The Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine
(Matthew 13:24–30)

1The worde of the LORDE came vnto me, sayenge: 2Thou sonne of man: put forth a darcke speakynge and a parable, vnto the house of Israel, 3and saye: Thus saieth the LORDE God: There came a greate Aegle with greate wynges, yee wt mightie longe wynges, and full of fethers of dyuerse colours, vpon the mount of Libanus, and toke a braunch from a Cedre tre, 4and brake of the toppe of his twygge, and caried it in to the londe of Canaan, and set it in a cite of marchauntes. 5He toke also a braunch of the londe, and planted it in a frutefull grounde, he brought it vnto greate waters, & set it as a willye tre therby. 6Then dyd it growe, and was a greate wyne stocke, but lowe by the grounde: thus there came of it a vyne, and it brought forth blossomes, & spred out braunches.

7But there was another Aegle, a greate one, which had greate wynges and many fethers: and beholde, ye rotes of this vyne had an huger after him, and spred out his braunches towarde him, to water his frutes: 8Neuertheles it was plated vpon a good grounde besyde greate waters: so that (by reason) it shulde haue brought out braunches and frute, and haue bene a goodly vyne. 9Speake thou therfore, thus saieth the LORDE God: Shal this vyne prospere? shal not his rotes be pluckte out, his frute broken of, his grene braunches wythereed and fade awaye? yee without ether stronge arme or many people, shal it be plucked vp by the rotes. 10Beholde, it was planted: shall it prospere therfore? Shall it not be dryed vp and withered, yee euen in the shutinge out of his blossomes, as soone as ye east wynde bloweth?

The Parable Explained

11Morouer, the worde of the LORDE came vnto me sayenge: 12Speake to that frauwarde housholde: knowe ye not, what these thinges do signifie? Tell them: Beholde, the kinge of Babilon came to Ierusalem, and toke the kinge & his prynces, and ledde them to Babilon. 13He toke of the kinges sede, and made a couenaunt with him, and toke an ooth of him: The prynces of the londe toke he with him also, 14that the londe might be holden in subieccion, and not to rebelle, but kepe the couenaunt, and fulfill it. 15But he fell from him, & sent his Embassitours in to Egipte, that he might haue horses & moch people. Shulde that prospere? Shulde he be kepte safe, that doth soch thinges? Or shulde he escape, that breaketh his couenaunt? 16As truly as I lyue, saieth the LORDE God: He shal dye at Babilon, in ye place where the kinge dwelleth, that made him kinge: whose ooth he hath despised, and whose couenaunt he hat broken. 17Nether shall Pharao with his greate hoost and multitude of people, maynteyne him in the warre: when they cast vp diches, and set vp bulworkes to destroye moch people. 18For seinge he hath despysed the ooth, and broken the couenaunt (where as he yet gaue his honde thervpon) and done all these thinges, he shall not escape. 19Therfore thus saieth the LORDE God: As truly as I lyue, I will bringe myne ooth that he hath despysed, and my couenaunt that he hath broken, vpon his owne heade. 20I wil cast my net aboute him, and catch him in my yarne. To Babilon will I cary him, there will I punysh him, because of the greate offence that he made me. 21As for those yt fle from him out of ye hoost, they shalbe slayne with the swearde. The residue shalbe scatred towarde all the wyndes: and ye shal knowe, that I the LORDE haue spoken it.

22Thus saieth the LORDE God: I will also take a braunch from an hie Cedre tre, and will set it, and take the vppermost twygge, that yet is but tendre, and plante it vpon an hie hill: 23Namely, vpon the hie hill of Sion will I plante it: that it maye bringe forth twygges, and geue frute, and be a greate Cedre tre: so that all maner of foules maye byde in it, and make their nestes vnder the shadowe of his braunches. 24And all the trees of the felde shall knowe, that I the LORDE haue brought downe the hie tre, and set the lowe tre vp: that I haue dryed vp the grene tre, and made the drye tre to florish: Euen I the LORDE yt spake it, haue also brought it to passe.