NET Bible | International Standard Version |
1In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: | 1On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year of our captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: |
2"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his hordes: "'Who are you like in your greatness? | 2"Son of Man, tell this to Pharaoh, king of Egypt and his gangs: 'Who do you think you are? What makes you so great? |
3Consider Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches, like a forest giving shade, and extremely tall; its top reached into the clouds. | 3Think about Assyria, that cedar of Lebanon, beautiful with its branches, like a shady forest, with an awesome height, its summit touches the clouds. |
4The water made it grow; underground springs made it grow tall. Rivers flowed all around the place it was planted, while smaller channels watered all the trees of the field. | 4Abundant water made it great, Subterranean rivers made it grow. Rivers surrounded the area where it had been planted, and water channels nourished all the trees in the fields. |
5Therefore it grew taller than all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches grew long, because of the plentiful water in its shoots. | 5That's why it grew taller than any of the trees in the fields. Its boughs flourished. Its branches grew luxurious because all the water made it spread out well. |
6All the birds of the sky nested in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth, in its shade all the great nations lived. | 6The birds in the sky made nests in its boughs; all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches. All the great nations rested in its shade. |
7It was beautiful in its loftiness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down deep to plentiful waters. | 7Beautiful because it was so great, with its long branches, it was rooted in many bodies of water. |
8The cedars in the garden of God could not eclipse it, nor could the fir trees match its boughs; the plane trees were as nothing compared to its branches; no tree in the garden of God could rival its beauty. | 8The cedars in God's garden could not compare to it; Fir trees could not match its boughs. The plane tree never grew branches like it, and no tree in God's garden compares to its beauty. |
9I made it beautiful with its many branches; all the trees of Eden, in the garden of God, envied it. | 9I made it beautiful, including all of its branches; all the trees in God's garden of Eden envied it!'" |
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, | 10"Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Because of its towering height, with its summit reaching into the clouds, and because it was haughty in its position, |
11I gave it over to the leader of the nations. He has judged it thoroughly, as its sinfulness deserves. I have thrown it out. | 11I turned it over to the leader of those nations, who dealt with it thoroughly. I have driven it away because of its wickedness. |
12Foreigners 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 have departed from its shade and left it. | 12Foreign dictators have trimmed it down to size and abandoned it. Its branches have fallen off on mountains and in all the valleys. Its boughs have broken off in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth have moved out of its shade and abandoned it. |
13On its ruins all the birds of the sky will live, and all the wild animals will walk on its branches. | 13All the birds in the sky will live among its ruins, and the wild animals will forage among its branches. |
14For 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. For all of them have been appointed to die in the lower parts of the earth; they will be among mere mortals, with those who descend to the pit. | 14As a result, none of its watered trees will grow tall, their tops will never reach to the clouds, and they'll never grow so high again, because all of them have been appointed to death in the world beneath where human beings go, that is, down to the Pit.'" |
15"'This is what the sovereign LORD says: On the day it went down to Sheol I caused observers to lament. 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. | 15"This is what the Lord GOD says: 'On the day that it descended into Sheol, I shut down its water supplies, covered over its deep water, and shut down its rivers. As a result its abundant water sources dried up, and I caused Lebanon to mourn for it. All the trees of the field wilted because of it. |
16I 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. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and the best of Lebanon, all that were well-watered, were comforted in the earth below. | 16I made the nations tremble when they heard that Assyria was falling, descending into Sheol to join those who go down into the Pit. Then all of the trees of Eden in the world below were comforted, including the choicest and best of Lebanon, all of whom were well-watered. |
17Those who lived in its shade, its allies among the nations, also went down with it to Sheol, to those killed by the sword. | 17They also went down with it into Sheol, to those who had been killed violently and to those who had trusted in its strength by living in its shadow among the nations. |
18Which 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.'" | 18So tell me now, which of the trees of Eden compares to you in glory or greatness? Nevertheless, you'll be brought down, along with those trees of Eden, to the earth below. You'll lie in the middle of the uncircumcised, with those who have been killed in war. Pharaoh and all his gang will be just like this!' declares the Lord GOD." |
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