Transplanted cedar

17 The Lord’s word came to me: ² Human one, compose a riddle and a parable about the house of Israel. ³ Say, The Lord God proclaims: The great eagle with great wings, long feathers, and full, colorful plumage came to Lebanon and took the top branch of the cedar. ⁴ He plucked a twig from the cedar’s crown, brought it to the land of traders, and set it down in a city of merchants. ⁵ He took a native seed and planted it in a prepared field, placing it like a willow beside plentiful water. ⁶ It grew and became a low-spreading vine. Its foliage turned toward him, and its roots developed under him. And so it became a vine, and it produced branches and sent out its shoots.

⁷ Now there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage. This vine bent its roots and turned its branches toward him so that it might draw more water from him than from its own bed, ⁸ a good field with plentiful water where it was planted to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a splendid vine. ⁹ Say, The Lord God proclaims: Will it thrive? Won’t he tear out its roots, strip its fruit, and cause all the leaves of its branches to wither? It will dry up, and no one will need a strong arm or a mighty army to uproot it. ¹⁰ Though it is planted, will it thrive? When the east wind touches it, won’t it completely wither? On the bed in which it was planted, it will wither away.