12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.

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12 The birds of the sky(A) nest by the waters;
    they sing among the branches.(B)

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Israel Exalted at Last(A)

22 Thus says the Lord God: “I will take also one of the highest (B)branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs (C)a tender one, and will (D)plant it on a high and prominent mountain. 23 (E)On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. (F)Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, (G)have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; (H)I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it.

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22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot(A) from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.(B) 23 On the mountain heights(C) of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit(D) and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.(E) 24 All the trees of the forest(F) will know that I the Lord bring down(G) the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.(H)

“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.(I)’”

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(A)Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,
With fine branches that shaded the forest,
And of high stature;
And its top was among the thick boughs.
(B)The waters made it grow;
Underground waters gave it height,
With their rivers running around the place where it was planted,
And sent out [a]rivulets to all the trees of the field.

‘Therefore (C)its height was exalted above all the trees of the field;
Its boughs were multiplied,
And its branches became long because of the abundance of water,
As it sent them out.
All the (D)birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs;
Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young;
And in its shadow all great nations [b]made their home.

‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches,
Because its roots reached to abundant waters.
The cedars in the (E)garden of God could not hide it;
The fir trees were not like its boughs,
And the [c]chestnut trees were not like its branches;
No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty.
I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches,
So that all the trees of Eden envied it,
That were in the garden of God.’

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 31:4 Or channels
  2. Ezekiel 31:6 Lit. dwelled
  3. Ezekiel 31:8 Or plane, Heb. armon

Consider Assyria,(A) once a cedar in Lebanon,(B)
    with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;
it towered on high,
    its top above the thick foliage.(C)
The waters(D) 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.(E)
So it towered higher(F)
    than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased
    and its branches grew long,
    spreading because of abundant waters.(G)
All the birds of the sky
    nested in its boughs,
all the animals of the wild
    gave birth(H) under its branches;
all the great nations
    lived in its shade.(I)
It was majestic in beauty,
    with its spreading boughs,
for its roots went down
    to abundant waters.(J)
The cedars(K) in the garden of God
    could not rival it,
nor could the junipers
    equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees(L)
    compare with its branches—
no tree in the garden of God
    could match its beauty.(M)
I made it beautiful
    with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden(N)
    in the garden of God.(O)

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12 Its leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
(A)The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it.

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12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches;(A) from it every creature was fed.

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