1 O n the first day of the third month in the eleventh year, the Word of the Lord came to me saying,

Now it came to pass in the 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 people, ‘Who can be compared with you in greatness?

“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness?

3 L ook at Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches and many leaves. It was very high, and its top was among the heavy branches.

Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, With fine branches that shaded the forest, And of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs.

4 T he waters made it grow, and the water under the ground made it grow high. Its rivers flowed all around its base, and spread water to all the trees of the field.

The waters made it grow; Underground waters gave it height, With their rivers running around the place where it was planted, And sent out rivulets to all the trees of the field.

5 S o it was higher than all the trees of the field. And it grew many long and spreading branches because it had so much water.

‘Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field; Its boughs were multiplied, And its branches became long because of the abundance of water, As it sent them out.

6 A ll the birds of the air made their nests in its branches. And under its branches all the animals of the field gave birth. All great nations lived in its shadow.

All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; And in its shadow all great nations made their home.

7 I t was beautiful in its greatness with its spreading branches, for its roots went down to much water.

‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches, Because its roots reached to abundant waters.

8 T he cedars in God’s garden could not compare with it. The fir trees and the chestnut trees could not compare with its branches. No tree in God’s garden was like it in beauty.

The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; The fir trees were not like its boughs, And the chestnut trees were not like its branches; No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty.

9 I made it beautiful with its many branches. And all the trees that were in Eden were jealous of it.

I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches, So that all the trees of Eden envied it, That were in the garden of God.’

10 ‘ So the Lord God says, “Because it has grown high with its top among the heavy branches, its heart has become proud,

“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height,

11 I will give it over to a powerful ruler of the nations, and he will punish it. Because of its sin, I will drive it out.

therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness.

12 R ulers from other nations will cut it down and leave it. Its branches will fall on the mountains and in all the valleys. Its spreading branches will be broken in all the deep valleys of the land. All the people of the earth will go away from its shadow and leave it.

And aliens, the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it.

13 A ll the birds of the air will live on its broken pieces. And all the animals of the field will be on its fallen branches.

‘On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens, And all the beasts of the field will come to its branches—

14 T his will be so that no trees by the water will grow high with their tops among the heavy branches. No trees that drink water will ever grow so high. For they have all been given over to death. They will go to the earth below, among men who die and go down to the grave.”

‘So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them. ‘For they have all been delivered to death, To the depths of the earth, Among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’

15 ‘ The Lord God says, “When it goes down to the place of the dead, I will make the waters under the ground cover it in sorrow. I will stop its rivers of water and fill Lebanon with sorrow over it. All the trees of the field will waste away because of it.

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it.

16 I will make the nations shake in fear at the sound of its fall when I send it to the place of the dead with those who go down to the grave. Then all the well-watered trees of Eden, the best of Lebanon, will be comforted in the earth below.

I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the depths of the earth.

17 A nd those who lived under its shadow among the nations will go down to the place of the dead with it, to those who were killed by the sword.

They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm dwelt in its shadows among the nations.

18 “ Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in beauty and greatness? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below. You will lie among the sinful, with those who were killed by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his people!”’ says the Lord God.”

‘To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord God.”