Ezekiel 31

1 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,

Le ƒe wuiɖekɛlia ƒe ɣleti etɔ̃lia ƒe ŋkeke gbãtɔ gbe la, Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,

2 “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.

“Ame vi, gblɔ na Farao, Egipte fia kple eƒe ame gbogboawo be, “Ame kae woate ŋu atsɔ asɔ kple wò le fianyenye me?

3 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.

Bu Asiria ŋu kpɔ. Enye sedati kpɔ le Lebanon. Eƒe atilɔ dzeaniwo keke tsyɔ ave la dzi. Ekɔ nyuie, kɔ wu ati bubuawo

4 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.

Tsiwo na nunyiamewoe, tsitsetse goglowo na wòkɔ, woƒe tɔsisiwo tsa ƒo xlã ete, eye wodo eƒe alɔdzewo ɖe ati siwo katã le gbedzi la gbɔ.

5 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].

Ale wògakɔ ɖe edzi wu ati bubuwo katã le gbea dzi. Eƒe alɔwo sɔ gbɔ ɖe edzi, eye eƒe alɔdzewo didi hekla ɖe tsi ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ ta.

6 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.

Dziƒoxeviwo katã wɔ atɔ ɖe eƒe alɔwo dzi, gbemelãwo katã dzi vi ɖe eƒe alɔwo te, eye dukɔ gãwo katã nɔ eƒe vɔvɔli te.

7 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.

Eɖi fia le eƒe nyonyo me, le eƒe alɔwo ƒe keke ta, elabena eƒe kewo le tsi sɔgbɔ me.

8 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.

Sedati siwo nɔ Mawu ƒe abɔ me la mete ŋu ke ɖi kplii o, sesewu ƒe alɔwo mete ŋu de etɔwo nu o, eye womate ŋu atsɔ xetiwo ƒe alɔwo asɔ kple etɔwo o. Ati siwo katã nɔ Mawu ƒe abɔ me la, mede enu le nyonyo me o.

9 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.’

Mewɔe wònyo kple eƒe alɔdze geɖewo, eye wònye ŋubiã na ati siwo katã nɔ Edenbɔ, Mawu ƒe abɔ la me.

10 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.

“Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: ‘Esi wòkɔ bobobo wu ati bubuwo, eye wòdana le eƒe kɔkɔ ta la,

11 Therefore, I enabled another mighty nation to conquer it and to destroy it as it deserved to be destroyed. I have already discarded it.

metsɔe de asi na dukɔwo dziɖula be wòatu nu kplii ɖe eƒe ŋutasesẽ ta. Meɖee ɖe aga,

12 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.

eye amedzro dukɔ si mekpɔa nublanui kura o la tsɔe ƒu anyi hedzo le egbɔ. Eƒe alɔdzewo dze towo kple balimewo katã dzi; eƒe alɔdzewo ŋe, kaka ɖe anyigba la katã dzi. Dukɔwo katã le anyigba dzi do le eƒe vɔvɔli te, eye wogblẽe ɖi.

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

Dziƒoxeviwo katã dze ɖe ati si mu la dzi, eye gbemelãwo katã nɔ eƒe alɔdzewo dome.

14 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.’

Eya ta ati bubu siwo le tsiwo to la dometɔ aɖeke magada le eƒe kɔkɔ ta o, eye woƒe ɖɔme magakɔ wu avemeti bubuawo tɔwo o. Ati bubu siwo le tsiwo to la magade dzi nenema o. Ele na wo katã be woaku kokoko ayi tome, anɔ ame kukuwo dome kple ame siwo ayi aʋlime.’

15 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)

“Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: ‘Gbe si gbe wokɔe de yɔdo me la, mena tsi dzidzi goglowo fa konyi ɖe wo ta. Eya ta meda viviti ɖe Lebanon dzi, eye ati siwo katã le gbedzi la ku. (Sheol h7585)

16 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)

Mena eƒe anyidzedze ƒe ɖiɖi na dukɔwo dzo nyanyanya, esi mena wòge ɖe yɔdo me kple ame siwo yi aʋlime. Ekema atiwo katã le Eden, Lebanon ƒe ati nyuitɔwo, ati siwo katã ŋu tsi nɔ nyuie, wofa akɔ na wo katã le aʋlime. (Sheol h7585)

17 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)

Ame siwo nɔ eƒe vɔvɔli te, ame siwo wòtsɔ aʋae le dukɔwo dome la, hã yi yɔdo me kplii, kpe ɖe ame siwo tsi yinu la ŋuti. (Sheol h7585)

18 [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].’”

“‘Ati siwo nɔ Eden la dometɔ kae woatsɔ asɔ kpli wò le nyonyo kple fianyenye me? Ke woatsɔ wò hã akpe ɖe Eɖen ƒe atiwo ŋuti ade yɔdo me. Ànɔ aʋamatsomatsotɔwo dome, akpe ɖe ame siwo tsi yinu la ŋuti. “‘Ame siawoe nye Farao kple eƒe ame gbogboawo’ Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.”