Ezekieli 31
1 Katika mwaka wa kumi na moja, mwezi wa tatu, siku ya kwanza, neno la Bwana likanijia, kusema:
Then it came about in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
2 “Mwanadamu, mwambie Farao mfalme wa Misri na makundi yake ya wajeuri: “‘Je, ni nani awezaye kulinganishwa na wewe katika fahari.
“Son of man, say to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to his multitudes around him, 'In your greatness, who are you like?
3 Angalia Ashuru, wakati fulani ilikuwa mwerezi huko Lebanoni, ukiwa na matawi mazuri ukitia msitu kivuli; ulikuwa mrefu sana, kilele chake kilipita majani ya miti yote.
Behold! Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, giving shade to the forest, and the tallest in height, and the branches formed its treetop.
4 Maji mengi yaliustawisha, chemchemi zenye maji mengi ziliufanya urefuke; vijito vyake vilitiririka pale ulipoota pande zote na kupeleka mifereji yake kwenye miti yote ya shambani.
Many waters made it tall; the deep waters made it huge. Rivers flowed all around its area, for their channels stretched out to all the trees in the field.
5 Hivyo ukarefuka kupita miti yote ya shambani; vitawi vyake viliongezeka na matawi yake yakawa marefu, yakitanda kwa sababu ya wingi wa maji.
Its great height was more than any of the other trees in the field, and its branches became very many; its branches grew long because of many waters as they grew.
6 Ndege wote wa angani wakaweka viota kwenye vitawi vyake, wanyama wote wa shambani wakazaana chini ya matawi yake, mataifa makubwa yote yaliishi chini ya kivuli chake.
Every bird of the heavens nested in its branches, while every living thing of the field gave birth to its young under its foliage. All of the many nations lived under its shade.
7 Ulikuwa na fahari katika uzuri, ukiwa na matawi yaliyotanda, kwa kuwa mizizi yake ilikwenda chini mpaka kwenye maji mengi.
For it was beautiful in its greatness and the length of its branches, for its roots were in many waters.
8 Mierezi katika bustani ya Mungu haikuweza kushindana nao, wala misunobari haikuweza kulingana na vitawi vyake, wala miaramoni haikulinganishwa na matawi yake, wala hakukuwa na mti katika bustani ya Mungu wa kulinganisha na uzuri wake.
Cedars in the garden of God could not equal it. None among the cypress trees matched its branches, and the plane tree could not equal its boughs. There was no other tree in the garden of God that was like it in its beauty.
9 Niliufanya kuwa mzuri ukiwa na matawi mengi, ulionewa wivu na miti yote ya Edeni katika bustani ya Mungu.
I made it beautiful with its many branches and all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied it.
10 “‘Kwa hiyo hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Kwa sababu ulikuwa mrefu sana, kilele chake kikiwa juu ya majani manene ya miti na kwa sababu ulikuwa na kiburi cha urefu wake,
Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: Because it was tall in height, and it set its treetop between its branches, it lifted up its heart because of its height.
11 niliutia mikononi mwa mtawala wa mataifa, ili yeye aushughulikie sawasawa na uovu wake. Nikaukatilia mbali,
I have given it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations, to deal with it according to what its wickedness deserves. I have thrown it out.
12 nayo mataifa mageni yaliyo makatili sana yaliukata huo mti na kuuacha. Matawi yake yalianguka juu ya milima na kwenye mabonde yote, vitawi vyake vikavunjika na kusambaa katika makorongo yote ya nchi. Mataifa yote ya duniani yakaondoka kutoka kwenye kivuli chake na kuuacha.
Foreigners who were the terror of all the nations cut it off and left it to die. Its branches fell on the mountains and all the valleys, and its boughs lay broken in all the ravines of the land. Then all the nations on earth came out from under its shade and they went away from it.
13 Ndege wote wa angani wakakaa kwenye ule mti ulioanguka na wanyama pori wote wakakaa katikati ya vitawi vyake.
All the birds of the sky rested on the trunk of the fallen tree, and every animal of the field came to its branches.
14 Kamwe hakutakuwa na miti mingine kando ya hayo maji itakayorefuka zaidi ya huo, vilele vyake vikiwa juu ya majani yote ya miti. Hakuna miti mingine, hata kama imekunywa maji vizuri namna gani, itakayofikia urefu huo. Yote mwisho wake ni kifo, na kuingia ardhini, kama vile ilivyo kwa wanadamu, pamoja na wale waendao shimoni.
This happened so that no other trees that grow by the waters will lift up their foliage to the height of the tallest trees, and that no other trees that grow beside the waters will reach up to that height. All of them have been assigned to death, to the earth below, among the children of humanity, with those that go down to the pit.
15 “‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Katika siku ile mwerezi uliposhushwa chini kaburini nilizifunika chemchemi zenye maji mengi kwa maombolezo: Nilivizuia vijito vyake na wingi wa maji yake nikauzuia. Kwa sababu yake niliivika Lebanoni huzuni, nayo miti yote ya shambani ikanyauka. (Sheol h7585)
The Lord Yahweh says this: On the day when the cedar went down to Sheol I brought mourning to the earth. I covered the deep waters over it, and I held back the ocean waters. I kept back the great waters, and I brought mourning to Lebanon for him. So all the trees of the field mourned because of it. (Sheol h7585)
16 Niliyafanya mataifa yatetemeke kwa kishindo cha kuanguka kwake wakati nilipoushusha chini kaburini pamoja na wale washukao shimoni. Ndipo miti yote ya Edeni, miti iliyo bora kuliko yote na iliyo mizuri sana ya Lebanoni, miti yote ile iliyokunywa maji vizuri, ilifarijika hapa duniani. (Sheol h7585)
I brought shuddering to the nations at the sound of its downfall, when I threw it down to Sheol with those who went down into the pit. So I comforted all the trees of Eden in the lowest parts of the earth. These had been the choicest and best trees of Lebanon; the trees that drank the waters. (Sheol h7585)
17 Wale walioishi katika kivuli chake, wale walioungana naye miongoni mwa mataifa, nao pia walikuwa wamezikwa pamoja naye, wakiungana na wale waliouawa kwa upanga. (Sheol h7585)
For they also went down with it to Sheol, to the ones who had been killed by the sword. These were its strong arm, those nations who had lived in its shade. (Sheol h7585)
18 “‘Ni miti ipi ya Edeni inayoweza kulinganishwa nawe kwa fahari na utukufu? Hata hivyo, wewe pia, utashushwa chini pamoja na miti ya Edeni mpaka kuzimu, utalala miongoni mwa wasiotahiriwa, pamoja na wale waliouawa kwa upanga. “‘Huyu ni Farao pamoja na makundi yake yote ya wajeuri, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.’” (questioned)
Which of the trees in Eden was your equal in glory and greatness? For you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lowest parts of the earth among the uncircumcised; you will live with those who were killed by the sword.' This is Pharaoh and all of his multitudes—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”
