Ezekiel 17:2-4

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

²O mortal, propound a riddle and speak an allegory to the house of Israel.^(A) ³Say: Thus says the Lord God:

A great eagle with great wings and long pinions,
    rich in plumage of many colors,
    came to the Lebanon.
He took the top of the cedar,^(B)
⁴    broke off its topmost shoot;
he carried it to a land of trade,
    set it in a city of merchants.