< Ezekieli 31 >
1 Kisha ikawa katika mwaka wa kumi na moja, katika mwezi wa tatu, siku ya kwanza ya mwezi, lile neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
In the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 “Mwanadamu, mwambie Farao, mfalme wa Misri, na watu wake wanaomzunguka, 'Katika ukuu wako, je! wewe ni kama nani?
“Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt and his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness?
3 Tazama! Ashuru ilikuwa mwerezi katika Lebanoni pamoja na matawi mazuri, yakitoa kivuli kwenye msitu, na mirefu katika kimo, na matawi yalitengeneza kilele cha mti wake.
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
4 Maji mengi yaliufanya kuwa mrefu; maji ya chini yaliufanya kuwa mkuba. Mito ilitiririka sehemu zake zote, kwa kuwa mifereji yake ilitoa kuelekea kwenye miti yote katika shamba.
The waters nourished it. The deep made it to grow. Its rivers ran all around its plantation. It sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
5 Kimo chake kikubwa kilikuwa zaidi kuliko miti mingine yote katika shamba, na matawi yake yakawa mengi; matawi yake yalikuwa marefu kwa sababu ya maji mengi yalipokuwa yakikua.
Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied. Its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it spread them out.
6 Kila ndege wa mbinguni alitengeza kiota kwenye matawi yake, wakati kila kiumbe hai cha shamba kilizaa mtoto chini ya tawi. Mataifa mengi yote yaliishi chini ya kivuli chake.
All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs. Under its branches, all the animals of the field gave birth to their young. All great nations lived under its shadow.
7 Kwa kuwa ulikuwa uzuri katika ukuu wake na kimo cha matawi yake, kwa kuwa mizizi yake ilikuwa katika maji mengi.
Thus it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters.
8 Mierezi katika bustani ya Mungu haikuweza kuwa sawa nayo. Hakuna miongoni mwa miti ya mivinje iliyofanana matawi yake, na miti ya miamori haikuweza kuwa sawa na majani yake. Hapakuwa na mti mwingine katika bustani ya Mungu ulikuwa kama huo katika uzuri wake.
The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it. The cypress trees were not like its branches. The pine trees were not like its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty.
9 Nimeufanya kuwa mzuri pamoja na matawi yake mengi na miti yote ya Edeni iliyokuwa katika bustani ya Mungu ilimwonea wivu.
I made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it.’
10 Kwa hiyo Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Kwa sababu ilikuwa mirefu kwa kina, na imekiweka kilele chake kati ya matawi yake, moyo wake umeinua kwa sababu ya urefu wake.
“Therefore thus said the Lord GOD: ‘Because he is exalted in stature, and he has set his top among the thick branches, and his heart is lifted up in his height,
11 Nimeuweka kwenye mikono ya yeye mwenye uweza wa mataifa, kuishughulikia kulingana na yale maovu anayostahili. Nimeufukuza.
I will deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations. He will surely deal with him. I have driven him out for his wickedness.
12 Wageni waliokuwa wakiogofya wa mataifa yote wameikatilia mbali kuiacha ife. Matawi yake yameanguka kwenye milima na mabonde yote, na matawi yake yameanguka katika mito yote ya nchi. Kisha mataifa yote juu ya nchi wakatoka nje kutoka chini ya kivuli na kwenda zao wakamwacha.
Foreigners, the tyrants of the nations, have cut him off and have left him. His branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys, and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land. All the peoples of the earth have gone down from his shadow and have left him.
13 Ndege wa agani watapumzika kwenye shina la mti ulioanguka, na kila mnyama wa shambani atakuja kwenye matawi yake.
All the birds of the sky will dwell on his ruin, and all the animals of the field will be on his branches,
14 Hii litokea ili kwamba pasiwe na miti mingine itakayopandwa karibu na maji yatang'oa majani yake hata kwenye kina cha miti mirefu, na kwamba hakuna miti mingine itakayomea karibu na maji itakayofikia kwenye hicho kina. Wote wametolewa kufa, chini ya nchi, miongoni mwa watoto wa binadamu, pamoja na wale washukao chini.
to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, and don’t set their top among the thick boughs. Their mighty ones don’t stand up on their height, even all who drink water; for they are all delivered to death, to the lower parts of the earth, among the children of men, with those who go down to the pit.’
15 Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Katika siku wakati mkangazi uliposhuka chini nilileta maombolezo kwenye dunia. Niliyafunika maji ya chini juu yake, nikayarudisha maji ya bahari. Nilizuia maji makuu, nikaleta maombolezo hata Lebanoni kwa ajili yake. Hivyo miti yote ya shambani ikaomboleza kwa sababu yake. (Sheol )
“The Lord GOD says: ‘In the day when he went down to Sheol, I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained its rivers. The great waters were stopped. I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. (Sheol )
16 Nimeleta tetemeko kwa mataifa wa sauti ya kuanguka kwake, wakati nitakapomtupa chini mpaka kuzimu pamoja na wale walioenda chini kwenye shimo. Hivyo niliitia moyo miti ya Edeni yote katika pande zote za nchi. Hii ilikuwa imechaguliwa na miti iliyokuwa bora ya Lenanoni; miti iliyokunywa maji. (Sheol )
I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit. All the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth. (Sheol )
17 Kwa kuwa walikwenda chini pia pamoja nayo hata kuzimu, kwa wale waliokuwa wameuawa kwa upanga. Kulikuwa na jeshi lake imara, yale mataifa yalikuwa yakiishi kati kivuli chake. (Sheol )
They also went down into Sheol with him to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were his arm, who lived under his shadow in the middle of the nations. (Sheol )
18 Umefanana na nani hivi katika utukufu na ukuu kati ya mti wa Edeni? Kwa kuwa utashushwa chini pamoja na miti ya Edeni hata pande zote nne za dunia miongoni mwa wasiotahiriwa; utaishi pamoja na watu wake wote-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavy.”
“‘To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth. You will lie in the middle of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. “‘This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord GOD.”