1 The word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;
3 say, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
4 He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants.
5 Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig,
6 and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs.