Study Desk

In the eleventh year,^(a) in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:

"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: Who are you like in your greatness?

Think of Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon,^(b) with beautiful branches and shady foliage and of lofty height. Its top was among the clouds.^[a]

The waters caused it to grow; the underground springs made it tall, directing their rivers all around the place where the tree was planted and sending their channels to all the trees of the field.

Therefore the cedar became greater in height than all the trees of the field.^(c) Its branches multiplied, and its boughs grew long as it spread them out because of the plentiful water.^(d)

All the birds of the sky nested in its branches,^(e) and all the animals of the field gave birth beneath its boughs; all the great nations lived in its shade.

It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its limbs, for its roots extended to abundant water.

The cedars in God's garden could not rival it;^(f) the pine trees couldn't compare with its branches, nor could the plane trees match its boughs. No tree in the garden of God could compare with it in beauty.

I made it beautiful with its many limbs, and all the trees of Eden, which were in God's garden, envied it.

"Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Since it^[b] became great in height and set its top among the clouds,^[c] and it^[d] grew proud^(g) on account of its height,

I determined to hand it over to a ruler of nations;^(h) he would surely deal with it. I banished it because of its wickedness.

Foreigners, ruthless men from the nations,⁽ⁱ⁾ cut it down and left it lying. Its limbs fell on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth's ravines. All the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it.

All the birds of the sky nested on its fallen trunk, and all the animals of the field were among its boughs.

This happened so that no trees planted beside water would become great in height and set their tops among the clouds,^[e] and so that no other well-watered trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned to death, to the underworld, among the people who descend to the Pit.^(j)

"This is what the Lord God says: I caused grieving on the day the cedar went down to Sheol.^(k) I closed off the underground deep because of it:^[f] I held back the rivers of the deep, and its abundant waters were restrained. I made Lebanon mourn on account of it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it.

I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I threw it down to Sheol to be with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden,^(l) all the well-watered trees, the choice and best of Lebanon, were comforted^(m) in the underworld.

They too descended with it to Sheol, to those slain by the sword. As its allies^[g][h] they had lived in its shade among the nations.

"Who then are you like in glory and greatness among Eden's trees? You also will be brought down to the underworld to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword.⁽ⁿ⁾ This is Pharaoh and all his hordes"—the declaration of the Lord God .

In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:

"Son of man, lament^(a) for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: You compare yourself to a lion of the nations, but^[a] you are like a monster^(b) in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churn up the waters with your feet, and muddy the^[b] rivers."

This is what the Lord God says: I will spread My net over you^(c) with an assembly of many peoples, and they^[c] will haul you up in My net.

I will abandon you on the land and hurl you on the open field. I will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you and let the beasts of the entire earth eat their fill of you.^(d)

I will put your flesh on the mountains^(e) and fill the valleys with your carcass.

I will drench the land with the flow of your blood, even to the mountains; the ravines will be filled with your gore.

When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud,^(f) and the moon will not give its light.

I will darken all the shining lights in the heavens over you, and will bring darkness on your land. This is the declaration of the Lord God .

I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring about your destruction among the nations, in countries you do not know.

I will cause many nations to be appalled at you, and their kings will shudder with fear because of you^(g) when I brandish My sword in front of them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment^(h) for his life.

For this is what the Lord God says: The sword of Babylon's king will come against you!

I will make your hordes fall by the swords of warriors, all of them ruthless men from the nations.⁽ⁱ⁾ They will ravage Egypt's pride, and all its hordes will be destroyed.

I will slaughter all its cattle that are beside many waters. No human foot will churn them again, and no cattle hooves will disturb them.^(j)

Then I will let their waters settle and will make their rivers flow like oil. This is the declaration of the Lord God .

When I make the land of Egypt a desolation, so that it is emptied of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am Yahweh.^(k)

"This is a lament that will be chanted;^(l) the women of the nations will chant it. They will chant it over Egypt and all its hordes." This is the declaration of the Lord God .

In the twelfth year,^[d] on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:

"Son of man, wail over the hordes of Egypt and bring Egypt and the daughters of mighty nations down to the underworld,^[e] to be with those who descend to the Pit:^(m)

Who do you surpass in loveliness? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!

They will fall among those slain by the sword. A sword is appointed!⁽ⁿ⁾ They drag her and all her hordes away.

Warrior leaders will speak from the middle of Sheol about him^[f] and his allies: They have come down; the uncircumcised lie slain by the sword.^(o)

Assyria is there with all her company; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.

Her graves are set in the deepest regions of the Pit, and her company is all around her burial place. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword— those who once spread terror in the land of the living.

Elam^(p) is there with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword— those who went down to the underworld^[g] uncircumcised, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.

Among the slain they prepare a resting place for Elam with all her hordes. Her graves are all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed among the slain.

Meshech and Tubal^[h](q) are there, with all their hordes. Their graves are all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living.

They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of the uncircumcised,^[i] who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads.^[j] The punishment for their sins rested on their bones, although the terror of these warriors was once in the land of the living.

But you will be shattered and will lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.^(r)

Edom^(s) is there, her kings and all her princes, who, despite their strength, have been placed among those slain by the sword. They lie down with the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.

All the leaders of the north^(t) and all the Sidonians^(u) are there. They went down in shame with the slain, despite the terror their strength inspired. They lie down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.

Pharaoh will see them and be comforted^(v) over all his hordes— Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword. This is the declaration of the Lord God .

For I will spread My^[k] terror in the land of the living, so Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword." This is the declaration of the Lord God .