1In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:2‘Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: ‘ “Who can be compared with you in majesty?3Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage.4The waters 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.5So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters.6All the birds of the sky nested in its boughs, all the wild animals gave birth under its branches; all the great nations lived in its shade.7It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters.8The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the junipers equal its boughs, nor could the plane trees compare with its branches – no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty.9I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.10‘ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height,11I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,12and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it.13All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.14Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.15‘ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: on the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away.16I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below.17They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword, along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.18‘ “Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendour and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword. ‘ “This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.” ’
Ezekiel 31
English Standard Version
Pharaoh to Be Slain
1In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (Eze 20:1)2“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: “Whom are you like in your greatness? (Eze 2:1; Eze 29:19; Eze 30:4; Eze 31:18; Eze 32:12; Eze 32:16; Eze 32:19; Eze 32:20; Eze 32:31)3Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds.[1] (Jud 9:15; Isa 10:33; Isa 10:34; Eze 17:23; Eze 31:15; Da 4:10; Da 4:20)4The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field. (Eze 17:7)5So it towered high above all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots. (Ps 1:3; Eze 17:5; Da 4:11)6All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations. (Eze 17:23; Da 4:12; Da 4:21)7It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters. (Eze 31:2; Eze 31:5)8The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs; neither were the plane trees like its branches; no tree in the garden of God was its equal in beauty. (Eze 28:13; Eze 31:16; Eze 31:18; Am 2:9)9I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God. (Isa 51:3)10“Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because it[2] towered high and set its top among the clouds,[3] and its heart was proud of its height, (Isa 10:12; Eze 31:3; Da 5:20)11I 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.12Foreigners, the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down and left it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land, and all the peoples of the earth have gone away from its shadow and left it. (Eze 6:3; Eze 28:7; Eze 32:5; Da 4:14)13On its fallen trunk dwell all the birds of the heavens, and on its branches are all the beasts of the field. (Eze 32:4)14All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to towering height or set their tops among the clouds,[4] and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For they are all given over to death, to the world below, among the children of man,[5] with those who go down to the pit. (Ps 63:9; Eze 26:20; Eze 31:5; Eze 31:16; Eze 31:18; Eze 32:18; Eze 32:24)15“Thus says the Lord God: On the day the cedar[6] 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. (Isa 14:9; Eze 32:18; Eze 32:21)16I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the world below. (Isa 14:8; Eze 26:15; Eze 31:9; Eze 31:15; Eze 32:31)17They also went down to Sheol with it, to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were its arm, who lived under its shadow among the nations. (Eze 30:5; Eze 30:8; Eze 31:6; Eze 32:20; Eze 35:8)18“Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. “This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God.” (Eze 28:10; Eze 31:2; Eze 31:16; Eze 31:17; Eze 32:19; Eze 32:21; Eze 32:24; Eze 32:28; Mt 11:23; Lu 10:15)