< 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:
In the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s word 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 his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness?
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:
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
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.
The waters nourished it. The deep made it to grow. Its rivers ran all around its plantation. It sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
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.
Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied. Its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it spread them out.
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 the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs. Under its branches, all the animals of the field gave birth to their young. All great nations lived under its shadow.
7 Thus became he beautiful in his greatness, In the length of his waving branches, Because his root had gone towards mighty waters.
Thus it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters.
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 the garden of God could not hide it. The cypress trees were not like its branches. The pine trees were not like its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty.
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 by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, 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.
“Therefore thus said the Lord GOD: ‘Because he is exalted in stature, and he has set his top among the thick branches, and his heart is lifted up in his 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:
I will deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations. He will surely deal with him. I have driven him out for his wickedness.
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, the tyrants of the nations, have cut him off and have left him. His branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys, and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land. All the peoples of the earth have gone down from his shadow and have left him.
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: —
All the birds of the sky will dwell on his ruin, and all the animals of the field will be on his 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.
to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, and don’t set their top among the thick boughs. Their mighty ones don’t stand up on their height, even all who drink water; for they are all delivered to death, to the lower parts of the earth, among the children of men, with those who go down to the pit.’
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 )
“The Lord GOD says: ‘In the day when he went down to Sheol, I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained its rivers. The great waters were stopped. I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. (Sheol )
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 )
I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit. All the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth. (Sheol )
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 )
They also went down into Sheol with him to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were his arm, who lived under his shadow in the middle of the nations. (Sheol )
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.
“‘To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth. You will lie in the middle of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. “‘This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord GOD.”