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Fall of the Haughty Cedar

31 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year, the word of Adonai came to me saying: “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:

‘Who is like you in your greatness?
Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,
with beautiful branches shadowing the forest,
of lofty height.
Its top was in leafy branches.
Water nourished it,
the deep made it tall,
with its rivers going around its planting
as it sent out its water-courses
to all the trees of the field.
Therefore its height was loftier
than all the trees of the field.
Its branches multiplied
and its boughs became long
because of the abundant water in its shoots.
All the birds of the sky nested in its branches.
All the beasts of the field gave birth to their young under its branches.
All great nations lived under its shade.
It was beautiful in its greatness,
in the length of its branches,
for its root was in abundant water.
The cedars in the garden of God
could not compare with it.
No cypress trees could rival its boughs.
No plane-trees could match its branches.
No tree in the garden of God
could compare to its beauty.
I made it beautiful with its many limbs.
All the trees of Eden in God’s garden envied it.’”
10 Therefore thus says Adonai Elohim:
“Because you were exalted in height
—its top set up among leafy branches,
its heart haughty in its height—
11 I gave it into the hand of a ruler of nations,
who surely dealt with it.
I drove it out
as befits its wickedness.

12 Ruthless barbarians from the nations cut it down. They cast it down on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches fell. Its branches have laid broken in all the streambeds of the land. All the people of the earth have come out from its shade and abandoned it.

13 All the birds of the sky lived on its fallen trunk and all the beasts of the field upon its fallen branches.

14 So none of all the trees by the water should exalt themselves in their height or set their top among the leafy boughs. None of their well-watered mighty ones should attain their height.

For they have all been given to death, to the lowest regions under the earth, among the children of men who go down to the Pit.”

15 Thus says Adonai Elohim:
“In the day when he went down to Sheol
I caused the deep to mourn
and cover itself for him.
I restrained his rivers,
so the great waters were stopped.
I made Lebanon mourn for him.
All the trees of the field wilt away for it.
16 I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall,
when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the Pit.
All the well-watered trees of Eden,
the choice and best of Lebanon,
were comforted in the lowest parts of the earth.
17 They also went down with him to Sheol,
to those slain by the sword,
those who were his mighty arm,
who lived in his shadow among the nations.

18 ‘Who is like you in glory and greatness among the trees of Eden? You will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lowest parts of the earth. You will lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.’

This is Pharaoh and all his multitude.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon

31 In the eleventh year,(A) in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:(B) “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:

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

10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud(R) of its height, 11 I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,(S) 12 and the most ruthless of foreign nations(T) cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys;(U) 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.(V) 13 All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.(W) 14 Therefore 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(X) for death,(Y) for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.(Z)

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.(AA) 16 I made the nations tremble(AB) 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(AC) of Eden,(AD) the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled(AE) in the earth below.(AF) 17 They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword,(AG) 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 splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised,(AH) with those killed by the sword.

“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”