1. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2. Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
3. And say, Thus says the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had various colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
4. He cropped off the top of its young twigs, and carried it into a land of trade; he set it in a city of merchants.
5. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.
6. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots 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 did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the bed of its planting.
8. It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a splendid vine.
9. Say, Thus says the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, so that it withers? it shall wither in all its leaves of spring, not requiring great power or many people to pluck it up by its roots.
10. Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind touches it? it shall wither in the bed where it grew.
11. Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
12. Say now to the rebellious house, Know you not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon has come to Jerusalem, and has taken its king, and its princes, and led them with him to Babylon;