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10 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the thick boughs and the clouds, and its heart is proud of its height,(A) 11 I will [a]hand it over to a mighty one and a mighty one of the nations; he will most certainly deal with it. I have driven it away in accordance with its wickedness. 12 Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; its foliage has fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys and its branches have been broken in all the ravines of the land. And all the nations of the earth have come from under its shade and have left it. 13 All the birds of the sky will nest in its ruins, and all the animals of the field will rest on its fallen branches 14 so that none of the trees by the waters may exalt themselves because of their height, nor set their top among the clouds, nor their well-watered mighty ones stand [arrogantly] in their height. For they have all been handed over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit (the grave).”

15 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On the day when Assyria went down to Sheol (the place of the dead) I caused mourning; I closed the deep [subterranean waters] over it and restrained its rivers. And the many waters [that contributed to its prosperity] were held back; and I made [the heart of] Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted away because of it. 16 I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit; and all the well-watered trees of Eden, the choicest and the best of Lebanon, will be comforted in the earth beneath [at Assyria’s downfall]. 17 They also went down to Sheol with it to those who were slain by the sword; those who were its strength lived under its shade among the nations.

18 “Which among the trees of Eden do you equal in glory and in greatness [O Egypt]? Yet you [also] will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth beneath (nether world). You will lie among the [b]uncircumcised (the barbaric, the boorish, the crude) with those who were slain by the sword. This is how it shall be with Pharaoh and all his hordes!”’ says the Lord God.”(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 31:11 The significance of comparing Egypt and Assyria becomes clear when it is remembered that Assyria had conquered and held Egypt in servitude, and had then been conquered and destroyed about twenty-five years before the date of this prophecy by an alliance of Media and Babylon, which at that time was ruled by Nebuchadnezzar’s father Nabopolassar. Now Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar, is predicted to bring judgment on Egypt. Egypt could not realistically expect victory over the conqueror of her conqueror.
  2. Ezekiel 31:18 There were other circumcised nations besides the Hebrews, notably the Egyptians (as early as 3000 b.c.), Thus here the term has a general pejorative sense, not the specific meaning that it would have had for an Israelite.

10 ‘Therefore this is what the Lord [a]God says: “Because [b]it is tall in stature and has put its top among the [c]clouds, and its (A)heart is haughty in its loftiness, 11 I will hand it over to a [d](B)ruler of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it. In accordance with its wickedness I have (C)driven it out. 12 (D)Foreign (E)tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the (F)mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its branches have been broken in all the ravines of the land. And all the peoples of the earth have (G)gone down from its shade and left it. 13 All the (H)birds of the sky will nest on its fallen trunk, and all the animals of the field will [e]rest on its fallen branches, 14 so that all the trees by the waters will not be exalted in their stature, nor put their tops among the [f]clouds, nor will any of their [g]well-watered mighty ones stand straight in their height. For they have all been turned over to death, to the (I)earth beneath, among [h]mankind, [i]with those who go down to the pit.”

15 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On the day when it went down to Sheol I (J)caused mourning; I closed the [j]deep over it and held back its rivers. And its many waters were stopped up, and I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted away on account of it. 16 I made the nations (K)quake from the sound of its fall when I made it (L)go down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit; and all the [k]well-watered trees of Eden, the choicest and best of (M)Lebanon, were (N)comforted in the earth beneath. 17 They also (O)went down with it to Sheol to those who were (P)slain by the sword; and those who were its [l]strength lived (Q)in its shade among the nations.

18 “To which among the trees of Eden are you so alike in glory and greatness? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth beneath; you will lie in the midst of the (R)uncircumcised with those who were killed by the sword. (S)This is Pharaoh and all his hordes!”’ declares the Lord God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 31:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Ezekiel 31:10 As in Syriac; MT you are
  3. Ezekiel 31:10 As in LXX; MT thick branches
  4. Ezekiel 31:11 Or mighty one
  5. Ezekiel 31:13 Lit be on
  6. Ezekiel 31:14 As in LXX; MT thick branches
  7. Ezekiel 31:14 Lit drinkers of water
  8. Ezekiel 31:14 Lit sons of mankind
  9. Ezekiel 31:14 Lit to
  10. Ezekiel 31:15 I.e., subterranean waters
  11. Ezekiel 31:16 Lit drinkers of water
  12. Ezekiel 31:17 Lit arm