Ezekiel 31

And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

1It was the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day. God spoke his word to me, Ezekiel.

2Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

2God said, "Son of man, speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to all his people. Ask him this: who is as great as you are?

Note"Son of man" is what God calls Ezekiel all through this book. It simply means "human being."

3Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

3Think about Assyria. It was like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Cedars are very tall trees. Its branches were lovely and shaded the woods. Its top reached the clouds.

4The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.

4Water made the tree grow. Deep springs under the ground made it tall. Streams ran all around its roots. Small streams went out to all the other trees.

5Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.

5So it grew taller than every other tree. It grew many branches, and they grew long. All that water made it spread out.

6All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.

6Birds built their nests in its branches. Wild animals had their babies under it. Great nations lived in its cool shade.

7Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.

7The tree was lovely and big, with long branches. Its roots reached down to plenty of water.

8The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

8Even the cedars in God's garden were not as fine. The cypress trees did not have branches like it. The plane trees did not match it either. No tree in God's garden was as lovely.

9I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.

9I gave it many branches and made it lovely. All the trees of Eden, God's garden, wished they were like it.

10Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;

10So the Lord God says this. The tree grew very tall. Its top reached the clouds. Then it grew proud of being so tall.

11I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.

11So I handed it over to a strong ruler of the nations. He would deal with it for the wrong it had done. I sent it away.

12And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.

12Foreigners, the cruelest of the nations, cut it down and left it lying there. Its branches fell on the mountains and in every valley. Its limbs lay broken in all the low places. All the people of the earth left its shade and walked away.

13Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:

13Birds came and sat on the fallen trunk. Wild animals lived among its broken branches.

14To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

14This happened so no other tree by the water would grow proud of being tall. No well-watered tree would push its top up into the clouds. Every tree must die in the end. They all go down deep into the earth, like people who go down to the grave.

15Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

15The Lord God says this. On the day the tree went down to the place of the dead, I made everyone mourn. I covered up the deep springs for it. I held back the rivers, and the big waters stopped flowing. I made Lebanon mourn, and all the trees of the field grew weak with sadness.

Note"The place of the dead" is where the old writers said everyone went after dying. The KJV calls it the grave, the pit, and hell, but it does not mean the same thing that word means today.

16I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

16The nations shook at the crash of its fall. That was when I sent it down to the place of the dead, with others who go down to the grave. Then the trees of Eden, the finest and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, felt better down in the earth below.

17They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.

17Those trees went down with it too, down to the people killed in war. They had been its helpers and had lived in its shade among the nations.

18To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

18So, Pharaoh, which tree of Eden is as grand and great as you? You will be brought down into the earth below with those trees. You will lie among people who did not belong to God's people, killed in war. That is what will happen to Pharaoh and all his people, says the Lord God."

NoteThe KJV says "the uncircumcised." Circumcision was a mark on the body that showed a man belonged to God's people. So this means people outside God's people. Here it points to a shameful burial.