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)’”

Read full chapter

The Two Eagles and the Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me: O mortal, propound a riddle and speak an allegory to the house of Israel.(A) Say: Thus says the Lord God:

A great eagle with great wings and long pinions,
    rich in plumage of many colors,
    came to the Lebanon.
He took the top of the cedar,(B)
    broke off its topmost shoot;
he carried it to a land of trade,
    set it in a city of merchants.
Then he took a seedling from the land,
    placed it in fertile soil;
a plant[a] by abundant waters,
    he set it like a willow twig.(C)
It sprouted and became a vine
    spreading out but low;
its branches turned toward him;
    its roots remained where it stood.
So it became a vine;
    it brought forth branches,
    put forth foliage.

There was another great eagle
    with great wings and much plumage.
And see! This vine stretched out
    its roots toward him;
it shot out its branches toward him
    from the bed where it was planted
    so that he might water it.(D)
It had been transplanted
    to good soil by abundant waters,
so that it might produce branches
    and bear fruit
    and become a noble vine.

Say: Thus says the Lord God:

Will it prosper?
Will he not pull up its roots,
    cause its fruit to rot[b] and wither,
    its fresh sprouting leaves to fade?
No strong arm or mighty army will be needed
    to pull it from its roots.
10 Look, it has been transplanted. Will it thrive?
When the east wind strikes it,
    will it not utterly wither,
    wither on the bed where it grew?(E)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 17.5 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 17.9 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain