Ezekiel 31

1 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year, a message from the Lord came to me, saying,

And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 “Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his many people: Who is as great as you?

Son of man, say unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to his multitude, Unto whom art thou like in thy arrogance?

3 Look at Assyria. It was like a cedar in Lebanon, with its beautiful branches providing shade in the forest. It was so high that its top reached the clouds.

Behold, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon beautiful in its boughs, and a shadowing thicket, and high in stature; and among the thick-boughed trees was its highest branch.

4 Deep springs of water made it grow tall and sent streams all around it to water all the other trees.

The waters made it great, the deep made it high, with its rivers it was flowing round the place where it was planted, and its ditches it sent forth unto all the trees of the field.

5 It became really tall, higher than any other tree in the forest. Its branches grew thick and long because it was so well-watered.

Therefore became its stature higher than all the trees of the field, and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when it stretched itself forth.

6 All kinds of birds nested in its branches, while underneath it different wild animals had their young, and all the powerful nations lived in its shade.

In its boughs made all the fowls of heaven their nest, and under its branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under its shade dwelt all great nations.

7 It was beautiful and majestic with its long branches, because its roots reached down to the plentiful water.

And it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its light branches; for its root was by many waters.

8 The cedars in God's garden were no match for it. No pine tree had such great branches, nor did any plane tree. No tree in God's garden was as beautiful.

The cedars could not obscure it in the garden of God; the firs were not like its boughs, and the chestnut-trees were not like its branches: not any tree in the garden of God was like unto it in its beauty.

9 I made it beautiful with its many branches. All the trees of Eden in God's garden envied it.

Beautiful had I made it by the multitude of its light branches: so that all the trees of 'Eden that were in the garden of God, envied it.

10 So this is what the Lord God says: Since it became so tall, reaching up into the clouds, it grew proud because of its height.

Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Because thou wast so high in stature, and it had placed its highest branch between the thick-boughed trees, and its heart was lifted up through its height:

11 So I handed it over to the leader of a foreign nation who will punish it for its wickedness. I have thrown it out.

Therefore do I give it up into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with it at his pleasure; for its wickedness do I drive it out.

12 Foreigners from the cruelest of all the nations chopped it down and left it lying there. Its branches lie fallen and broken in the mountains and valleys of the countryside. Everybody in earth came out of its shadow and abandoned it.

And strangers, the fiercest of nations, cut it down, and cast it to the ground: on the mountains and in all the valleys fall its light branches, and its boughs are [lying] broken in all the ravines of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone away from its shade, and have cast it to the ground.

13 Birds came to live on its fallen trunk, and wild animals hid among its fallen branches.

Upon its fallen fragments dwell all the fowls of the heaven, and on its branches are all the beasts of the field:

14 This was in order that no other trees growing by the water would grow up so high and have their tops reach the clouds. This was so that no other trees, however much water they had, would be as tall as them, For they all will die and go down into earth, just like human beings who go down into the grave.

In order that none of all the trees by the waters shall exalt themselves for their height, nor place their highest branch among the thick-boughed trees, and that all those that are nourished by water shall not place themselves erect, because of their height; for they are all given up unto death, to the land of the nether world, in the midst of the children of men, with those that go down to the pit.

15 This is what the Lord God says: On the day it was brought down to Sheol, I had the deep waters mourn for it; I stopped its rivers flowing; I held back all its waters. I covered Lebanon in darkness, and all the trees in the forest withered. (Sheol h7585)

Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, On the day when it went down to the grave I caused a mourning; I covered the deep for its sake, and I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were withheld; and I caused Lebanon to be clothed in black attire for its sake, and all the trees of the field were famished because of it. (Sheol h7585)

16 I made the nations tremble when they heard it fall, when I threw it down into Sheol with those who die. Then all the trees of Eden, the finest and best in Lebanon, all the trees that had plenty of water, were happy that this tree joined them in the earth below. (Sheol h7585)

Through the noise of its downfall I caused nations to quake, when I cast it down into the tomb with the [others] that descend into the pit: and in the land of the nether world comforted themselves all the trees of 'Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that were nourished by water. (Sheol h7585)

17 They also went down with it into Sheol, to those who had been killed by the sword. They had been part of its army living in its shade among the nations. (Sheol h7585)

They also went down with it into the tomb unto those that were slain with the sword, and its helpers that had dwelt under its shade in the midst of the nations. (Sheol h7585)

18 Who is as great and glorious as you among the trees of Eden? But you too will be brought down to the earth below to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie there with the heathen, with those killed by the sword. This is what will happen to Pharaoh and all his many people, declares the Lord God.”

To whom art thou then like in glory and in greatness among the trees of 'Eden? And thou too shalt be brought down with the trees of 'Eden unto the land of the nether world: in the midst of the uncircumcised shalt thou lie with those slain by the sword; yes, he, Pharaoh, and all his multitude, saith the Lord Eternal.