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

15 “Thus says the Lord God: On the day (L)the cedar[e] 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 (M)I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, (N)when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. (O)And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, (P)were comforted in the world below. 17 They also went down to Sheol with it, (Q)to those who are slain by the sword; yes, (R)those who were its arm, (S)who lived under its shadow among the nations.

18 (T)“Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness (U)among the trees of Eden? (V)You shall be brought down with (W)the trees of Eden to the world below. (X)You shall lie among the uncircumcised, (Y)with those who are slain by the sword.

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

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Footnotes

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

10 So now the Lord God proclaims:

Consider the fate of those who tower high!
When it allowed its branches to reach up among the clouds,
    it became arrogant.
11 So I handed it over
to the most powerful nation,
    who continually acted treacherously against it.
I banished it!
12 Foreigners, the worst of the nations, cut it down
    and left it to lie among the hills.
All its branches fell among the valleys,
    and its boughs were broken off in the earth’s deep ravines.
All the earth’s peoples departed from its shade and abandoned it.
13 On its trunk roost all the birds in the sky,
    and on its boughs lie all the beasts of the field.

14 All this has happened so that no other well-watered tree would tower high or allow its branches to reach among the clouds. Nor would their leaders achieve the towering stature of such well-watered trees. Certainly, all of them are consigned to death, to the world below,[a] among human beings who go down to the pit.

15 The Lord God proclaims: On the day that it went down to the underworld,[b] I caused mourning. I blocked off the deep sea against it. I dried up its rivers and restrained the mighty waters. I made Lebanon go into mourning for it, and all the trees of the field languished on its account. 16 When it was felled, the nations quaked at the sound. When I cast it down into the underworld, with those who go down to the pit, all the trees of Eden were comforted in the world below, the choicest and the best of Lebanon, all the trees that depended on water. 17 His allies,[c] those among the nations who lived under his shade, these also went down with him to the underworld, to those who are slain by the sword.

18 Are you like any of these in glory or greatness among Eden’s trees? Then you too will go down with Eden’s trees to the world below. You will lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and his entire horde. This is what the Lord God says.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 31:14 Or the land of the lowest places
  2. Ezekiel 31:15 Heb Sheol
  3. Ezekiel 31:17 Or his arms