1 A message came to me from the Lord. He said,
2 "Son of man, tell the people of Israel a story about their kings. Let them know what will happen to them.
3 Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "A great eagle came to the city of 'Lebanon.' It had powerful wings and a lot of long feathers. The feathers were colorful and beautiful. The eagle landed in the top of a cedar tree.
4 It broke off the highest twig. It carried it away to Babylonia. There are many traders in that land. The eagle planted the twig in the city of Babylon.
5 " ' "Then it got a seed from your land. It put it in rich soil near plenty of water. It planted the seed like a willow tree.
6 The seed grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward the eagle. And its roots remained under the eagle. So the seed became a vine. It produced branches and put out leaves.