Ezekiel 17:2-10

2Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;

3And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had many colours, came to Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:1

4He cropped off the top of its young twigs, and carried it into a land of trade; he set it in a city of merchants.

5He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.2

6And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

7There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

8It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a well favoured vine.3

9Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by its roots.

10Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.