Ezekiel 31 - New English Translation (NET)

A Cedar in Lebanon

31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month,[a] the Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his hordes:

“‘Who are you like in your greatness?
3 Consider Assyria,[b] a cedar in Lebanon,[c]
with beautiful branches, like a forest giving shade,
and extremely tall;
its top reached into the clouds.
4 The 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.[d]
5 Therefore 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.[e]
6 All 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[f] nations lived.
7 It was beautiful in its loftiness, in the length of its branches;
for its roots went down deep to plentiful waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not eclipse it,
nor could the fir trees[g] match its boughs;
the plane trees were as nothing compared to its branches;
no tree in the garden of God could rival its beauty.
9 I made it beautiful with its many branches;
all the trees of Eden, in the garden of God, 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, 11 I gave it over to the leader of the nations. He has judged it thoroughly,[h] 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[i] have departed[j] from its shade and left it. 13 On its ruins all the birds of the sky will live, and all the wild animals[k] will walk[l] 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.[m] For all of them have been appointed to die in the lower parts of the earth;[n] they will be among mere mortals,[o] with those who descend to the Pit.

15 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it[p] went down to Sheol I caused observers to lament.[q] 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.[r] 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[s] 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.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 31:1 sn June 21, 587 b.c.
  2. Ezekiel 31:3 sn Either Egypt or the Lord compares Egypt to Assyria, which is described in vv. 3-17 through the metaphor of a majestic tree. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:185. Like Egypt, Assyria had been a great world power, but in time God brought the Assyrians down. Egypt should learn from history the lesson that no nation, no matter how powerful, can withstand the judgment of God. Rather than following the text here, some prefer to emend the proper name Assyria to a similar sounding common noun meaning “boxwood” (see Ezek 27:6), which would make a fitting parallel to “cedar of Lebanon” in the following line. In this case vv. 3-18 in their entirety refer to Egypt, not Assyria. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:121-27.
  3. Ezekiel 31:3 sn Lebanon was known for its cedar trees (Judg 9:15; 1 Kgs 4:33; 5:6; 2 Kgs 14:9; Ezra 3:7; Pss 29:5; 92:12; 104:16).
  4. Ezekiel 31:4 tn Heb “Waters made it grow; the deep made it grow tall. It [the deep] was flowing with its rivers around the place it [the tree] was planted. It [the deep] sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.”
  5. Ezekiel 31:5 tn Heb “when it sends forth.” Repointing the consonants of the Masoretic text would render the proposed reading of “shoots” (cf. NRSV).
  6. Ezekiel 31:6 tn Or “many.”
  7. Ezekiel 31:8 tn Or “cypress trees” (cf. NASB, NLT); NIV “pine trees.”
  8. 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.
  9. Ezekiel 31:12 tn Or “earth” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  10. Ezekiel 31:12 tn Heb “gone down.”
  11. Ezekiel 31:13 tn Heb “the beasts of the field,” referring to wild as opposed to domesticated animals.
  12. Ezekiel 31:13 tn Heb “be.”
  13. Ezekiel 31:14 tn Heb “and they will not stand to them in their height, all the drinkers of water.”
  14. Ezekiel 31:14 tn Heb “for death, to the lower earth.”
  15. Ezekiel 31:14 tn Heb “the sons of men.”
  16. Ezekiel 31:15 tn Or “he.”
  17. 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.
  18. Ezekiel 31:16 sn For the expression “going down to the Pit,” see Ezek 26:20 and 32:18, 24, 29.
  19. Ezekiel 31:17 tn Heb “its arm.”

You Might Also Like:

Ezekiel 31 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

31 And it cometh to pass, in the eleventh year, in the third [month], in the first of the month, hath a word of Jehovah been unto me, saying: 2 `Son of man, say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and unto his multitude: To whom hast thou been like in thy greatness? 3 Lo, Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon, Fair in...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

31 And it was done in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month (on the first day of the month), the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said, 2 Thou, son of man, say to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to his people, To whom art thou made like in thy greatness? 3 Lo! Assur...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - World English Bible (WEB)

31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his multitude:‘Whom are you like in your greatness?3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches,and with a forest-lik...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - The Voice (VOICE)

Egypt is the last in this series of oracles against the nations. The imagery is just as profound and poetically graphic as in the other oracles. The terror of Tyre and Sidon’s defeat is fresh on the minds of Jerusalem’s citizens, and they wonder, what else will Nebuchadnezzar do to the Egyptians and...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Fall of the Haughty Cedar31 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year, the word of Adonai came to me saying: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:‘Who is like you in your greatness?3 Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,with beautiful branches shadowing ...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Lofty Cedar31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:“Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Behold, I will liken you to[a] a cedar in Lebanon,with fair branches ...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Lofty Cedar31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:“Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Behold, I will liken you to[a] a cedar in Lebanon,with fair branches ...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Lofty Cedar31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:Whom are you like in your greatness?3 Consider Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon,with fair branches and forest shade, and o...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Lofty Cedar31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:Whom are you like in your greatness?(A)3 Consider Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon,with fair branches and forest shade, and...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Egypt Compared to Fallen Assyria31 On June 21,[a] during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, give this message to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all his hordes:“To whom would you compare your greatness?3 You are like mighty Assyria, wh...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - New Life Version (NLV)

Egypt Is Like a Cedar Tree31 On the first day of the third month in the eleventh year, the Word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his people, ‘Who can be compared with you in greatness? 3 Look at Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branch...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Egypt Cut Down Like a Great Tree(A)31 Now it came to pass in the (B)eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:(C)‘Whom are you like in your greatness?3 (D)Indeed As...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Pharaoh as a felled cedar of Lebanon31 In 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?3 Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful bran...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - New International Version (NIV)

Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon31 In the eleventh year,(A) in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:(B) 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:“‘Who can be compared with you in majesty?3 Consider Assyria,(C) once a cedar in Lebanon,(D) with bea...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

31 It was the 11th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the first day of the third month, a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2 “Son of man, speak to Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt. Also speak to his huge army. Tell him,“ ‘Who can be compared wi...
Read More

Ezekiel 31 - New English Translation (NET)

A Cedar in Lebanon31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month,[a] the Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his hordes:“‘Who are you like in your greatness?3 Consider Assyria,[b] a cedar in Lebanon,[c]with beautiful branches, like ...
Read More