Ezekiel, 31

1. In the eleventh year, on the first day of the third month, the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

1. In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

2. 'Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his throng of subjects: "What can compare with you for greatness?

2. "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: "Whom are you like in your greatness?

3. I know: a cedar tree in the Lebanon with noble branches, dense foliage, lofty height. Its top pierces the clouds.

3. Behold, I will liken you to a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and forest shade, and of great height, its top among the clouds.

4. The waters have made it grow, the deep has made it tall, pouring its rivers round the place where it is planted, sending rivulets to all the wild trees.

4. The waters nourished it, the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow round the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the forest.

5. This is why its height was greater than that of other wild trees, its branches increased in number, its boughs stretched wide, because of the plentiful waters making it grow.

5. So it towered high above all the trees of the forest; its boughs grew large and its branches long, from abundant water in its shoots.

6. All the birds of heaven nested in its branches; under its boughs all wild animals dropped their young; in its shade sat many, many people.

6. All the birds of the air made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; and under its shadow dwelt all great nations.

7. It was beautiful in its size, in the span of its boughs; for its roots were in plentiful waters.

7. It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters.

8. There was no cedar like it in the garden of God, no cypress had branches such as these, no plane tree could match its boughs, no tree in the garden of God could rival its beauty.

8. The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs; the plane trees were as nothing compared with its branches; no tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty.

9. I had made it so lovely with its many branches that it was the envy of every tree in Eden, in the garden of God.

9. I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.

10. "Very well, the Lord Yahweh says this: "Since it has raised itself to its full height, has lifted its top into the clouds, and has grown arrogant about its height,

10. "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height,

11. I have handed it over to the prince of the nations, for him to treat as its wickedness deserves; I have rejected it.

11. I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out.

12. Foreigners, the most barbarous of nations, have cut it down and deserted it. On the mountains, in all the valleys, lie its branches; its broken boughs are in every ravine throughout the country; everybody in the country has fled its shade and deserted it.

12. Foreigners, the most terrible of the nations, will cut it down and leave it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches will fall, and its boughs will lie broken in all the watercourses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth will go from its shadow and leave it.

13. On its wreckage perch all the birds of heaven; all the wild animals have advanced on its branches.

13. Upon its ruin will dwell all the birds of the air, and upon its branches will be all the beasts of the field.

14. "So in future let no tree rear its height beside the waters, none push its top into the clouds, no watered tree stretch its height towards them. For all of them are doomed to death, to the depths of the underworld, with the common run of humanity, with those who sink into oblivion.

14. All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to lofty height or set their tops among the clouds, and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height; for they are all given over to death, to the nether world among mortal men, with those who go down to the Pit.

15. "The Lord Yahweh says this: The day it went down to Sheol, I imposed mourning, I closed the deep over it. I stopped its rivers and the plentiful waters dried up; I made Lebanon dark because of it, and all the wild trees wilted because of it.

15. "Thus says the Lord GOD: When it goes down to Sheol I will make the deep mourn for it, and restrain its rivers, and many waters shall be stopped; I will clothe Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field shall faint because of it.

16. With the noise when it fell I made the nations quake, as I hurled it down to Sheol, with those who sink into oblivion. In the depths of the underworld all the trees of Eden took comfort, the pick of the loveliest trees of the Lebanon, all irrigated by the waters.

16. I will make the nations quake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, will be comforted in the nether world.

17. And its offspring among the nations, once living in its shade, went down to Sheol with it, to those who have been slaughtered by the sword.

17. They also shall go down to Sheol with it, to those who are slain by the sword; yea, those who dwelt under its shadow among the nations shall perish.

18. "Which of the trees of Eden compares with you for glory and greatness? Yet you have been hurled down with the trees of Eden, to the depths of the underworld, among the uncircumcised, and there you lie with those who have been slaughtered by the sword. So much for Pharaoh and all his throng-- declared the Lord Yahweh."'

18. Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the nether world; you shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. "This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord GOD."