< Izikiel 31 >
1 O ruo, nʼafọ nke iri na otu, nʼọnwa nke atọ, nʼụbọchị nke mbụ ya, okwu nke Onyenwe anyị ruru m ntị, sị,
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 “Nwa nke mmadụ, gwa Fero eze Ijipt na ndị agha ya niile okwu sị ha, “‘Olee onye ahụ yiri gị nʼịdị ukwuu?
“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 Tulee nʼobi gị ihe gbasara Asịrịa, nke bụ oke obodo bụrụkwa mba a maara aha ya. Ọ dị ka osisi sida nke Lebanọn, nke jupụtara nʼalaka mara mma, nke ọtụtụ alaka ya na-enye ndo, nke dị ezi ogologo, nke alaka ọnụ ya topụrụ tokarịa osisi ọhịa niile.
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 O nwetara mmiri mere ka o buo ibu, na isi iyi mmiri miri emi nke mere ka o too ogologo. Iyi ha niile na-asọ nʼokpuru ya. Ebe ahụ ka ha si ezipu ụzọ mmiri ndị na-enye osisi ndị ọzọ dị nʼọhịa mmiri.
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 Nʼihi ya, o toro tokarịa osisi niile nʼogologo. Ngalaba ya bara ụba, alaka ya topụkwara ogologo nʼihi ịdị ukwuu nke mmiri ha na-enweta.
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 Nʼalaka ya niile ka anụ ufe niile nke eluigwe na-akpa akwụ, nʼokpuru ndo nke alaka ya niile ka ụmụ anụ ọhịa niile mụrụ ụmụ, oke mba niile dị iche iche bikwara nʼokpuru ndo ya.
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 Ọ mara mma nʼịdị ukwuu ya, nʼogologo nke alaka ya nʼawasa, nʼihi na mgbọrọgwụ ya mibara emiba nʼebe mmiri dị ukwuu.
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 Osisi sida niile dị nʼubi Chineke a gbara ogige erughị ya nʼọtụtụ. Ọ dịghị osisi junipa niile nwere ngalaba a ga-eji tụnyere nke ya, osisi plenụ niile adịghịkwa ka alaka ya, ọ dịghịkwa osisi dị nʼubi Chineke a gbara ogige, nke yiri ya nʼịma mma ya
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 Emere m ya ka ọ maa mma site nʼịba ụba nke alaka o nwere, ọ bụ ihe ekworo nye osisi niile nọ nʼIden nʼubi Chineke a gbara ogige.
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 “‘Nʼihi ya, ihe ndị a ka Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị kwuru: Nʼihi na o toro ogologo tokarịa osisi ọhịa niile, nʼihi na ọ nyara isi banyere ọnọdụ ịdị ogologo ya karịa ndị ọzọ,
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 Eweere m ya nyefee nʼaka onye ahụ na-achị mba niile, ka o mesie ya ike, dịka ịba ụba nke ajọ omume ya si dị. Ewezugakwara m ya nʼakụkụ.
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 Mba ahụ kachasị mba niile njọ na-enweghị obi ebere gbuturu ya, hapụ ya ka ọ tọgbọrọ nʼala. Ngalaba ya dara nʼelu ugwu ukwu niile nakwa nʼime ndagwurugwu niile. Alaka ya kwa dajisịrị danyesịa nʼime ebe niile gbawara agbawa nke ala mmiri si eru. Mba niile nke ụwa sitere nʼokpuru ndo ya pụta wezuga onwe ha.
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 Ụmụ nnụnụ niile bere nʼelu ukwu osisi ahụ dara ada, nʼetiti alaka ya niile ka ụmụ anụ ọhịa bịara biri.
Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.
14 Ya mere, ka osisi niile nke dị nʼakụkụ mmiri gharakwa eto ogologo, maọbụ ka ọnụ ọnụ ya ghakwara ịdị elu karịa alaka ndị ahụ bara ụba. Nyekwa na ọ dịkwaghị osisi ọbụla na-enwetazu mmiri nke ga-etoru osisi ndị ahụ nʼogologo. Nʼihi na edebela ha nye ọnwụ, nye ịrịdaru nʼokpuru ụwa, nʼetiti ndị mmadụ ndị na-arịda nʼolulu omimi ahụ.
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 “‘Otu a ka Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị kwuru: Nʼụbọchị ahụ e mere ka ọ rịdaruo nʼala mmụọ, a kwụsịrị m ogbu mmiri niile were ha kpuchie ya. A kwụsịrị nsọgharị nke mmiri, meekwa ka ịba ụba nke mmiri ya niile kwụsị. Nʼihi ya, eyinyere m Lebanọn uwe mkpe, osisi niile nke ọhịa kpọnwụkwara nʼihi ya. (Sheol )
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 )
16 Emere m ka mba niile maa jijiji nʼegwu nʼihi ọdịda ya, mgbe m tụnyere ya na ndị ahụ na-aga nʼolulu nʼime ala mmụọ. Mgbe ahụ, a kasịrị osisi niile mara mma obi, bụ osisi ndị ahụ dị nʼogige Iden, na osisi ọma niile nke Lebanọn, ndị nke mgbọrọgwụ ha na-enweta mmiri nke ọma. (Sheol )
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 )
17 Ha onwe ha kwa, dịka sida ukwuu ahụ, sokwaara gbadaruo nʼala mmụọ, gakwuru ndị niile eji mma agha gbuo, ha na ndị ikom ji mma agha bụ ndị biri nʼokpuru ndo ya nʼetiti mba dị iche iche. (Sheol )
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 )
18 “‘Olee osisi dị nʼIden a ga-eji tụnyere gị nʼịma mma, na nʼịdị ebube? Ma gị onwe gị kwa, na osisi ndị a niile dị nʼIden ka a ga-eme ka unu rịdaruo nʼokpuru ụwa. Ị ga-edina nʼetiti ndị a na-ebighị ugwu, gị na ndị eji mma agha gbuo. “‘Nke a bụ Fero na usuu ndị agha ya niile, otu a ka Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.’”
[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].’”