Ezekiel 31

English Standard Version

Pharaoh to Be Slain

31 ^(A)In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ²^(B)“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to ^(C)his multitude:

^(D)“Whom are you like in your greatness?
³    Behold, ^(E)Assyria was a ^(F)cedar in ^(G)Lebanon,
with beautiful branches and ^(H)forest shade,
    ^(I)and of towering height,
    its top among the clouds.^[a]
⁴The waters nourished it;
    the deep made it grow tall,
making ^(J)its rivers flow
    around the place of its planting,
sending forth its streams
    to all the trees of the field.
⁵So ^(K)it towered high
    above all the trees of the field;
its boughs grew large
    and its branches long
    from ^(L)abundant water in its shoots.
⁶^(M)All the birds of the heavens
    made their nests in its boughs;
under its branches all the beasts of the field
    gave birth to their young,
and under its shadow
    lived all great nations.
⁷It was ^(N)beautiful in its greatness,
    in the length of its branches;
^(O)for its roots went down
    to abundant waters.
⁸^(P)The cedars ^(Q)in the garden of God could not rival it,
    nor the fir trees equal its boughs;
neither were the plane trees
    like its branches;
no tree ^(R)in the garden of God
    was its equal in beauty.
⁹I made it beautiful
    in the mass of its branches,
and all the trees of ^(S)Eden envied it,
    that were in the garden of God.

¹⁰“Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because ^(T)it^[b] towered high and set its top among the clouds,^[c] and ^(U)its heart was proud of its height, ¹¹I 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^(V)Foreigners, ^(W)the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down and left it. ^(X)On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all ^(Y)the ravines of the land, and ^(Z)all the peoples of the earth have gone away from its shadow and left it. ¹³^(AA)On its fallen trunk dwell all the birds of the heavens, and on its branches are all the beasts of the field. ¹⁴^(AB)All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to towering height or set their tops among the clouds,^[d] and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For they are all given over to death, ^(AC)to the world ^(AD)below, among the children of man,^[e] with those who go down to the pit.

¹⁵“Thus says the Lord God: On the day ^(AE)the cedar^[f] went down to Sheol I caused mourning; I closed the deep over it, and restrained its rivers, and many waters were stopped. I clothed Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it. ¹⁶^(AF)I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, ^(AG)when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. ^(AH)And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, ^(AI)were comforted in the world below. ¹⁷They also went down to Sheol with it, ^(AJ)to those who are slain by the sword; yes, ^(AK)those who were its arm, ^(AL)who lived under its shadow among the nations.

¹⁸^(AM)“Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness ^(AN)among the trees of Eden? ^(AO)You shall be brought down with ^(AP)the trees of Eden to the world below. ^(AQ)You shall lie among the uncircumcised, ^(AR)with those who are slain by the sword.

^(AS)“This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God.”

Footnotes

Ezekiel 31:3 Or its top went through the thick boughs
Ezekiel 31:10 Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew you
Ezekiel 31:10 Or its top through the thick boughs
Ezekiel 31:14 Or their tops through the thick boughs
Ezekiel 31:14 Or of Adam
Ezekiel 31:15 Hebrew it

Hebrews 13

English Standard Version

Sacrifices Pleasing to God

13 Let ^(A)brotherly love continue. ²^(B)Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby ^(C)some have entertained angels unawares. ³^(D)Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ⁴^(E)Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge ^(F)the sexually immoral and adulterous. ⁵Keep your life ^(G)free from love of money, and ^(H)be content with what you have, for he has said, ^(I)“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶So we can confidently say,

^(J)“The Lord is my helper;
^(K)I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

⁷Remember ^(L)your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and ^(M)imitate their faith. ⁸Jesus Christ is ^(N)the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹Do not be ^(O)led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, ^(P)not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. ¹⁰We have an altar ^(Q)from which those who serve the tent^[a] have no right to eat. ¹¹For ^(R)the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned ^(S)outside the camp. ¹²So Jesus also ^(T)suffered ^(U)outside the gate in order to sanctify the people ^(V)through his own blood. ¹³Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear ^(W)the reproach he endured. ¹⁴For ^(X)here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. ¹⁵^(Y)Through him then let us continually offer up ^(Z)a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(AA)the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶Do not neglect to do good and ^(AB)to share what you have, for such ^(AC)sacrifices are pleasing to God.

¹⁷Obey ^(AD)your leaders and submit to them, ^(AE)for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to ^(AF)give an account. ^(AG)Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

¹⁸^(AH)Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. ¹⁹I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order ^(AI)that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction

²⁰Now ^(AJ)may the God of peace ^(AK)who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, ^(AL)the great shepherd of the sheep, by ^(AM)the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹^(AN)equip you with everything good that you may do his will, ^(AO)working in us^[b] that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, ^(AP)to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

²²I appeal to you, brothers,^[c] bear with my word of exhortation, for ^(AQ)I have written to you briefly. ²³You should know that ^(AR)our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. ²⁴Greet all ^(AS)your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. ²⁵^(AT)Grace be with all of you.