Ezekiel 31
Expanded Bible
A Cedar Tree
31 It was in the eleventh year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], in the third month, on the first day of the month [C June 21, 587 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], say to the king of Egypt and his people:
‘·No one [L Who…?] is like you in your greatness.
3 [L Look; T Behold] Assyria was once like a cedar tree in Lebanon
with beautiful branches that shaded the forest.
It was ·very tall [a towering height];
its top was among the clouds.
4 Much water made the tree grow;
the deep springs made it tall.
Rivers flowed
around ·the bottom of the tree [its place of planting]
and sent their ·streams [channels]
to all other trees ·in the countryside [of the field].
5 So the tree was taller
than all the other trees ·in the countryside [of the field].
Its ·limbs [boughs] became large and its branches long
because of ·so much [abundant] water.
6 All the birds of the ·sky [heavens]
made their nests in the tree’s ·limbs [boughs; Dan. 4:12, 21].
And all the ·wild animals [beasts of the field]
gave birth under its branches.
All great nations
lived in the tree’s shade.
7 So the tree was great and beautiful,
with its long branches,
because its roots reached down to ·much [abundant] water.
8 The cedar trees in the garden of God [C Eden]
were not as great as it was.
The ·pine [fir; juniper] trees
·did not have such great [could not equal its] ·limbs [boughs].
The plane trees
did not have such branches.
No tree in the garden of God
was as beautiful as this tree.
9 I made it beautiful
with many branches,
and all the trees of Eden in the garden of God
·wanted to be like [envied] it.
10 “‘So this is what the Lord God says: The tree grew tall. Its top reached the clouds, and it became proud of its height. 11 So I handed it ·over to [L into the hand of] a mighty ruler of the nations for him to ·punish [deal with] it. Because it was ·evil [wicked], I ·got rid of it [threw it out; cast it aside]. 12 The ·cruelest [most ruthless] foreign nation cut it down and left it. The tree’s branches fell on the mountains and in all the valleys, and its ·broken limbs [boughs] were in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth left the shade of that tree. 13 The birds of the ·sky [heavens] live on the fallen tree. The wild animals live among the tree’s fallen branches. 14 So the trees that grow by the water will not ·be proud to be [or grow so] tall; they will not put their tops among the clouds. None of the trees that are watered well will grow that tall, because they all are ·meant [appointed; consigned] to die and go ·under the ground [or to the underworld; to the depths of the earth]. They will be with ·people who have died [mortals; L sons of men] and ·have gone down [those who descend] to the ·place of the dead [L pit].
15 “‘This is what the Lord God says: On the day ·when the tree [L it; C Assyria] went down to ·the place of the dead [L Sheol], I ·made the deep springs cry loudly [or caused mourning]. I ·covered them [or closed the deep over it] and held back their rivers, and the great waters ·stopped flowing [were restrained]. I dressed Lebanon ·in black [or with gloom; C in mourning for the great tree], and all the trees in the countryside ·were sad about it [wilted; fainted]. 16 I made the nations ·shake with fear [tremble; quake] at the sound of the tree falling when I brought it down to ·the place of the dead [Sheol]. It went to join those who ·have gone down [descend] to the ·grave [pit; C the trees represent other great nations that have fallen]. Then all the trees of Eden and the best and ·most beautiful [choicest] trees of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were comforted in the ·place of the dead below the earth [underworld; world below]. 17 These trees had also gone down with the great tree to ·the place of the dead [L Sheol]. They joined those who were killed ·in war [L by the sword] and those among the nations who had lived under the great tree’s shade.
18 “‘·So no tree [L Which of the trees…?] in Eden is equal to you [C Egypt], in ·greatness [glory; splendor] and ·honor [greatness; majesty], but you will go down to join the trees of Eden in the ·place below the earth [underworld]. You will lie among ·unclean people [L the uncircumcised], with those who were killed ·in war [L by the sword].
“‘This is about Pharaoh and all his ·people [hordes; armies], says the Lord God.’”
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