Ezekiel 31

1 In the eleventh [almost eleven years after we had been taken to Babylonia] year, on the first [one, a single unit of time] day of the third [third in a sequence, a specific month] month, the word [a message, declaration, or command] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came to me, saying [to communicate, utter, or express], word study 2 “Son [descendant, human] of man [the first human, Adam], say [speak, command] to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] king of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] and to his multitude [crowd, large group]: ‘Who can be compared [resemble, likened] to your greatness [magnificence, power, grandeur]? word study 3 Look at Assyria [the Assyrian nation], a cedar [a cedar tree, strong and durable] in Lebanon [a mountain range in Israel], with beautiful [fair, lovely] branches [boughs, limbs] that shaded [provided shadow, gave shade] the forest [wood, wooded area]. It towered [was high, lofty] on high [in great stature]; its top [treetop, highest branch] was among the clouds [thick boughs, heavenly realm]. word study 4 The waters [nourishing, life-giving] made it grow; the deep [abyss, tehom, the subterranean water supply] springs made it tall, directing their streams [rivers, flowing channels] all around its base and sending their channels [conduits, waterways] to all the trees [strong and firm objects] of the field [a flat area of land, a cultivated region]. word study 5 Therefore it towered [exalted, became lofty] higher than all the trees [strong and firm objects] of the field [a flat area of land, a habitat]. Its branches [small parts of something larger] multiplied [increased, grew], and its boughs [branches with bright green foliage] grew long [were prolonged, extended] as it spread them out because of the abundant [many, plentiful] waters [a source of refreshment, a liquid]. word study 6 All [every single one] the birds [fowls of heaven] of the air [heaven, sky] nested [made their nests, to build or occupy a nest] in its branches [boughs, small twigs], and all [every] the beasts [living creatures, animals] of the field [land, flat area] gave birth [to beget, brought forth their young] beneath [underneath, below] its boughs [bright green foliage]; all [every] the great [mighty, powerful] nations [Gentiles, large groups] lived [to dwell, sit, remain] in its shade [shadow, protection, dark area]. word study 7 It was beautiful [fair, majestic] in its greatness [magnitude, magnificence], in the length [extent, duration] of its limbs [branches, shoots], for its roots [foundation, source] extended to abundant [many, plentiful] waters [a source of refreshment, spiritual nourishment]. word study 8 The cedars [tall, majestic trees] in the garden [a paradise, an enclosed area] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] could not rival [hide, compare to] it; the cypresses [evergreen trees] could not compare [be like] with its branches [boughs, limbs], nor the plane trees [with smooth, shedding bark] match [be equal to] its boughs [small branches, twigs]. No tree [wood, a strong and firm object] in the garden [paradise, a place for pleasure] of God could compare [be like, resemble] with its beauty [pleasant, attractive appearance, loveliness]. word study 9 I made it [exceedingly] beautiful [fair, lovely] with its many [abundant, numerous] branches [thin shoots], the envy [jealousy, resentment] of all [every] the trees [strong and firm objects] of Eden [the garden of pleasure], which [that] were in the garden [enclosed area, paradise] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator].’ word study 10 Therefore [thus, in this manner] this is what the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘Since it became [exalted, lifted up] great in height [stature, loftiness] and set its top [treetop, highest branch] among the clouds [the heavenly realm], and it grew proud [haughty, lifted up] on account of its height [loftiness, grandeur], word study 11 I delivered it into the hand [of power and authority] of the ruler [a strong leader, a mighty one] of the nations [Gentiles, heathen], for him to deal with it according to its wickedness [immorality, sinful actions]. I have banished [driven out, expelled] it. word study 12 Foreigners [strangers, ruthless nations], the most ruthless [terrible, inspiring fear] of the nations, cut it down [destroyed, chopped it off] and left it [forsaken, abandoned]. Its branches [thin shoots, limbs] have fallen [come down, been broken] on the mountains [hills, high places] and in every valley [lowland, gorge]; its boughs [main branches, limbs] lay broken [shattered, ruptured] in all the earth’s [land, territory] ravines [channels, streams]. And all the peoples [nations, Gentiles] of the earth [land, world] left its shade [shadow, protection] and abandoned [forsaken, left] it. word study 13 All [every single one, the entirety of] the birds [fowl, creatures of the air] of the air [heaven, the sky] nested [dwelt, remained] on its fallen [ruined, destroyed] trunk [carcass, fallen tree], and all [every single one, the entirety of] the beasts [living creatures, animals] of the field [land, wilderness] lived [dwelled, had their being] among [upon, in the midst of] its boughs [branches, limbs]. word study 14 This happened so that no other trees [near the source of life] by the waters would become great [exalted, lofty] in height and set their tops [treetops, highest branches] among the clouds, and no other well-watered [drinking deeply, nourished] trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned [delivered, given over] to death [the state of being dead, separation from life], to the depths [lower parts, lowest regions] of the earth, among the mortals [children of men, human beings] who descend [go down, fall] to the Pit [a place of darkness, the underworld].’ word study 15 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] says: ‘On the day [a period of time, a specific point in history] it was brought down [to be lowered, to descend] to Sheol [the underworld, the place of the dead], I caused mourning [to lament, to grieve]. I covered [to hide, to conceal] the deep [the abyss, the subterranean waters] because of it; I held back [to restrain, to withhold] its rivers [the flowing streams, the sources of life]; its abundant [many, plentiful] waters were restrained [to be stopped, to be held back]. I made Lebanon [a mountain range] mourn [to lament, to grieve] for it, and all [everything, the entirety] the trees [the strong and firm, the upright] of the field [the land, the cultivated area] fainted [to be weak, to wilt] because of it. word study 16 I made the nations [to shake] quake at the sound [voice, noise] of its downfall [ruin, collapse], when I cast it down [brought low, hurled] to Sheol [the underworld, grave] with those who descend [go down, fall] to the Pit [cistern, abyss]. Then all [every, the whole] the trees of Eden [the garden of paradise, bliss], the choicest [best, finest] and best [most excellent, superior] of Lebanon [a mountain range], all [every, the whole] the well-watered [drinking, nourished] trees, were consoled [comforted, solaced] in the earth [land, ground] below [in the lower parts, underneath]. word study 17 They too [also, even] descended with it to Sheol [the underworld, grave, place of no return], to those slain [killed, pierced] by the sword [cutting instrument]. As its allies [arm, helpers, supporters] they had lived in its shade [shadow, protection] among the nations [Gentiles, heathen, non-Hebrew peoples]. word study 18 Who then is like you [in majesty and power] in glory [great honor and splendor] and greatness [magnitude and magnificence] among the trees [strong and firm, like a tree or a wooden plank] of Eden [the garden of pleasure and beauty]? You also will be brought down [to go down, to descend] to the depths [the lowermost parts, the lowest regions] of the earth [the land, the soil, or the ground] to be with [near, in close relationship] the trees of Eden. You will lie [to rest, to sleep, or to be still] among the uncircumcised [those who are not spiritually purified, without a covenant relationship], with those slain [killed, or put to death] by the sword [a cutting instrument, a tool for warfare]. This is Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] and all his multitude [a large crowd, a great number], declares the Lord [Adonay, the supreme Ruler] GOD [Yehovah, the self-existent and eternal One].’” word study