1 And in the eleuenth yeere, in the third moneth, and in the first day of the moneth the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, speake vnto Pharaoh King of Egypt, and to his multitude, Whom art thou like in thy greatnesse? 3 Beholde, Asshur was like a cedar in Lebanon with faire branches, and with thicke shadowing boughes, and shot vp very hye, and his toppe was among the thicke boughes. 4 The waters nourished him, and the deepe exalted him on hie with her riuers running round about his plants, and sent out her litle riuers vnto all the trees of the fielde. 5 Therefore his height was exalted aboue all the trees of the fielde, and his boughes were multiplied, and his branches were long, because of the multitude of the waters, which the deepe sent out. 6 All the foules of the heauen made their nestes in his boughes, and vnder his branches did all the beastes of the fielde bring foorth their yong, and vnder his shadowe dwelt all mightie nations. 7 Thus was he faire in his greatnesse, and in the length of his branches: for his roote was neere great waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God coulde not hide him: no firre tree was like his branches, and the chessenut trees were not like his boughes: all the trees in the garden of God were not like vnto him in his beautie. 9 I made him faire by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, enuied him. 10 Therefore thus sayeth the Lord God, Because he is lift vp on high, and hath shot vp his toppe among the thicke boughes, and his heart is lift vp in his height, 11 I haue therefore deliuered him into the handes of the mightiest among the heathen: he shall handle him, for I haue cast him away for his wickednesse. 12 And the strangers haue destroyed him, euen the terrible nations, and they haue left him vpon the mountaines, and in all the valleis his branches are fallen, and his boughes are broken by all the riuers of the land: and all the people of the earth are departed from his shadowe, and haue forsaken him. 13 Vpon his ruine shall all the foules of the heauen remaine, and all the beastes of the fielde shall be vpon his branches, 14 So that none of all the trees by the waters shalbe exalted by their height, neither shall shoote vp their toppe among the thicke boughes, neither shall their leaues stand vp in their height, which drinke so much water: for they are all deliuered vnto death in the nether partes of the earth in the middes of the children of men among them that goe downe to the pit. 15 Thus saith the Lord God, In the day when he went downe to hell, I caused them to mourne, and I couered the deepe for him, and I did restreine the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: I caused Lebanon to mourne for him, and all the trees of the fielde fainted. 16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him downe to hell with them that descend into the pit, and all the excellent trees of Eden, and the best of Lebanon: euen all that are nourished with waters, shall be comforted in the nether partes of the earth. 17 They also went downe to hell with him vnto them that be slaine with the sworde, and his arme, and they that dwelt vnder his shadowe in the middes of the heathen. 18 To whom art thou thus like in glorie and in greatnesse among the trees of Eden? yet thou shalt be cast downe with the trees of Eden vnto the nether partes of the earth: thou shalt sleepe in the middes of the vncircumcised, with them that be slaine by the sworde: this is Pharaoh and all his multitude, sayth the Lord God.
Egypt Is Compared to a Cedar Tree
1 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year of our exile, the Lord spoke to me. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “say to the king of Egypt and all his people:
How powerful you are!
What can I compare you to?
3 You are like a cedar in Lebanon,
With beautiful, shady branches,
A tree so tall it reaches the clouds.
4 There was water to make it grow,
And underground rivers to feed it.
They watered the place where the tree was growing
And sent streams to all the trees of the forest.
5 Because it was well-watered,
It grew taller than other trees.
Its branches grew thick and long.
6 Every kind of bird built nests in its branches;
The wild animals bore their young in its shelter;
The nations of the world rested in its shade.
7 How beautiful the tree was—
So tall, with such long branches.
Its roots reached down to the deep-flowing streams.
8 No cedar in God's garden could compare with it.
No fir tree ever had such branches,
And no plane tree such limbs.
No tree in God's own garden was so beautiful.
9 I made it beautiful, with spreading branches.
It was the envy of every tree in Eden, the garden of God.
10 “Now then, I, the Sovereign Lord, will tell you what is going to happen to that tree that grew until it reached the clouds. As it grew taller it grew proud; 11 so I have rejected it and will let a foreign ruler have it. He will give that tree what it deserves for its wickedness. 12 Ruthless foreigners will cut it down and leave it. Its branches and broken limbs will fall on every mountain and valley in the country. All the nations that have been living in its shade will go away. 13 The birds will come and perch on the fallen tree, and the wild animals will walk over its branches. 14 And so from now on, no tree, no matter how well-watered it is, will grow that tall again or push its top through the clouds and reach such a height. All of them are doomed to die like mortals, doomed to join those who go down to the world of the dead.”
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “On the day when the tree goes to the world of the dead, I will make the underground waters cover it as a sign of mourning. I will hold back the rivers and not let the many streams flow out. Because the tree has died, I will bring darkness over the Lebanon Mountains and make all the trees of the forest wither. 16 When I send it down to the world of the dead, the noise of its downfall will shake the nations. All the trees of Eden and all the choice, well-watered trees of Lebanon who have gone to the world below will be pleased at its downfall. 17 They will go with it to the world of the dead to join those that have already fallen. And all who live under its shadow will be scattered among the nations.
18 “The tree is the king of Egypt and all his people. Not even the trees in Eden were so tall and impressive. But now, like the trees of Eden, it will go down to the world of the dead and join the ungodly and those killed in battle. I have spoken,” says the Sovereign Lord.