Ezekiel 17:2-10

2“Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a 1parable to the house of Israel, 32saying, ‘Thus says the Lord 3God, “A great 4eagle with 5great wings, long pinions and a full plumage of many colors came to 6Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. 4He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders. 5He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in 78fertile soil. He 9placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a 10willow. 6Then 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 yielded shoots and sent out branches.

7“But there was 11another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was 12planted, that he might water it. 8It was planted in good 13soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.”’ 9Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers--so that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great 14strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. 10Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not 15completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it--wither on the beds where it grew?”’”