Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

17 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, ask a riddle and present a ^(A)parable to the house of Israel, ^3 [a]saying, ‘This is what the Lord ^[b]God says: “A great ^[c](B)eagle with ^(C)great wings, long pinions, and a full plumage of many colors came to ^[d](D)Lebanon and took away the top of the ^[e]cedar. ⁴ He broke off the ^[f]topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a ^[g]city of traders. ⁵ He also took ^[h]from the seed of the land and planted ^[i]it in ^[j](E)fertile soil, a ^[k]meadow beside abundant waters; he set it like a ^(F)willow. ⁶ Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced shoots and sent out branches.

⁷ “But there was ^[l]another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine turned its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was ^(G)planted, so that he might water it. ⁸ It was planted in good ^[m]soil beside abundant waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, and become a splendid vine.”’ ⁹ Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting shoots wither? And neither by great ^[n]strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. ¹⁰ Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not ^(H)completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?”’”