The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And it came to be in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the month, that the word of יהוה came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, say to Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim and to his crowd, ‘To whom are you to be compared in your greatness? 3‘See, Ashshur was a cedar in Leḇanon, fair branches and forest shade, and of high stature. And its top was among the thick foliage. 4‘The waters made him great, the deep gave it height with its rivers running around its planting, and sent their channels to all the trees of the field. 5‘Therefore its height was lifted up above all the trees of the field, and its boughs were increased, and its branches became long because of the many waters, as it sent them out. 6‘All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs, and under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth. And in its shadow all great nations dwelt. 7‘And it was fair in greatness and in the length of its branches, for its roots reached to many waters. 8‘Cedars in the garden of Elohim did not hide it, fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like its branches. No tree in the garden of Elohim was as pretty as it. 9‘I made it pretty by its many branches, so that all the trees of Ěḏen which were in the garden of Elohim were jealous of it.’ 10“Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick foliage, and its heart was lifted up in its height, 11‘I give it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall certainly deal with it. I have driven it out for its wrong. 12‘And foreigners, the most ruthless of the nations, shall cut it down and leave it. Its branches shall fall 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 shall come out from under its shadow and leave it. 13‘On its ruin shall dwell all the birds of the heavens, and all the beasts of the field shall be on its fallen branches, 14so that none of the trees by the waters would exalt themselves because of their height, nor set their tops among the thick foliage, and that no tree which drinks water would ever be high enough to reach up to them. ‘For all of them shall be given up to death, to the depths of the earth, among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’ 15“Thus said the Master יהוה, ‘In the day when it is brought down to the grave I shall cause mourning. I shall cover the deep because of it and hold back its streams, and many waters shall be confined. And I shall make Leḇanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field shall wither away because of it. 16‘I shall make the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I bring it down to the grave together with those who descend into the Pit. And all the trees of Ěḏen, the choice and best of Leḇanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the depths of the earth. 17‘They too shall go down to the grave with it, with those slain by the sword. And those who were its strength shall dwell in its shadows among the nations. 18‘To whom are you to be compared in esteem and greatness among the trees in Ěḏen? But you shall be brought down with the trees of Ěḏen to the depths of the earth, lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his crowd,’ declares the Master יהוה.” |