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The Parable About the Cedar Sprig

17 The word of the Lord came to me. Son of man, present a challenging parable to the house of Israel. Tell the Israelites that this is what the Lord God says.

A great eagle with powerful wings, with long feathers, and covered with multicolored plumes, came to Lebanon. He took the tip of a cedar. He plucked off the newest shoot at the very top of the tree, and he carried it to a land of merchants. In a city of traders he planted it.

Then he took seed from the land and planted it in a fertile field, like a new plant beside plentiful water. He set it out like a willow twig, so that it would sprout and become a spreading vine, low to the ground, so that its branches would turn toward the one who planted it[a] and its roots would remain under him. So it became a vine and produced shoots and leaves and branches.

But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and many plumes. Look at how this vine bent its roots toward him! From the bed where it had been planted, it stretched out its branches toward him, so that he could water it. It had been planted in good soil beside plentiful water to grow branches, to bear fruit, and to become a magnificent vine.

Tell them this is what the Lord God says. Will it thrive? Won’t he pull up its roots and strip off its fruit so that it dries up? Won’t all its new growth dry up? No strong arm or mighty army will be needed to pluck it by its roots. 10 Although it has been planted, will it thrive? When the east wind touches it, won’t it shrivel up completely? On the very bed where it had sprouted, it will wither away.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 17:6 Hebrew toward him. An antecedent is supplied for clarity, as also is done in some following verses.

Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.(A) Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle(B) with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon.(C) Taking hold of the top of a cedar, he broke off(D) its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.

“‘He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water,(E) and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches(F) turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.(G)

“‘But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.(H) It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches,(I) bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots.(J) 10 It has been planted,(K) but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?(L)’”

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