The Parable of the Eagle

17 This message came to me from the Lord: ² “Son of Man, compose a riddle and relate a parable to Israel’s house. ³ Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “A massive eagle with gigantic wings, long pinions, and full, multi-colored plumage came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.^{[a] 4} He plucked off the top of its shoot, brought it to a land of merchants, and set it down in a city full of traders. ⁵ Then the eagle took a seed from the land and planted it in fertile ground. He planted it like a willow tree next to abundant waters. ⁶ It flourished and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, and its roots spread under him to become a vine that put out shoots and spread out its branches.

⁷ “‘“All of a sudden, there was another eagle with gigantic wings and thick plumage. The vine stretched its roots hungrily toward him and spread its branches out to him in order to be watered on the terraces where it was planted. ⁸ It was transplanted into good soil^[b] near abundant water, and it produced branches and bore fruit, becoming a magnificent vine.”’

⁹ “Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “Will it prosper? Won’t he pull up its roots, and strip it bare so all its fresh foliage dries up? It won’t be by great strength or by a great army that it will be uprooted. ¹⁰ Look! Because it’s a transplanted vine, won’t it wither when the east wind hits it? It will surely wither in the terraces where it had started to sprout.”’”