And the wordof the LORDcameuntome, saying, Sonof man, put fortha riddle, and speaka parableuntothe houseof Israel; And say, Thussaiththe LordGOD; A greateaglewith greatwings, long-winged, fullof feathers, whichhad divers colors, cameuntoLebanon, and tookthe highest branchof the cedar: He cropped offthe topof his young twigs, and carriedit intoa landof traffic; he setit in a cityof merchants. He tookalso of the seedof the land, and plantedit in a fruitfulfield; he placed it bygreatwaters, and setit as a willow tree. And it grew, and becamea spreadingvineof lowstature, whose branchesturnedtowardhim, and the rootsthereof wereunderhim: so it becamea vine, and brought forthbranches, and shot forthsprigs. There wasalso anothergreateaglewith greatwingsand manyfeathers: and, behold, thisvinedid bendher rootstoward him, and shot forthher branchestowardhim, that he might waterit by the furrowsof her plantation. Itwas plantedina goodsoilbygreatwaters, that it might bring forthbranches, and that it might bearfruit, that it might bea goodlyvine. Saythou, Thussaiththe LordGOD; Shall it prosper? shall he notpull upthe rootsthereof, and cut offthe fruitthereof, that it wither? it shall witherin allthe leavesof her spring, even withoutgreatpoweror manypeopleto pluck it upby the rootsthereof. Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it notutterly wither, when the eastwindtouchethit? it shall witherinthe furrowswhere it grew. Moreover the wordof the LORDcameuntome, saying, Saynowto the rebellioushouse, Knowye notwhatthese things mean ? tell them , Behold, the kingof Babylonis cometo Jerusalem, and hath takenthe kingthereof, and the princesthereof, and ledthem withhim to Babylon; And hath takenof the king's seed, and madea covenantwithhim, and hath takenan oathof him: he hath also takenthe mightyof the land: That the kingdommight bebase, that it might notlift itself up, but that by keepingof his covenantit might stand. But he rebelledagainst him in sendinghis ambassadorsinto Egypt, that they might givehim horsesand muchpeople. Shall he prosper? shall he escapethat doethsuch things ? or shall he breakthe covenant, and be delivered? As Ilive, saiththe LordGOD, surelyin the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whoseoathhe despised, and whosecovenanthe broke, even withhim in the midstof Babylonhe shall die. Neithershall Pharaohwith his mightyarmyand greatcompanymakefor him in the war, by casting upmounts, and buildingforts, to cut offmanypersons: Seeing he despisedthe oathby breakingthe covenant, when, lo, he had givenhis hand, and hath doneallthese things , he shall notescape. Thereforethussaiththe LordGOD; As Ilive, surelymine oaththathe hath despised, and my covenantthathe hath broken, even it will I recompenseupon his own head. And I will spreadmy netuponhim, and he shall be takenin my snare, and I will bringhim to Babylon, and will pleadwithhim therefor his trespassthathe hath trespassedagainst me. And allhis fugitiveswith allhis bandsshall fallby the sword, and they that remainshall be scatteredtoward allwinds: and ye shall knowthatIthe LORDhave spoken it . Thussaiththe LordGOD; Iwill also takeof the highest branchof the highcedar, and will set it ; I will crop offfrom the topof his young twigsa tender one, and will plant it upona highmountainand eminent: In the mountainof the heightof Israelwill I plantit: and it shall bring forthboughs, and bearfruit, and bea goodlycedar: and underit shall dwellallfowlof everywing; in the shadowof the branchesthereof shall they dwell. And allthe treesof the fieldshall knowthatIthe LORDhave brought downthe hightree, have exaltedthe lowtree, have dried upthe greentree, and have made the drytreeto flourish: Ithe LORDhave spokenand have done it .