Ἰεζεκιήλ 31
1 Και εν τω ενδεκάτω έτει, τω τρίτω μηνί, τη πρώτη του μηνός, έγεινε λόγος Κυρίου προς εμέ, λέγων,
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,
2 Υιέ ανθρώπου, ειπέ προς τον Φαραώ βασιλέα της Αιγύπτου και προς το πλήθος αυτού· Με ποίον ώμοιώθης εν τη μεγαλειότητί σου;
“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.
3 Ιδού, ο Ασσύριος ήτο κέδρος εν τω Λιβάνω με κλάδους ωραίους, και πυκνός την σκιάν και υψηλός το μέγεθος, και η κορυφή αυτού ήτο εν μέσω κλάδων πυκνών.
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.
4 Τα ύδατα ηύξησαν αυτόν, η άβυσσος ύψωσεν αυτόν με τους ποταμούς αυτής τους ρέοντας κύκλω των φυτών αυτού, και εξέπεμπε τους ρύακας αυτής εις πάντα τα δένδρα του αγρού.
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.
5 Όθεν το ύψος εαυτού ανέβη υπεράνω πάντων των δένδρων του αγρού και οι κλώνοι αυτού επλήθυναν και οι κλάδοι αυτού εξετάνθησαν διά το πλήθος των υδάτων, ενώ εβλάστανε.
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].
6 Πάντα τα πετεινά του ουρανού εφώλευον εν τοις κλώνοις αυτού, και πάντα τα ζώα του αγρού εγέννων υπό τους κλάδους αυτού· υπό δε την σκιάν αυτού κατώκουν πάντα τα μεγάλα έθνη.
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.
7 Ήτο λοιπόν ώραίος κατά το μέγεθος αυτού και κατά την έκτασιν των κλάδων αυτού, διότι αι ρίζαι αυτού ήσαν πλησίον υδάτων πολλών.
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.
8 Αι κέδροι εν τω παραδείσω του Θεού δεν ηδύναντο να κρύψωσιν αυτόν· αι έλατοι δεν εξισούντο με τους κλώνους αυτού, και αι κάστανοι δεν εξισούντο με τους κλάδους αυτού· ουδέν δένδρον εν τω παραδείσω του Θεού ώμοίαζεν αυτόν κατά την ώραιότητα αυτού.
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.
9 Έκαμον αυτόν ώραίον κατά το πλήθος των κλάδων αυτού, ώστε πάντα τα δένδρα της Εδέμ, τα εν τω παραδείσω του Θεού, εζήλευον αυτόν.
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.’
10 Διά τούτο ούτω λέγει Κύριος ο Θεός· Επειδή ύψωσας σεαυτόν υψηλά, και επειδή εσήκωσε την κορυφήν αυτού μεταξύ των πυκνών κλώνων και η καρδία αυτού επήρθη εις το ύψος αυτού,
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.
11 διά τούτο παρέδωκα αυτόν εις την χείρα του δυνάστου των εθνών, όστις θέλει φερθή αξίως προς αυτόν· απέβαλον αυτόν διά την ασέβειαν αυτού.
Therefore, I enabled another mighty nation to conquer it and to destroy it as it deserved to be destroyed. I have already discarded it.
12 Και ξένοι, οι τρομερώτεροι των εθνών, έκοψαν αυτόν και εγκατέλιπον αυτόν· οι κλάδοι αυτού έπεσον επί τα όρη και εν πάσαις ταις φάραγξι και οι κλώνοι αυτού συνετρίφθησαν υπό πάντων των ποταμών της γης, και πάντες οι λαοί της γης κατέβησαν από της σκιάς αυτού και εγκατέλιπον αυτόν.
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.
13 Επί του πτώματος αυτού θέλουσιν επικάθησθαι πάντα τα πετεινά του ουρανού και επί τους κλάδους αυτού θέλουσιν είσθαι πάντα τα ζώα του αγρού·
Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.
14 διά να μη υψωθή εν τω ύψει αυτού ουδέν εκ των δένδρων των υδάτων μηδέ να σηκώσωσι την κορυφήν αυτών μεταξύ των πυκνών κλάδων, και εκ πάντων των πινόντων ύδωρ, ουδέν εκ τούτων να μη στέκηται εν τω ύψει αυτού· διότι πάντα παρεδόθησαν εις τον θάνατον, εις τα κατώτατα της γης, εν μέσω των υιών των ανθρώπων, μετά των καταβαινόντων εις λάκκον.
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.’
15 Ούτω λέγει Κύριος ο Θεός· Καθ' ην ημέραν κατέβη εις τον άδην, έκαμον να γείνη πένθος· εσκέπασα την άβυσσον δι' αυτόν και εμπόδισα τους ποταμούς αυτής και τα μεγάλα ύδατα εκρατήθησαν· και έκαμον να πενθήση ο Λίβανος δι' αυτόν και πάντα τα δένδρα του αγρού εμαράνθησαν δι' αυτόν. (Sheol h7585)
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)
16 Έκαμον τα έθνη να σεισθώσιν εις τον ήχον της πτώσεως αυτού, ότε κατεβίβασα αυτόν εις τον άδην μετά των καταβαινόντων εις λάκκον· και πάντα τα δένδρα της Εδέμ, τα εκλεκτά και τα καλά του Λιβάνου, πάντα τα πίνοντα ύδωρ, παρηγορήθησαν εν τοις κατωτάτοις της γης. (Sheol h7585)
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)
17 Και αυτοί ότι κατέβησαν εις τον άδην μετ' αυτού, προς τους τεθανατωμένους εν μαχαίρα· και όσοι ήσαν ο βραχίων αυτού, οι κατοικούντες υπό την σκιάν αυτού εν μέσω των εθνών. (Sheol h7585)
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)
18 Με ποίον ώμοιώθης ούτως εν τη δόξη και εν τη μεγαλειότητι, μεταξύ των δένδρων της Εδέμ; θέλεις όμως καταβιβασθή μετά των δένδρων της Εδέμ εις τα κατώτατα της γής· θέλεις κοίτεσθαι εν μέσω των απεριτμήτων μετά των τεθανατωμένων εν μαχαίρα· ούτος είναι ο Φαραώ και άπαν το πλήθος αυτού, λέγει Κύριος ο Θεός.
[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].’”
