Ezekiel 17:1-10

The Parable of the Eagles and the Vine

17¹ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² Son of man, give out a dark saying, and make a comparison for the children of Israel, ³ And say, This is what the Lord has said: A great eagle with great wings, full of long feathers of different colours, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar: ⁴ Biting off the highest of its young branches, he took it to the land of Canaan, and put it in a town of traders. ⁵ And he took some of the seed of the land, planting it in fertile earth, placing it by great waters; he put it in like a willow-tree. ⁶ And its growth went on and it became a vine, low and widely stretching, whose branches were turned to him and its roots were under him: so it became a vine, putting out branches and young leaves. ⁷ And there was another eagle with great wings and thick feathers: and now this vine, pushing out its roots to him, sent out its branches in his direction from the bed where it was planted, so that he might give it water. ⁸ He had it planted in a good field by great waters so that it might put out branches and have fruit and be a strong vine. ⁹ Say, This is what the Lord has said: Will it do well? will he not have its roots pulled up and its branches cut off, so that all its young leaves may become dry and it may be pulled up by its roots? ¹⁰ And if it is planted will it do well? will it not become quite dry at the touch of the east wind, drying up in the bed where it was planted?