Ezekiel 31

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the third month, the word of Yahweh was addressed to me asfol ows,	1 And it happened that, in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 'Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his throng of subjects: "What can compare with you forgreatness?	2 “Son of man, speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to his people: To whom can you be compared in your greatness?
3 I know: a cedar tree in the Lebanon with noble branches, dense foliage, lofty height. Its top pierces theclouds.	3 Behold, Assur is like the cedar of Lebanon, with fair branches, and full of leaves, and of high stature, and his summit has been elevated above the thick branches.
4 The waters have made it grow, the deep has made it tall, pouring its rivers round the place where it isplanted, sending rivulets to al the wild trees.	4 The waters have nourished him. The abyss has exalted him. Its rivers have flowed around his roots, and it has sent forth its streams to all the trees of the regions.
5 This is why its height was greater than that of other wild trees, its branches increased in number, itsboughs stretched wide, because of the plentiful waters making it grow.	5 Because of this, his height was exalted above all the trees of the regions, and his groves were multiplied, and his own branches were elevated, because of the many waters.
6 Al the birds of heaven nested in its branches; under its boughs all wild animals dropped their young; inits shade sat many, many people.	6 And when he had extended his shadow, all the birds of the air made their nests in his branches, and all the beasts of the forest conceived their young under his foliage, and an assembly of the many peoples lived under his shadow.
7 It was beautiful in its size, in the span of its boughs; for its roots were in plentiful waters.	7 And he was most beautiful in his greatness and in the expansion of his groves. For his root was near many waters.
8 There was no cedar like it in the garden of God, no cypress had branches such as these, no plane treecould match its boughs, no tree in the garden of God could rival its beauty.	8 The cedars in the Paradise of God were not higher than he was. The spruce trees were not equal to his summit, and the plane trees were not equal to his fullness. No tree in the Paradise of God was similar to him or to his beauty.
9 I had made it so lovely with its many branches that it was the envy of every tree in Eden, in the gardenof God.	9 For I made him beautiful, and dense with many branches. And all the trees of delight, which were in the Paradise of God, were jealous of him.
10 "Very wel , the Lord Yahweh says this: "Since it has raised itself to its ful height, has lifted its top into the clouds, and has grown arrogant about its height,	10 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Since he was sublime in height, and he made his summit green and dense, and his heart was exalted because of his height,
11 I have handed it over to the prince of the nations, for him to treat as its wickedness deserves; I haverejected it.	11 I have delivered him into the hands of the most powerful one among the Gentiles, so that he will deal with him. I have cast him out, in accord with his impiety.
12 Foreigners, the most barbarous of nations, have cut it down and deserted it. On the mountains, in althe val eys, lie its branches; its broken boughs are in every ravine throughout the country; everybody in thecountry has fled its shade and deserted it.	12 And foreigners, and the most cruel among the nations, will cut him down. And they will cast him on the mountains. And his branches will fall in every steep valley, and his grove will be broken apart on every cliff of the earth. And all the peoples of the earth will withdraw from his shadow, and abandon him.
13 On its wreckage perch al the birds of heaven; all the wild animals have advanced on its branches.	13 All the birds of the air lived upon his ruins, and all the beasts of the countryside were among his branches.
14 "So in future let no tree rear its height beside the waters, none push its top into the clouds, nowatered tree stretch its height towards them. For al of them are doomed to death, to the depths of theunderworld, with the common run of humanity, with those who sink into oblivion.	14 For this reason, none of the trees among the waters will exalt themselves because of their height, nor will they place their summits above the thick branches and foliage, nor will any of those that are irrigated stand out because of their height. For they have all been delivered unto death, to the lowest part of the earth, into the midst of the sons of men, those who descend into the pit.
15 "The Lord Yahweh says this: The day it went down to Sheol, I imposed mourning, I closed the deepover it. I stopped its rivers and the plentiful waters dried up; I made Lebanon dark because of it, and al the wildtrees wilted because of it.	15 Thus says the Lord God: In the day when he descended into hell, I led in grieving. I covered him with the abyss. And I held back its rivers, and I restrained the many waters. Lebanon was saddened over him, and all the trees of the field were struck together.
16 With the noise when it fel I made the nations quake, as I hurled it down to Sheol, with those who sinkinto oblivion. In the depths of the underworld al the trees of Eden took comfort, the pick of the loveliest trees ofthe Lebanon, al irrigated by the waters.	16 I shook the Gentiles with the sound of his ruin, when I led him down to hell, with those who were descending into the pit. And all the trees of delights, the finest and best in Lebanon, all that were irrigated with waters, were consoled in the deepest parts of the earth.
17 And its offspring among the nations, once living in its shade, went down to Sheol with it, to those whohave been slaughtered by the sword.	17 For they, too, will descend with him into hell, to those who have been slain by the sword. And the arm of each one will reside under his shadow, in the midst of the nations.
18 "Which of the trees of Eden compares with you for glory and greatness? Yet you have been hurleddown with the trees of Eden, to the depths of the underworld, among the uncircumcised, and there you lie withthose who have been slaughtered by the sword. So much for Pharaoh and al his throng -- declares the LordYahweh." '	18 To whom can you be compared, O famous and sublime one, among the trees of pleasure? Behold, you have been brought down, with the trees of pleasure, to the lowest part of the earth. You will sleep in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who have been slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh, and all his multitude, says the Lord God.”