The eagle has landed
1The LORD gave me a message. He said:2I’ve got a riddle and a story I want you to tell the people of Israel. 3Tell them the Lord God says this:
A huge eagle [1] with a massive wingspan and beautifully colored feathers soared into Lebanon. It landed on the top branch of a cedar tree and snapped off the top shoot. [2] 4It took the top shoot to a city known as a commercial center where merchants gathered to trade products.
5The eagle also took a seed from the land and planted it in good soil beside water, so it could grow like a willow tree. 6The seed popped up as a sprout and spread out into a grapevine. Its roots held firm. The vine produced a lot of leaves, and it grew in the direction of the eagle.
Another eagle
7There was another huge eagle [3] with an incredible wingspan and a full load of feathers. Then it happened. The branch began growing in the direction of the other eagle, hoping it would water the vine.8The first eagle planted it into good soil, hoping it would produce a lot of fruit and develop into a great resource. 9But the Lord God has a few questions for you about that. The Lord asks:
- Will it live and develop into a healthy vine?
- Will the eagle tear it out of the ground and let the grapes rot and the leaves dry, crack, and crumble?
- It won’t take a big army to uproot the vine I’m talking about.
What the story means
11The LORD said: 12Tell these rebellious people of Israel this:Do you want to know what this means? I’ll tell you. Babylon’s king attacked Jerusalem. He arrested the king and his advisors and officials and deported them all to Babylon.
13He appointed a new king from the royal family. He made that king swear to keep Judah loyal to Babylon as a subservient, vassal nation. Babylon’s king ordered all other leaders of Judah deported into exile. 14He wanted the kingdom weakened, humbled, and unable to quickly rebuild. He wanted Judah dependent on Babylon.
15But the new king turned to Egypt for help. He sent messengers asking for horses and a big army. How’s that going to work out? Can someone who pulls a fast one like that get away with it? Can he break the deal he made with Babylon and live to talk about it?
16I’ll tell you this, as sure as I’m alive and the Lord God, that new king is going to Babylon. He’ll die there for breaking his contract with Babylon’s king.
17Pharaoh won’t risk his army when Babylon returns, and lays siege to cities that refuse to surrender. Cities cut off like that will be on their own.
18Judah’s king lied to Babylon’s king by breaking their agreement. He’ll get caught. 19Judah’s king broke my contract, too. As sure as I live, he won’t. I’m going to punish him for what he did.
20I’ll throw a net over this guy, drag him off to Babylon, and condemn him for treason. He rebelled against me. 21His elite soldiers, the best of his best, will all die—killed by the sword. Survivors will scatter, running for their lives in all directions. When that happens, you’ll remember what I said and know who said it.
Israel reborn
22The Lord God said:I’ll grow a sprig
To top a cedar.
I’ll snap a shoot
From the crowning branch.
I’ll plant it high
On a mountaintop,
23On Israel’s towering hills.
I’ll plant it there
And watch branches grow
And fruit adorn them like jewels.
Birds of all feathers
Will rest in its shade,
Winged critters
Of every kind.
24Every tree in the field
Will know I’m the LORD.
I’ll grow low trees high
And chop high trees low.
I’ll dry green trees to death
And resurrect dry trees to life.
I’m the LORD.
I’ll do this.
