Study Desk

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

"Son of man, ask a riddle and present a parable to the house of Israel,

Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

saying, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "A great eagle with great wings, long pinions, and a full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.

And say, Thus saith the Lord God ; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:

"He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders.

He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.

"He also took from the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil, a meadow beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow.

He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.

"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 produced shoots and sent out branches.

And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

"But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine turned its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, so that he might water it.

There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

"It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, and become a splendid vine."'

It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.

"Say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting shoots wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.

Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God ; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.

"Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?"'"

Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.