1 the Lord’s word came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, tell a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;
3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar.
4 He cropped off the topmost of its young twigs, and carried it to a land of traffic. He planted it in a city of merchants.
5 “‘“He also took some of the seed of the land, and planted it in fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He set it as a willow tree.