Ezekiel 17:16

¹⁴ so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.

¹⁵ But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’

‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.

¹⁷ Pharaoh with his mighty army and vast horde will not help him in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives.

¹⁸ He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: ‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.
KJV: As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
WEB: “‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘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 middle of Babylon he will die.
ASV: As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
DARBY: [As] I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, verily in the place of the king that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him, in the midst of Babylon, shall he die.
BLB: ‘[As] I live,’ a declaration of the Lord YHWH, ‘Will he not—in the place of the king causing him to reign, of whom his oath he despised, and of whom his covenant he broke with him—die in the midst of Babylon.

ÅB: Så sant jeg lever, sier Herren, Israels Gud, på det sted hvor han bor den konge som gjorde ham til konge, men hvis ed han foraktet, og hvis pakt han brøt, hos ham, midt i Babel skal han dø.
OTB: Så sant jeg lever, erklærer den suverene Herren, han skal dø i Babylon, i landet til kongen som satte ham på tronen, hvis ed han foraktet og hvis pakt han brøt.
B1930: Så sant jeg lever, sier Herren, Israels Gud, på det sted hvor han bor den konge som gjorde ham til konge, men hvis ed han foraktet, og hvis pakt han brøt, hos ham, midt i Babel skal han visselig dø.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ezekiel 12:13
But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, and there he will die.
Read in context
Jeremiah 52:11
Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.
Read in context
Exodus 8:2
But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.
Read in context
2 Kings 24:17
Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
Read in context
Jeremiah 39:7
Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon.
Read in context
Ezekiel 16:59
For this is what the Lord GOD says: I will deal with you according to your deeds, since you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.
Read in context
Jeremiah 32:4–5
Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hands of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye.
Read in context
Zechariah 5:3–4
Then he told me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of all the land, for according to one side of the scroll, every thief will be removed; and according to the other side, every perjurer will be removed.
Read in context