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,
| וַיְהִ֗י בְּאַחַ֤ת עֶשְׂרֵה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה בַּשְּׁלִישִׁ֖י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ הָיָ֥ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃ |
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.
| בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם אֱמֹ֛ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֥ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶל־הֲמֹונֹ֑ו אֶל־מִ֖י דָּמִ֥יתָ בְגָדְלֶֽךָ׃ |
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.
| הִנֵּ֨ה אַשּׁ֜וּר אֶ֣רֶז בַּלְּבָנֹ֗ון יְפֵ֥ה עָנָ֛ף וְחֹ֥רֶשׁ מֵצַ֖ל וּגְבַ֣הּ קֹומָ֑ה וּבֵ֣ין עֲבֹתִ֔ים הָיְתָ֖ה צַמַּרְתֹּֽו׃ |
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.
| מַ֣יִם גִּדְּל֔וּהוּ תְּהֹ֖ום רֹֽמְמָ֑תְהוּ אֶת־נַהֲרֹתֶ֗יהָ הֹלֵךְ֙ סְבִיבֹ֣ות מַטָּעָ֔הּ וְאֶת־תְּעָלֹתֶ֣יהָ שִׁלְחָ֔ה אֶ֖ל כָּל־עֲצֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ |
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].
| עַל־כֵּן֙ גָּבְהָ֣א קֹמָתֹ֔ו מִכֹּ֖ל עֲצֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַתִּרְבֶּ֨ינָה סַֽרְעַפֹּתָ֜יו וַתֶּאֱרַ֧כְנָה פֹארֹתֹו (פֹארֹתָ֛יו) מִמַּ֥יִם רַבִּ֖ים בְּשַׁלְּחֹֽו׃ |
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.
| בִּסְעַפֹּתָ֤יו קִֽנְנוּ֙ כָּל־עֹ֣וף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְתַ֤חַת פֹּֽארֹתָיו֙ יָֽלְד֔וּ כֹּ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּבְצִלֹּו֙ יֵֽשְׁב֔וּ כֹּ֖ל גֹּויִ֥ם רַבִּֽים׃ |
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.
| וַיְּיִ֣ף בְּגָדְלֹ֔ו בְּאֹ֖רֶךְ דָּֽלִיֹּותָ֑יו כִּֽי־הָיָ֥ה שָׁרְשֹׁ֖ו אֶל־מַ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃ |
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.
| אֲרָזִ֣ים לֹֽא־עֲמָמֻהוּ֮ בְּגַן־אֱלֹהִים֒ בְּרֹושִׁ֗ים לֹ֤א דָמוּ֙ אֶל־סְעַפֹּתָ֔יו וְעַרְמֹנִ֥ים לֹֽא־הָי֖וּ כְּפֹֽארֹתָ֑יו כָּל־עֵץ֙ בְּגַן־אֱלֹהִ֔ים לֹא־דָמָ֥ה אֵלָ֖יו בְּיָפְיֹֽו׃ |
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.’
| יָפֶ֣ה עֲשִׂיתִ֔יו בְּרֹ֖ב דָּֽלִיֹּותָ֑יו וַיְקַנְאֻ֙הוּ֙ כָּל־עֲצֵי־עֵ֔דֶן אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּגַ֥ן הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ ס |
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.
| לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה יַ֕עַן אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּבַ֖הְתָּ בְּקֹומָ֑ה וַיִּתֵּ֤ן צַמַּרְתֹּו֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ין עֲבֹותִ֔ים וְרָ֥ם לְבָבֹ֖ו בְּגָבְהֹֽו׃ |
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.
| וְאֶ֨תְּנֵ֔הוּ בְּיַ֖ד אֵ֣יל גֹּויִ֑ם עָשֹׂ֤ו יַֽעֲשֶׂה֙ לֹ֔ו כְּרִשְׁעֹ֖ו גֵּרַשְׁתִּֽהוּ׃ |
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.
| וַיִּכְרְתֻ֧הוּ זָרִ֛ים עָרִיצֵ֥י גֹויִ֖ם וַֽיִּטְּשֻׁ֑הוּ אֶל־הֶ֠הָרִים וּבְכָל־גֵּ֨אָיֹ֜ות נָפְל֣וּ דָלִיֹּותָ֗יו וַתִּשָּׁבַ֤רְנָה פֹֽארֹתָיו֙ בְּכֹל֙ אֲפִיקֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיֵּרְד֧וּ מִצִּלֹּ֛ו כָּל־עַמֵּ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ וַֽיִּטְּשֻֽׁהוּ׃ |
13 Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.
| עַל־מַפַּלְתֹּ֥ו יִשְׁכְּנ֖וּ כָּל־עֹ֣וף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְאֶל־פֹּארֹתָ֣יו הָי֔וּ כֹּ֖ל חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ |
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.’
| לְמַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁר֩ לֹא־יִגְבְּה֨וּ בְקֹומָתָ֜ם כָּל־עֲצֵי־מַ֗יִם וְלֹֽא־יִתְּנ֤וּ אֶת־צַמַּרְתָּם֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ין עֲבֹתִ֔ים וְלֹֽא־יַעַמְד֧וּ אֵלֵיהֶ֛ם בְּגָבְהָ֖ם כָּל־שֹׁ֣תֵי מָ֑יִם כִּֽי־כֻלָּם֩ נִתְּנ֨וּ לַמָּ֜וֶת אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ תַּחְתִּ֗ית בְּתֹ֛וךְ בְּנֵ֥י אָדָ֖ם אֶל־יֹ֥ורְדֵי בֹֽור׃ ס |
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)
| כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה בְּיֹ֨ום רִדְתֹּ֤ו שְׁאֹ֙ולָה֙ הֶאֱבַ֜לְתִּי כִּסֵּ֤תִי עָלָיו֙ אֶת־תְּהֹ֔ום וָֽאֶמְנַע֙ נַהֲרֹותֶ֔יהָ וַיִּכָּלְא֖וּ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים וָאַקְדִּ֤ר עָלָיו֙ לְבָנֹ֔ון וְכָל־עֲצֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה עָלָ֥יו עֻלְפֶּֽה׃ (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)
| מִקֹּ֤ול מַפַּלְתֹּו֙ הִרְעַ֣שְׁתִּי גֹויִ֔ם בְּהֹורִדִ֥י אֹתֹ֛ו שְׁאֹ֖ולָה אֶת־יֹ֣ורְדֵי בֹ֑ור וַיִּנָּ֨חֲמ֜וּ בְּאֶ֤רֶץ תַּחְתִּית֙ כָּל־עֲצֵי־עֵ֔דֶן מִבְחַ֥ר וְטֹוב־לְבָנֹ֖ון כָּל־שֹׁ֥תֵי מָֽיִם׃ (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)
| גַּם־הֵ֗ם אִתֹּ֛ו יָרְד֥וּ שְׁאֹ֖ולָה אֶל־חַלְלֵי־חָ֑רֶב וּזְרֹעֹ֛ו יָשְׁב֥וּ בְצִלֹּ֖ו בְּתֹ֥וךְ גֹּויִֽם׃ (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].’”
| אֶל־מִ֨י דָמִ֥יתָ כָּ֛כָה בְּכָבֹ֥וד וּבְגֹ֖דֶל בַּעֲצֵי־עֵ֑דֶן וְהוּרַדְתָּ֙ אֶת־עֲצֵי־עֵ֜דֶן אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ תַּחְתִּ֗ית בְּתֹ֨וךְ עֲרֵלִ֤ים תִּשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב ה֤וּא פַרְעֹה֙ וְכָל־הֲמֹונֹ֔ה נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ ס |
