Ezekiel 31

1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the month, that the word of Yahweh came unto 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 Say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt and unto his multitude, — 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 Lo! Assyria, was a cedar in Lebanon, Beautiful in bough and Dense in foliage and Lofty in stature, — and Among the clouds, came to be his top:

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 made him great, the roaring deep, made him high—with its currents going round about the place where it was planted, Its channels also, it sent forth unto all the trees of the field.

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

5 For this cause higher, was his stature than any of the trees of the field, -And multiplied were his boughs And lengthened were his branches, By reason of the mighty waters when he shot forth shoots.

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 Among his branches, all the birds of the heavens, made their nests, And under his boughs, all the wild beasts of the field, brought forth, — And, in his shade, dwelt all the mighty nations.

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 Thus became he beautiful in his greatness, In the length of his waving branches, Because his root had gone towards mighty waters.

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

8 Cedars hid him not. in the garden of God, Fir-trees were not like unto his boughs, Nor plane-trees, like his branches, —no, tree in the garden of God, was like unto 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 Beautiful, I made him in the abundance of his waving branches, - Therefore was he envied by all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God.

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

10 Therefore Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Because thou hast become lofty in stature, And he hath stretched his top among the clouds, And his heart is exalted in his loftiness.

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 Let me then deliver him into the hand of the chief of the nations, He shall effectually deal with him! According to his lawlessness, have I driven him out:

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 Therefore have foreigners the terrible of the nations cut him down. And abandoned him, — Upon the mountains and in all valleys, have fallen his waving branches And broken have been his boughs in all the river-beds of the land, And all the peoples of the earth have come down out of his shade. And abandoned 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 Upon his trunk, shall settle down all the birds of the heavens, - And among his boughs, are to be found all the wild beasts of the field: —

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

14 To the end that none of the trees of the waters— May exalt themselves in their stature or stretch their top among the clouds, Nor their mighty ones take their stand in their height- any that drink of the waters, — Because they all, are delivered to death Unto the earth below. In the midst of the sons of Adam. Amongst them who descend 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 My Lord Yahweh, In the day when he descended into hades, I caused a mourning. I covered over him the roaring deep, And restrained the currents thereof And stayed were the mighty waters, So caused I gloom over him unto Lebanon, And all the trees of the field for him were covered with a shroud. (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 At the sound of his fall, I made nations tremble, When I caused him to descend into hades, with them who descend into the pit, — Then were grieved in the earth below-All the trees of Eden, The choicest and best of Lebanon All who had drunk the waters. (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 Even they, with him descended into hades. Among them who were thrust through with the sword, - Even his seed who dwelt in his shade 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 Unto whom couldst thou be likened thus, in glory and in greatness, among the trees of Eden? Yet shalt thou be caused to descend with the trees of Eden into the earth below In the midst of the uncircumcised, shalt thou lie down With them who were thrust through by the sword, the same, is Pharaoh and all his multitude, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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.”