4. He cropped off the topmost of its young twigs, and carried it to a land of traffic. He planted it in a city of merchants.
5. “‘“He also took some of the seed of the land, and planted it in fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He set it as a willow tree.
6. 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, produced branches, and shot out sprigs.
7. “‘“There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. Behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot out 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 produce branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a good vine.”’
9. “Say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Will it prosper? Won’t he pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? Not by a strong arm or many people can it be raised from its roots.
10. Yes, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? Won’t it utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the beds where it grew.”’”
11. Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
12. “Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon.
13. He took some of the royal offspring, 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 brought low, 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. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape?
16. “‘As I live,’ says the Lord Yahweh, ‘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.
17. Neither 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.