2 Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel the following story,
3 so they will understand what I am saying to them:A large eagle with strong wings and beautiful feathers once flew to Lebanon. It broke the top branch off a cedar tree,
4 then carried it to a nation of merchants and left it in one of their cities.
5 The eagle also took seed from Israel and planted it in a fertile field with plenty of water, like a willow tree beside a stream.
6 The seed sprouted and grew into a grapevine that spread over the ground. It had lots of leaves and strong, deep roots, and its branches grew upward towards the eagle.
7 There was another eagle with strong wings and thick feathers. The roots and branches of the grapevine soon turned towards this eagle, hoping it would bring water for the soil.
8 But the vine was already growing in fertile soil, where there was plenty of water to produce healthy leaves and large grapes.