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"Human being, propound this riddle, tell the house of Isra'el this allegory,
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say that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'A big eagle having great wings and long pinions full of varicolored feathers came to the L'vanon and took over the top of the cedar.
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He cropped off the topmost of its young twigs, carried them to a land of traders and set them down in a city of merchants.
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He also took some of the seed in the land and planted it in fertile soil, placing it where there was abundant water, as one would a willow.
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It grew to become a fruitful vine sprawling over the ground; its branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him - thus it became a vine, sprouting branches and putting forth shoots.
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"'There was another big eagle with great wings and many feathers; and the vine bent its roots toward him and put forth its branches toward him, so that he might water it more than in the bed where it was planted.
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It had been planted in good soil, near plenty of water, so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a noble vine.'
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"Say that Adonai ELOHIM asks: 'Will it succeed? Won't he pull it up by the roots and cut off its fruit; so that it dries up; and all its sprouting leaves wither? There will be no great power and few people there when it is plucked up by the roots.
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Will it thrive just because it was planted? Won't it wither altogether when the east wind strikes it? Yes, it will wither right there in the beds where it was growing.'"
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The word of ADONAI came to me:
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"Say to the rebellious house: 'Don't you know what these things mean?' Tell them: 'Here, the king of Bavel came to Yerushalayim, took its king and princes and brought them to himself in Bavel.