Ezekiel 31

1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, the third month, the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year, a message from the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, speak to Pharao king of Egypt, and to his people: To whom art thou like in thy greatness?

“Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his many people: Who is as great as you?

3 Behold, the Assyrian was like a cedar in Libanus, with fair branches, and full of leaves, of a high stature, and his top was elevated among the thick boughs.

Look at Assyria. It was like a cedar in Lebanon, with its beautiful branches providing shade in the forest. It was so high that its top reached the clouds.

4 The waters nourished him, the deep set him up on high, the streams thereof ran round about his roots, and it sent forth its rivulets to all the trees of the country.

Deep springs of water made it grow tall and sent streams all around it to water all the other trees.

5 Therefore was his height exalted above all the trees of the country: and his branches were multiplied, and his boughs were elevated because of many waters.

It became really tall, higher than any other tree in the forest. Its branches grew thick and long because it was so well-watered.

6 And when he had spread forth his shadow, all the fowls of the air made their nests in his boughs, and all the beasts of the forest brought forth their young under his branches, and the assembly of many nations dwelt under his shadow.

All kinds of birds nested in its branches, while underneath it different wild animals had their young, and all the powerful nations lived in its shade.

7 And he was most beautiful for his greatness, and for the spreading of his branches: for his root was near great waters.

It was beautiful and majestic with its long branches, because its roots reached down to the plentiful water.

8 The cedars in the paradise of God wars not higher than he, the fir trees did not equal his top, neither were the plane trees to be compared with him for branches: no tree in the paradise of God was like him in his beauty.

The cedars in God's garden were no match for it. No pine tree had such great branches, nor did any plane tree. No tree in God's garden was as beautiful.

9 For I made him beautiful and thick set with many branches: and all the trees of pleasure, that were in the paradise of God, envied him.

I made it beautiful with its many branches. All the trees of Eden in God's garden envied it.

10 Therefore thus saith the Lord God Because he was exalted in height, and shot up his top green and thick, and his heart was lifted up in his height:

So this is what the Lord God says: Since it became so tall, reaching up into the clouds, it grew proud because of its height.

11 I have delivered him into the hands of the mighty one of the nations, he shall deal with him: I have cast him out according to his wickedness.

So I handed it over to the leader of a foreign nation who will punish it for its wickedness. I have thrown it out.

12 And strangers, and the most cruel of the nations shall cut him down, and cast him away upon the mountains, and his boughs shall fall in every valley, and his branches shall be broken on every rock of the country: and all the people of the earth shall depart from his shadow, and leave him.

Foreigners from the cruelest of all the nations chopped it down and left it lying there. Its branches lie fallen and broken in the mountains and valleys of the countryside. Everybody in earth came out of its shadow and abandoned it.

13 All the fowls of the air dwelt upon his ruins, and all the beasts of the field were among his branches.

Birds came to live on its fallen trunk, and wild animals hid among its fallen branches.

14 For which cause none of the trees by the waters shall exalt themselves for their height: nor shoot up their tops among the thick branches and leaves, neither shall any of them that are watered stand up in their height: for they are all delivered unto death to the lowest parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down into the pit.

This was in order that no other trees growing by the water would grow up so high and have their tops reach the clouds. This was so that no other trees, however much water they had, would be as tall as them, For they all will die and go down into earth, just like human beings who go down into the grave.

15 Thus saith the Lord God: In the day when he went down to hell, I brought in mourning, I covered him with the deep: and I withheld its rivers, and restrained the many waters: Libanus grieved for him, and all the trees of the field trembled. (Sheol h7585)

This is what the Lord God says: On the day it was brought down to Sheol, I had the deep waters mourn for it; I stopped its rivers flowing; I held back all its waters. I covered Lebanon in darkness, and all the trees in the forest withered. (Sheol h7585)

16 I shook the nations with the sound of his fall, when I brought him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of pleasure, the choice and best in Libanus, all that were moistened with waters, were comforted in the lowest parts of the earth. (Sheol h7585)

I made the nations tremble when they heard it fall, when I threw it down into Sheol with those who die. Then all the trees of Eden, the finest and best in Lebanon, all the trees that had plenty of water, were happy that this tree joined them in the earth below. (Sheol h7585)

17 For they also shall go down with him to hell to them that are slain by the sword: and the arm of every one shall sit down under his shadow in the midst of the nations. (Sheol h7585)

They also went down with it into Sheol, to those who had been killed by the sword. They had been part of its army living in its shade among the nations. (Sheol h7585)

18 To whom art thou like, O thou that art famous and lofty among the trees of pleasure? Behold, thou art brought down with the trees of pleasure to the lowest parts of the earth: thou shalt sleep in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword: this is Pharao, and all his multitude, saith the Lord God.

Who is as great and glorious as you among the trees of Eden? But you too will be brought down to the earth below to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie there with the heathen, with those killed by the sword. This is what will happen to Pharaoh and all his many people, declares the Lord God.”