Ezekiel 17:5–10

⁵“He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in ^1afertile soil. He ²placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a ^bwillow.

⁶“Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and yielded shoots and sent out branches.

⁷“But there was ¹another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was ^aplanted, that he might water it.

⁸“It was planted in good ¹soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.” ’

⁹“Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great ¹strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.

¹⁰“Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not ^acompletely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?” ’ ”