Ezekiel 31

1 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,

And it was don in the enleuenthe yeer, in the thridde moneth, in the firste dai of the monethe, the word of the Lord was maad to me,

2 “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.

and he seide, Thou, sone of man, seie to Farao, kyng of Egipt, and to his puple, To whom art thou maad lijk in thi greetnesse?

3 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.

Lo! Assur as a cedre in Liban, fair in braunchis, and ful of boowis, and hiy bi hiynesse; and his heiyte was reisid among thicke bowis.

4 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.

Watris nurschiden hym, the depthe of watris enhaunside him; hise floodis fletiden out in the cumpas of hise rootis, and he sente out hise strondis to alle the trees of the cuntrei.

5 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].

Therfor his hiynesse was enhaunsid ouer alle trees of the cuntrei, and hise trees weren multiplied, and hise braunchis weren reisid, for many watris.

6 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.

And whanne he hadde stretchid forth his schadewe, alle the volatils of the eir maden nestis in hise braunchis; and alle the beestis of forestis gendriden vndur hise boowis, and the cumpeny of ful many folkis dwellide vndur the schadewynge place of hym.

7 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.

And he was ful fair in his greetnesse, and in alargyng of hise trees; for the roote of hym was bisidis many watris.

8 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.

Cedris in the paradijs of God weren not hiyere than he; fir trees atteyneden not euenli to the hiynesse of hym, and plane trees weren not euene with the boowis of hym. Ech tree of paradijs of God was not maad lic hym and his fairnesse.

9 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.’

For Y made hym fair, and with many and thicke boowis; and alle the trees of lust, that weren in the paradijs of God, hadden enuye to hym.

10 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.

Therfor the Lord God seith these thingis, For that that he was reisid in hiynesse, and he yaf his hyynesse greene and thicke, and his herte was reisid in his hiynesse;

11 Therefore, I enabled another mighty nation to conquer it and to destroy it as it deserved to be destroyed. I have already discarded it.

now Y haue youe hym in to the hondis of the strongeste man of hethene men. And he doynge schal do to that Assur; aftir the vnfeithfulnesse of hym Y castide hym out.

12 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.

And aliens, and the moost cruel men of naciouns, schulen kitte hym doun, and schulen caste hym forth on hillis. And hise braunchis schulen falle doun in alle grete valeis, and hise trees schulen be brokun in alle roochis of stoon of erthe. And alle the puplis of erthe schulen go awei fro his schadewing place, and schulen forsake hym.

13 Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.

Alle volatils of the eir dwelliden in the fallyng of hym, and alle beestis of the cuntrei weren in the braunchis of hym.

14 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.’

Wherfor alle the trees of watris schulen not be reisid in hir hiynesse, nether schulen sette hir hiynesse among places ful of woode, and ful of boowis, and alle trees that ben moistid of watris schulen not stonde in the hiynesse of tho. For alle thei ben youun in to deth, to the ferthest lond in the myddis of the sones of men, to hem that goon doun in to the lake.

15 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)

The Lord God seith these thingis, In the dai whanne he yede doun to hellis, Y brouyte yn mourenyng; Y hilide hym with depthe of watris, and I forbede his flodis, and Y refreynede many watris. The Liban was sori on him, and alle the trees of the feeld (Sheol h7585)

16 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)

weren shakun of the soun of his falling. I mouide togidere hethene men, whanne Y ledde hym doun to helle, with hem that yeden doun in to the lake. And alle trees of likyng, noble trees, and ful cleere in the Liban, alle that weren moistid with watris, weren coumfortid in the loweste lond. (Sheol h7585)

17 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)

For whi also thei schulen go doun with hym to helle, to slayn men with swerd; and the arm of ech man schal sitte vndur the schadewyng place of hym, in the myddis of naciouns. (Sheol h7585)

18 [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].’”

To whom art thou licned, thou noble and hiy among the trees of likyng? Lo! thou art led doun with the trees of likyng to the fertheste lond. In the myddis of vncircumcidid men thou schalt slepe, with hem that ben slayn bi swerd. Thilke is Farao, and al the multitude of hym, seith the Lord God.