1The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, tell a riddle and speak a parable to the people of Israel;
3and say, ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh says: “A great eagle with large wings and long, colorful feathers came to Lebanon and took the top of a cedar tree.
4He broke off its topmost young twig and carried it to a land of traders. He planted it in a city of merchants.
5“‘“He also took some seeds from the land and planted them in fertile soil. He placed them beside abundant water, like a willow tree.
6It grew and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him. So it became a vine, produced branches, and sent out new shoots.
7“‘“There was also another great eagle with large wings and many feathers. Look, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him, from the soil where it was planted, so that he could water it.
8It was planted in good soil by abundant water so it could produce branches, bear fruit, and be a good vine.”’
9“Say, ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh says: “Will it thrive? Won’t he pull up its roots and cut off its fruit so that it withers? Won’t all its fresh, new leaves wither? It cannot be raised from its roots by a strong army or many people.
10Yes, look, even though it’s planted, will it thrive? Won’t it completely wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the soil where it grew.”’”
11Moreover, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
12“Say now to the rebellious people, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Look, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, captured its king and its princes, and took them with him to Babylon.
13He took some of the royal family, made a treaty with him, and put him under oath. He also took away the powerful people of the land,
14so that the kingdom would be brought low and not be able to rise up, but instead remain strong by keeping his treaty.
15But he rebelled against the king of Babylon by sending his messengers to Egypt to get horses and many soldiers. Will he succeed? Will the one who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and still get away with it?
16“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord Yahweh, ‘he will definitely die in Babylon, in the place where the king lives who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose treaty he broke.
17Pharaoh, with his mighty army and many troops, will not help him in the war when ramps are built and siege towers are constructed to destroy many people.
18Because he despised the oath by breaking the treaty; and look, he gave his word, yet he has done all these things. He will not escape.
19“Therefore, this is what the Lord Yahweh says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring my oath, which he despised, and my treaty, which he broke, down upon his own head.
20I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and put him on trial there for the betrayal he committed against me.
21All his fleeing soldiers in all his companies will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered in every direction: and you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it.’
22“This is what the Lord Yahweh says: ‘I will also take a shoot from the very top of the cedar and plant it. I will pluck a tender twig from its highest young shoots and plant it on a high and prominent mountain.
23I will plant it on Israel’s loftiest mountain; it will grow branches, bear fruit, and become a magnificent cedar. All kinds of birds will live in the shade of its branches.
24All the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, bring down the tall tree, make the low tree grow tall, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I, Yahweh, have spoken and have done it.’”