4
He cropped off the top of it young twigs and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.
5
He 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.
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And it grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him and the roots thereof were under him. So it became a vine, and brought forth branches and shot forth sprigs.
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"`There 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 planting.
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It 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 goodly vine.'
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Say thou, `Thus saith the Lord GOD: Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up the roots thereof and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? It shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.
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Yea, 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.'"
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Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
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"Say now to the rebellious house: `Know ye not what these things mean?' Tell them: `Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;
13
and hath taken of the king's seed and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath from him. He hath also taken the mighty of the land,
14
that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.