Ezekiel 17:2-18

2“Son of man, propose a riddle and tell a parable to the house of Israel.”

3Say, thus says Adonai Elohim: “A great eagle with large wings and broad wings, full of feathers which had varied colors, came to Lebanon and took hold of the top of the cedar.

4He plucked off its topmost twigs, carried them to the land of trade and set it in a city of merchants.

5Then he took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fruitful soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig.

6Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine, with its branches turned toward him, but its roots grew under him. So it became a vine, produced branches and sent out shoots.

7“There was also another great eagle with large wings and many feathers. Behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, so that he might water it.

8It was planted in good soil by much water, so it would bring forth branches, bear fruit and be a glorious vine.”

9Say, thus says Adonai Elohim: “Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so it withers? All its new roots will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots.

10Behold, though planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes it? In the beds where it grew it will wither.”

11Then the word of Adonai came to me saying:

12Say now to the rebellious house, “Do you not know what these things mean?” Tell them: “Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took the king and the princes and brought them with him to Babylon.

13He took one of the royal offspring, cut a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the leading men of the land,

14so the kingdom might be lowly, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant so it would hold up.

15“However, he rebelled against him in sending his messengers into Egypt, so they might give him horses and many people. Will he succeed? Will one doing such things escape? Will he break a covenant and escape?

16As I live”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“surely in the place of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, within Babylon he will die.

17Pharaoh with his mighty army and great throng will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are cast up and siege towers erected, to cut off many lives.

18“Since he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he had given his hand yet did all these things, he will not escape.