1. The word of the Lord came to me:
2. “Son of man, offer a riddle, and tell a parable to the house of Israel.
3. Say to them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:“‘A great eagle with broad wings, long feathers,with full plumage which was multi-hued,came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
4. He plucked off its topmost shoot;he brought it to a land of merchantsand planted it in a city of traders.
5. He took one of the seedlings of the land, placed it in a cultivated plot; a shoot by abundant water,like a willow he planted it.
6. It sprouted and became a vine,spreading low to the ground; its branches turning toward him, its roots were under itself. So it became a vine; it produced shoots and sent out branches.
7. “‘There was another great eaglewith broad wings and thick plumage. Now this vine twisted its roots toward him and sent its branches toward himto be watered from the soil where it was planted.
8. In a good field, by abundant waters, it was planted to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a beautiful vine.