“You must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Will it prosper? Will he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit that it may wither, that all its fresh springing leaves may wither, even without great power and many people to pluck it up by its roots? Yes, behold, being planted will it prosper? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the beds where it grew.' ”
Yahweh's question is as to whether or not Nebuchadnezzar will prevent their hopes, and His answer is ‘yes'. He will pull up their roots (compare Ezekiel 17:7), and cut off their fruit so that its fresh springing leaves wither in the beds (of its plantation - Ezekiel 17:7) where it grew. And he will do it without needing great power or a large army. He will come like the hot east wind from the desert (compare Ezekiel 19:12; Job 27:21; Isaiah 27:8; Hosea 13:15) drying up all in front of him.