficulty. Critics argue that its strict adherence to a word-for-word translation can make the text less readable and accessible, potentially alienating readers unfamiliar with the original languages or who prefer a more fluid translation. Despite these criticisms, the ACV remains a valued translation for those who prioritize a conservative and literal approach to Bible interpretation, supporting their doctrinal views with a text they believe closely reflects the original scriptures.