ʻIsikieli 31

1 Pea ʻi heʻene hoko ki hono hongofulu ma taha ʻoe taʻu, ʻi hono tolu ʻoe māhina, pea mo hono ʻuluaki ʻaho ʻoe māhina: naʻe hoko mai ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, ʻo pehē,

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 “Foha ʻoe tangata, lea kia Felo ko e tuʻi ʻo ʻIsipite, pea ki heʻene kakai; Ko hai ha taha ʻoku tatau mo koe?

“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 “Vakai, ko ʻAsilia ko e sita lahi ʻi Lepanoni naʻe lelei hono ngaahi vā, naʻe fakapoʻupoʻuli ʻi hono malumalu, pea naʻa ne māʻolunga, pea naʻe aʻu hake hono ʻuluʻulu ki he ngaahi vā matolu.

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 Naʻe tupu lahi ia ko e meʻa ʻi he ngaahi vai, naʻe tupu ia ʻo hako ki ʻolunga koeʻuhi ko e loloto ʻoe ngaahi vaitafe naʻe tafe takatakai ʻi he ngaahi ʻakau toki tupu, mo hono ngaahi mangamangaʻi vai naʻe tafe atu ki he ngaahi ʻakau ʻoe vao.

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 Ko ia naʻe fakamāʻolunga hake ai ia ʻi he ʻakau kotoa pē ʻoe vao, pea tupu ʻo lahi hono ngaahi vaʻa, pea hoko ʻo lōloa hono ngaahi vaʻa, koeʻuhi ko e lahi ʻoe vai, ʻi heʻene tupu hake.

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 Naʻe ngaohi pununga ʻi hono vaʻa ʻae fanga manupuna kotoa pē ʻoe langi, pea naʻe fakatō ʻe he fanga manu kotoa pē ʻoe vao, ʻa honau ʻuhiki ʻi he malumalu ʻo hono ngaahi vaʻa, pea naʻe nofo ʻi hono malumalu ʻae ngaahi puleʻanga lalahi.

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 Ko ia naʻe toulekeleka ia ʻi heʻene lahi, mo e lōloa ʻa hono ngaahi vaʻa: he naʻe tō hono aka ʻi he veʻe vai lahi.

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 Naʻe ʻikai faʻa fakalilo ia ʻe he ngaahi sita ʻi he ngoue ʻae ʻOtua: naʻe ʻikai tatau ʻae fea mo hono ngaahi vaʻa iiki, pea naʻe ʻikai tatau ʻae ʻakau ko e ifi papālangi mo hono ngaahi vaʻa lalahi; pea naʻe ʻikai ha ʻakau ʻi he ngoue ʻae ʻOtua, ʻoku na tatau ʻi he matamatalelei:

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 Kuo u ngaohi ia ke matamatalelei, ko e meʻa ʻi he lahi ʻa hono ngaahi vaʻa: ko ia naʻe meheka ai kiate ia ʻae ngaahi ʻakau kotoa pē ʻi he ngoue ʻae ʻOtua.

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 Ko ia ʻoku pehē ai ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua; Koeʻuhi kuo ke hiki hake ko e ke ke māʻolunga, pea kuo ne ʻai ke ʻasi hake hono ʻuluʻulu ki he ngaahi vaʻa matolu, pea kuo hiki hono loto ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene māʻolunga;

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 Ko ia kuo u tuku atu ai ia ki he nima ʻo ia ʻoku mālohi taha ʻi he hiteni; ko e moʻoni te ne fai mo ia: kuo u kapusi ia ʻeau koeʻuhi ko ʻene ngaahi kovi.

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 Pea kuo tā hifo ia mo siʻakiʻi ʻe he kau muli, mo e kau toʻa mei he ngaahi puleʻanga: kuo tō hifo hono ngaahi vaʻa ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga, pea ʻi he teleʻa kotoa pē, pea kuo mafesifesi hono ngaahi vaʻa iiki ʻi he veʻe vaitafe kotoa pē ʻi he fonua; pea kuo ʻalu hifo ʻae kakai kotoa pē ʻo māmani mei hono malumalu, pea kuo nau siʻaki ia.

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 Pea ʻi heʻene malofa ʻe nofomaʻu kiate ia ʻae ngaahi manupuna ʻoe langi, pea ʻe heka ʻae fanga manu ʻoe vao ki hono ngaahi vaʻa.

Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.

14 Kuo fai eni, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa ʻi ai ha taha ʻoe ngaahi ʻakau ʻi he veʻe vaitafe ʻe hiki ʻe ia ia ke māʻolunga, pe te ne ʻai ke ʻasi hake hono ʻuluʻulu ki he ngaahi vaʻa matolu, pe tuʻu fakamāmāʻolunga, ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku inumia ʻae vai: he kuo tuku kotoa pē ʻakinautolu ki he mate, ki he ngaahi potu māʻulalo ʻoe fonua, ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata, pea mo kinautolu ʻoku ʻalu hifo ki he luo.”

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 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua: “Naʻaku fekau ke fai ʻae tangi mamahi ʻi he ʻaho ko ia naʻe ʻalu hifo ai ia ki he faʻitoka: ne u ʻufiʻufi ʻae loloto koeʻuhi ko ia, pea naʻaku taʻofi hono tafe ʻo ia, pea naʻe tuʻumaʻu ʻae ngaahi vai lalahi, pea naʻaku pule ki Lepanoni, ke tangi mamahi koeʻuhi ko ia, pea naʻe pongia koeʻuhi ko ia ʻae ngaahi ʻakau kotoa pē ʻoe vao. (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 Pea naʻaku fakangalulu ʻae ngaahi puleʻanga ʻi he longoaʻa ʻo ʻene hinga, ʻi heʻeku lī hifo ia ki heli fakataha mo kinautolu ʻoku ʻalu hifo ki he luo: pea ʻe fakafiemālieʻi ʻae ʻakau kotoa pē ʻi hiteni, pea mo e ʻakau fungani mo lelei kotoa pē ʻi Lepanoni, ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku inumia ʻae vai, ʻi he ngaahi potu māʻulalo ʻoe māmani. (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 Naʻe ʻalu hifo foki mo ia ʻakinautolu ki heli, kiate kinautolu kuo tāmateʻi ʻaki ʻae heletā; pea mo kinautolu naʻa ne nimaʻaki, ʻakinautolu naʻe nofo ki lalo ʻi hono malumalu ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe hiteni. (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 “Ko hai ha taha ʻoku mo tatau ʻi he nāunau; pea mo e lahi hake ʻi he ngaahi ʻakau ʻo ʻIteni? Ka neongo ia ʻe tulaki hifo koe ki lalo ki he potu māʻulalo ʻo māmani fakataha mo e ngaahi ʻakau ʻo ʻIteni: te ke tokoto hifo ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe kakai taʻekamu, mo kinautolu kuo tāmateʻi ʻaki ʻae heletā.” ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua, “Ko eni ʻa Felo, pea mo hono kakai kotoa pē.”

[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].’”