17:1. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 17:2. Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel, 17:3. And say: Thus saith the Lord God; A large eagle with great wings, long-limbed, full of feathers, and of variety, came to Libanus, and took away the marrow of the cedar. A large eagle... Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon.-Ibid. Came to Libanus... That is, to Jerusalem.-Ibid. Took away the marrow of the cedar... King Jechonias. 17:4. He cropped off the top of the twigs thereof: and carried it away into the land of Chanaan, and he set it in a city of merchants. Chanaan... This name, which signifies traffic, is not taken here for Palestine, but for Chaldea: and the city of merchants here mentioned is Babylon. 17:5. And he took of the seed of the land, and put it in the ground for seed, that it might take a firm root over many waters: he planted it on the surface of the earth. Of the seed of the land, etc... Viz., Sedecias, whom he made king. 17:6. And it sprung up and grew into a spreading vine of low stature, and the branches thereof looked towards him: and the roots thereof were under him. So it became a vine, and grew into branches, and shot forth sprigs. Towards him... Nabuchodonosor, to whom Sedecias swore allegiance. 17:7. And there was another large eagle, with great wings, and many feathers: and behold this vine, bending as it were her roots towards him, stretched forth her branches to him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation. Another large eagle... Viz., the king of Egypt. 17:8. It was planted in a good ground upon many waters, that it might bring forth branches, and bear fruit, that it might become a large vine. 17:9. Say thou: Thus saith the Lord God: Shall it prosper then? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and strip off its fruit, and dry up all the branches it hath shot forth, and make it wither: and this without a strong arm, or many people to pluck it up by the root? 17:10. Behold, it is planted: shall it prosper then? shall it not be dried up when the burning wind shall touch it, and shall it not wither in the furrows where it grew? 17:11. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 17:12. Say to the provoking house: Know you not what these things mean? Tell them: Behold the king of Babylon cometh to Jerusalem: and he shall take away the king and the princes thereof and carry them with him to Babylon. Shall take away... Or, hath taken away, etc., for all this was now done. 17:13. And he shall take one of the king's seed, and make a covenant with him, and take an oath of him. Yea, and he shall take away the mighty men of the land, 17:14. That it may be a low kingdom and not lift itself up, but keep his covenant and observe it. 17:15. But he hath revolted from him and sent ambassadors to Egypt, that it might give him horses, and much people. And shall he that hath done thus prosper, or be saved? and shall he escape that hath broken the covenant?