"Saynowto the rebellioushouse,Do you not knowwhatthesethings[mean]?' Say,'Behold,the kingof Babyloncameto Jerusalem,tookits kingand princesand broughtthem to him in Babylon.
For throughthe angerof the LORD[this] cameabout in Jerusalemand JudahuntilHe castthem out from His presence.And Zedekiahrebelledagainst the kingof Babylon.
"And when your childrensayto you, 'Whatdoes thisritemean to you?'
Listen,O heavens,and hear,O earth;For the LORDspeaks,"SonsI have rearedand broughtup, But they have revoltedagainst Me.
The mightymanand the warrior,The judgeand the prophet,The divinerand the elder,
And [some] of your sonswhowill issuefrom you, whomyou will beget,will be takenaway, and they will becomeofficialsin the palaceof the kingof Babylon.'"
Zedekiahkingof Judahand his officialsI will giveinto the handof their enemiesand into the handof those who seektheir life,and into the handof the armyof the kingof Babylonwhich has goneawayfrom you.
Now Zedekiahthe sonof JosiahwhomNebuchadnezzarkingof Babylonhad madekingin the landof Judah,reignedas kingin placeof Coniahthe sonof Jehoiakim.
(On the fifthof the monthin the fifthyearof KingJehoiachin'sexile,
Moreover, the wordof the LORDcameto me, saying,
saying,'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"A greateaglewith greatwings,longpinionsand a fullplumageof manycolorscameto Lebanonand tookaway the topof the cedar.
"Now you, sonof man,listento whatI am speakingto you; do not be rebelliouslike that rebellioushouse.Openyour mouthand eatwhatI am givingyou."
The peoplesaidto me, "Will you not tellus whatthesethingsthat you are doingmean for us?"
"Like emeryharderthanflintI have madeyour forehead.Do not be afraidof them or be dismayedbeforethem, thoughthey are a rebellioushouse."
"Whenthe sonsof your peoplespeakto you saying,'Will you not declareto us whatyou mean by these?'
"Have you understoodallthese things?"They saidto Him, "Yes."
"Howis it that you do not understandthat I did not speakto you concerningbread?But bewareof the leavenof the Phariseesand Sadducees."
And He saidto them, "Do you not understandthisparable?Howwill you understandallthe parables?
But they did not understandthisstatement,and it was concealedfrom them sothat they would not perceiveit; and they were afraidto askHim aboutthisstatement.
Philipranup and heardhim readingIsaiahthe prophet,and said,"Do you understandwhatyou are reading?"
"Whenyour sonasksyou in timeto come,saying,'What[do] the testimoniesand the statutesand the judgments[mean] whichthe LORDour Godcommandedyou?'
He saidto the sonsof Israel,"Whenyour childrenasktheir fathersin timeto come,saying,'Whatare thesestones?'
"Let thisbe a signamongyou, so that when your childrenasklater,saying,'Whatdo thesestonesmean to you?'
