Ezechiël 31
1 In het elfde jaar, op de eerste van de derde maand, werd het woord van Jahweh tot mij gericht.
Almost eleven years [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the first day of the third month [of that year], Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
2 Mensenkind, ge moet tot Farao en tot zijn drommen zeggen: Aan wie waart ge in uw grootheid gelijk?
“You human, say to the King of Egypt and all of his people, ‘[You think that] there is [RHQ, IRO] no country whose power is as great as the power of your country.
3 Zie, Ik maakte u tot een Libanon-ceder, Met mooie takken, schaduwrijk loof en rijzige stam; Tussen de wolken reikte zijn kruin.
You think that your country is as great as Assyria was: Assyria was previously like [MET] a tall cedar tree in Lebanon; [it was as though] it had big beautiful branches that provided shade for [other trees in] the forest. It was very tall; its top was above the leaves of the other trees.
4 Water deed hem gedijen, De oceaan liet hem groeien; Die liet zijn stromen vloeien over zijn wortels, Liet zijn kanalen lopen over het hele veld.
Water came from deep springs, and as a result that cedar tree grew tall and very green. Then water flowed around the base of the tree into channels that took water to other nearby trees.
5 Daarom rees zijn stam Boven alle bomen des velds, Kreeg hij veel takken, lange twijgen: Van het vele water in zijn scheuten.
That huge tree grew very tall, higher than all the other trees around it. Its branches grew very thick and long [DOU] because of the abundant water [at the base of the tree].
6 In zijn takken nestelden alle vogels uit de lucht, Onder zijn twijgen wierpen alle wilde dieren haar jongen; En in zijn schaduw zetten Allerlei talrijke volken zich neer.
Birds built their nests in the branches, and wild animals gave birth to their babies under those branches. [And it was as though people of] all the great nations lived in the shade of that tree.
7 Hij was een prachtige boom om zijn hoogte, En door de lengte van zijn takken; Want zijn wortels stonden Aan overvloedige wateren.
It was majestic and beautiful; its branches spread out widely because the roots of the tree grew down into the ground where there was a plentiful supply of water.
8 De ceders in Gods tuin evenaarden hem niet, Cypressen konden niet op tegen zijn twijgen; Geen plataan had zulke takken als hij, Geen boom in Gods tuin bereikte zijn pracht!
The cedar trees in my garden [in Eden] were not as great as that tree, and the branches of the pine/cypress trees were not as long and thick as the branches of that cedar tree. And the branches of the plane trees were not as long and thick, either. No tree in my garden was as beautiful as that cedar tree.
9 Ik had hem heerlijk gemaakt, Met zijn talloze takken; Hij werd door alle bomen van Eden benijd, Die in Gods tuin staan.
Because I caused that tree to become very beautiful with its magnificent green branches, [all the leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] those other trees in Eden envied [the country represented by] that tree.’
10 Daarom zegt Jahweh, de Heer: Omdat hij groot ging op zijn stam, Omdat hij zijn kruin tussen de wolken stak, En hij trots werd op zijn lengte:
Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘That tree, which [represents Assyria], grew very tall, and its top was higher than the other trees, and it became very proud because of being very tall.
11 Daarom geef Ik hem in de macht Van een geweldige onder de volken; Die zal de hand aan hem slaan; Ik ruk hem uit om zijn boosheid.
Therefore, I enabled another mighty nation to conquer it and to destroy it as it deserved to be destroyed. I have already discarded it.
12 Vreemde, barbaarse volken houwen hem om, En smakken hem neer op de bergen; In alle dalen vallen zijn takken, Zijn geknakte twijgen in alle kloven der aarde. Alle volken der aarde vluchten weg uit zijn schaduw, En smijten hem weg;
A foreign army, one that has caused people of other nations to be terrified, cut it down and left it. Its branches fell on the mountains and in the valleys. Some of its branches lay broken in all the ravines in the land. All the people of other nations came out from being under its shade and left it.
13 Op zijn gevelde stam laten allerlei vogels uit de lucht zich neer, Allerlei wilde dieren zitten op zijn twijgen.
Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.
14 Zo gaat geen rijkbevloeide boom meer groot op zijn stam, Steekt zijn kroon niet meer tussen de wolken; En geen zal er zich meer op zijn grootheid verheffen, Van alles wat water opzuigt. Want ze zijn allen bestemd voor de dood, Voor de diepten der aarde; Temidden van de kinderen der mensen, Die al in het graf zijn gedaald.
The result of what I have done is that no other trees, even if they have plenty of water, will ever grow very high and become proud, and lift their tops above the branches of other trees. I do not want any other tree to grow high like that cedar tree did; trees will all certainly die and decay in the ground, like people die and go down to their graves.’
15 Dit zegt Jahweh, de Heer: Op de dag dat hij naar de onderwereld afdaalde, Liet Ik de oceaan in rouwkleed om hem treuren, Heb Ik zijn oevers verstopt, En het overvloedige water hield op. Ik hulde om hem de Libanon in rouw, En alle bomen van het veld verlepten; (Sheol h7585)
This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘When that great tree was cut down, [it was as though] the springs that watered it mourned for it, because I caused the plentiful water [from the springs] to dry up. I caused [the mountains in] Lebanon to become black, and all the trees there to wither. (Sheol h7585)
16 Door de dreun van zijn val heb Ik volken verschrikt, Toen Ik hem de diepte instiet, bij hen die in het graf zijn gedaald. Nu troosten zich in de diepte der aarde Alle bomen van Eden, Het puik en de keur van de Libanon, Alles wat water opzuigt. (Sheol h7585)
I caused the people of other nations to tremble when they heard that tree fall to the ground. [They realized] that it would decay, like all people who die and are buried decay. And all the [leaders of other countries represented by] other beautiful trees in my garden in Eden and in Lebanon, were like beautiful trees [that were very proud]. They were ones which had roots that grew down deep into the [ground where there was plenty of] water. They were comforted when [the king represented by] [MET] that cedar tree was there with them in the place where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
17 Ook zij moesten met hem mee, het dodenrijk in, Naar hen, die door het zwaard zijn getroffen: Naar zijn bondgenoten, die in zijn schaduw zaten Te midden der volken. (Sheol h7585)
The [leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] trees that grew in the shade of the huge tree, [the allies of] the great nation [that the cedar tree represents], had also joined those who had been killed by the sword and gone down to where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
18 Op wien gelijkt ge nu nog in pracht En in grootheid onder de bomen van Eden? Gij zijt neergesmakt met de bomen van Eden, In de diepten der aarde. Tussen onbesnedenen ligt ge nu neer, Bij hen, die door het zwaard zijn getroffen. Zo gaat het Farao met al zijn drommen, Is de godsspraak van Jahweh, den Heer!
[This parable is about you] people of Egypt. [You think that] [RHQ, IRO] there is no other nation that is as great and glorious as yours is. But your nation will also be destroyed, [as Assyria was], along with those other nations. Your people will be there among the other people who are not fit to worship me, people who have been killed by their enemies’ swords. That is what will happen to the king of Egypt and all his people. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, [have predicted it].’”
