Ezekiel 31:10-18
New English Translation
10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because it was tall in stature, and its top reached into the clouds, and it was proud of its height, 11 I gave it over to the leader of the nations. He has judged it thoroughly,[a] as its sinfulness deserves. I have thrown it out. 12 Foreigners from the most terrifying nations have cut it down and left it to lie there on the mountains. In all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs lie broken in the ravines of the land. All the peoples of the land[b] have departed[c] from its shade and left it. 13 On its ruins all the birds of the sky will live, and all the wild animals[d] will walk[e] on its branches. 14 For this reason no watered trees will grow so tall; their tops will not reach into the clouds, nor will the well-watered ones grow that high.[f] For all of them have been appointed to die in the lower parts of the earth;[g] they will be among mere mortals,[h] with those who descend to the Pit.
15 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it[i] went down to Sheol I caused observers to lament.[j] I covered it with the deep and held back its rivers; its plentiful water was restrained. I clothed Lebanon in black for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I threw it down to Sheol, along with those who descend to the Pit.[k] Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and the best of Lebanon, all that were well-watered, were comforted in the earth below. 17 Those who lived in its shade, its allies[l] among the nations, also went down with it to Sheol, to those killed by the sword. 18 Which of the trees of Eden was like you in majesty and loftiness? You will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword! This is what will happen to Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
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- Ezekiel 31:11 tn Heb “acting he has acted with regard to it.” The infinitive absolute precedes the main verb to emphasize the certainty and decisiveness of the action depicted.
- Ezekiel 31:12 tn Or “earth” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Ezekiel 31:12 tn Heb “gone down.”
- Ezekiel 31:13 tn Heb “the beasts of the field,” referring to wild as opposed to domesticated animals.
- Ezekiel 31:13 tn Heb “be.”
- Ezekiel 31:14 tn Heb “and they will not stand to them in their height, all the drinkers of water.”
- Ezekiel 31:14 tn Heb “for death, to the lower earth.”
- Ezekiel 31:14 tn Heb “the sons of men.”
- Ezekiel 31:15 tn Or “he.”
- Ezekiel 31:15 tn Heb “I caused lamentation.” D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 2:194-95) proposes an alternative root that would give the meaning: “I gated back the waters,” i.e., shut off the water supply.
- Ezekiel 31:16 sn For the expression “going down to the Pit,” see Ezek 26:20 and 32:18, 24, 29.
- Ezekiel 31:17 tn Heb “its arm.”
Ezekiel 31:10-18
Expanded Bible
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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