Ezekiel 17:1-10

YAHWEH spoke to me again, saying, “Son of man, propose this riddle to Israel, and speak this parable to the people. Tell them to guess the meaning of what I, YAHWEH, have to say to them: “There once was this great eagle with huge wings, whose wingspan was very wide, with many beautiful colored feathers around its head. One day he came to the Lebanon Mountains, and taking a new branch of a cedar tree, he broke it off and carried it off to a land of traders. He planted it there in a city of merchants. Next, he took a young seedling from the land and planted it in a fertile field. He placed it like a willow tree by the side of a flowing stream. The young plant sprouted until it became a low spreading vine. Its branches grew up toward the great eagle, and its roots grew down deep into the soil. So, it became a vine, branching out and sprouting new shoots. But another great eagle appeared with huge wings and many feathers around its head. And soon the vine bent its roots toward him and stretched its branches toward this eagle from the place where it was planted, expecting this eagle to nourish it. The vine was planted in good soil, by the side of a generous stream so that the vine could branch out, bear fruit, and become a wonderful vine. So I, Lord YAHWEH, ask you: Will the vine thrive? Will not the first eagle come and tear out its roots? Will it not strip off its grapes so that all its foliage withers? Then, even weak ones could easily uproot it! Yes, it is planted—but will it thrive? Will it not shrivel up when the east wind blows? Will it not wither in the fertile soil where it had grown?”