香柏樹的比喻

31 第十一年三月一日,耶和華對我說: 「人子啊,你要對埃及王法老和他的百姓說,

『誰能比你強大呢?
看啊,亞述曾是黎巴嫩的一棵香柏樹,
枝繁葉茂,遮天蔽日,
高聳入雲。
它在河流和深泉的滋潤下茁壯成長,
溪流四圍環繞它,
澆灌著林間的樹木。
充足的水源使它高過田間所有的樹木,
枝子長得又粗又長。
空中的飛鳥都在它的枝頭上搭窩,
田間的野獸都在它的樹蔭下生產,
所有的大國都住在它的蔭下。
它高大美麗,枝幹修長,
因為樹根深入水源,
連上帝園中的香柏樹也不能與它相比。
松樹不能與它的枝幹相比,
楓樹不能與它的枝條相比,
主耶和華園中的樹木沒有一棵能與它媲美。
我使它枝繁葉茂,美麗無比,
以致上帝伊甸園裡的樹木都羡慕它。』

10 「因此,主耶和華說,『因為它樹幹高大,樹梢高聳入雲,心高氣傲, 11 我要把它交在列國的首領手裡,他必按照它的邪惡懲治它。我丟棄了它。 12 外族人,就是列邦中最殘暴的人要把它砍倒,丟棄在那裡,它折斷的枝幹散落在山間和河谷中。世上各族都離開它的蔭下, 13 天上的飛禽要棲身在那折斷的樹幹上,地上的走獸要躺臥在它的枝條中。 14 故此,水邊的樹木都不再傲然矗立,高聳入雲,水源充足的大樹也不再如此高大,因為它們都註定要與下墳墓的人一同死亡,落到陰間的深處。』

15 「主耶和華說,『它下到陰間的那天,我要使哀聲響起,使深淵閉塞,江河止息,洪水停滯。我要使黎巴嫩為它哀哭,田野的樹木因它而枯萎。 16 我將它與下墳墓的人一同拋到陰間時,列國聽見它墜落的響聲,都恐懼戰抖。伊甸園中的樹木和黎巴嫩水源充足、上好的樹木都在陰間得到安慰。 17 在它蔭庇下做它爪牙的盟友都與它一同落到陰間,到被殺的人那裡。

18 「『伊甸園的樹木中,誰能與你的威榮相比呢?然而你卻要與伊甸園的樹木一同下到陰間,躺臥在未受割禮的人當中,與被殺的人在一起。

「『這就是法老和他百姓的結局。這是主耶和華說的。』」

Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon

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

“‘Who can be compared with you in majesty?
Consider Assyria,(C) once a cedar in Lebanon,(D)
    with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;
it towered on high,
    its top above the thick foliage.(E)
The waters(F) nourished it,
    deep springs made it grow tall;
their streams flowed
    all around its base
and sent their channels
    to all the trees of the field.(G)
So it towered higher(H)
    than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased
    and its branches grew long,
    spreading because of abundant waters.(I)
All the birds of the sky
    nested in its boughs,
all the animals of the wild
    gave birth(J) under its branches;
all the great nations
    lived in its shade.(K)
It was majestic in beauty,
    with its spreading boughs,
for its roots went down
    to abundant waters.(L)
The cedars(M) in the garden of God
    could not rival it,
nor could the junipers
    equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees(N)
    compare with its branches—
no tree in the garden of God
    could match its beauty.(O)
I made it beautiful
    with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden(P)
    in the garden of God.(Q)

10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud(R) of its height, 11 I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,(S) 12 and the most ruthless of foreign nations(T) cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys;(U) its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it.(V) 13 All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.(W) 14 Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined(X) for death,(Y) for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.(Z)

15 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away.(AA) 16 I made the nations tremble(AB) at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees(AC) of Eden,(AD) the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled(AE) in the earth below.(AF) 17 They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword,(AG) along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.

18 “‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised,(AH) with those killed by the sword.

“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

31 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year, the word of Adonai came to me: “Human being, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:

‘Whom are you like in your greatness?
Like Ashur, a cedar in the L’vanon.
It had beautiful branches, dense foliage,
its tall crown surrounded by leafy boughs.
The water nourished it; the deep made it grow,
sending its rivers round the place where it was planted,
sending its streams to all the trees in the fields.
So it grew taller than any other tree,
its branches grew in number and spread far and wide,
for it had plenty of water to make them grow.
In its boughs all the birds of the air had their nests,
beneath its branches all the wild animals gave birth to their young,
and all great nations lived in its shade.
It was beautiful in its greatness and the length of its branches,
because its roots went down to plenty of water.
No cedar in God’s garden was like it,
no cypress tree could compare with its boughs,
no chestnut tree could rival its branches,
no tree in God’s garden could match its beauty.
I made it so beautiful, with its many branches;
all trees in ‘Eden, God’s garden, envied it.’

10 “Therefore here is what Adonai Elohim says: ‘Because you are so tall, because he has lifted his crown above the leafy boughs, because he has grown so arrogant about his height, 11 I am handing him over to the mightiest of the nations, who will certainly deal with him as his wickedness deserves; I reject him. 12 Foreigners, the most barbarous of the nations, will destroy him and leave him lying where he is. His branches will lie fallen on the mountains and in the valleys, his boughs will lie broken in all the rivers of the land, and all the peoples of the earth will withdraw from his shade and leave him. 13 All the birds will settle on his fallen trunk, and all the wild animals will be on his branches. 14 This is to warn all the trees growing near water not to grow so tall, not to lift their crowns above the leafy boughs, and all that take up water not to reach up in their height.

For they are all given over to death,
to the depths of the underworld,
along with human beings,
with those who descend to the pit.’

15 “Here is what Adonai Elohim says:

‘On the day he descended to Sh’ol,
I caused the abyss to mourn
and cover itself for him;
I held back its rivers,
so that its deep waters were stopped.
I made the L’vanon mourn for him,
and all the field trees withered because of him.
16 At the sound of his fall
I made the nations shake,
when I hurled him down to Sh’ol
with those who descend to the pit.
All the trees of ‘Eden,
the pick of the best in the L’vanon,
all that take up water,
were consoled in the underworld.
17 They descended with him to Sh’ol
to those who were killed by the sword,
to those who were his fighting arm,
those among the nations who lived in his shade.
18 Which of the trees of ‘Eden
was your equal in glory or size?
Yet you will be brought down to the underworld
along with the trees of ‘Eden.
You will lie there among the uncircumcised,
with those killed by the sword.
This is Pharaoh and his hordes,’

says Adonai Elohim.”

Египет будет повержен, как Ассирия

31 В одиннадцатом году, в первый день третьего месяца (21 июня 587 г. до н. э.), было ко мне слово Вечного:

– Смертный, скажи фараону, царю Египта, и его полчищам:

«Кто сравнится с тобой величием?
Посмотри на Ассирию, этот ливанский кедр[a]
    с ветвями красивыми,
    с кроной тенистой.
Был он высоким –
    в облака уходила его вершина.
Питала его вода,
    подземные источники растили;
текли их потоки
    вокруг того места, где он рос,
ручьи посылая
    ко всем деревьям лесным.
И вырос он выше
    всех деревьев в лесу;
ветви его разрослись,
    и длинными были ветки
    от обилия вод в побегах.
Все птицы небесные
    в ветвях его гнездились.
Все дикие звери
    под ветвями его плодились.
Все великие народы
    жили в его тени.
Он красовался величием,
    длиною ветвей,
так как корни его
    спускались к обильным водам.
Кедры из сада Всевышнего
    не могли с ним соперничать;
не равнялись с ним ветвями сосны,
    или побегами – чинары:
ни одно из деревьев сада Всевышнего
    не могло сравниться с ним красой.
Я сделал его прекрасным,
    с ветками густыми,
на зависть эдемским деревьям,
    которые в саду Всевышнего».

10 Поэтому так говорит Владыка Вечный:

– Так как он был высоким, вознося вершину к облакам, и возгордился высотой, 11 Я отдал его в распоряжение властелина народов, который поступил с ним так, как заслуживало его беззаконие. Я отверг его. 12 Чужеземцы, жесточайшие из народов, срубили его и оставили. Его ветви рухнули на горы и долины; его ветки упали сломанными в ущелья земли. Все народы земли вышли из-под его тени и оставили его. 13 Все небесные птицы разместились на мёртвом стволе; все дикие звери расселились среди его веток. 14 Всё это было для того, чтобы другие деревья у воды впредь не поднимались так высоко и не возносили вершину к облакам; чтобы другие деревья, которые пьют воду, не достигали такой высоты. Всем им суждена смерть, нижний мир, – вместе со смертными, с теми, кто спускается в пропасть.

15 Так говорит Владыка Вечный:

– В день, когда он сошёл в мир мёртвых, Я затворил подземные источники ради него, Я обуздал их потоки, и бурные воды укротились. Ради него Я покрыл Ливан мраком, и поникли лесные деревья. 16 Я заставил народы дрожать от звука его падения, когда Я поверг его в мир мёртвых с теми, кто спускается в пропасть. И утешились в нижнем мире деревья Эдема, благороднейшие и лучшие с Ливана, деревья, которые обильно поливались. 17 Те, кто жил в его тени, его союзники среди народов, сошли в мир мёртвых вместе с ним, соединившись с павшими от меча.

18 Какое из эдемских деревьев могло сравниться с тобой славой и величием? Но и тебя вслед за эдемскими деревьями сведут в нижний мир; ты будешь лежать среди необрезанных, рядом с теми, кто пал от меча.

Это о фараоне и его полчищах, – возвещает Владыка Вечный.

Footnotes

  1. Езек 31:3 Ливанский кедр – эти огромные, долговечные деревья могут достигать 40 м в высоту и 4 м в толщину. Они часто символизировали величие, славу и мощь (см. 17:3-4, 22-24; 4 Цар. 14:7-10; Заб. 91:13; Ис. 2:12-13).