A Warning to Pharaoh
Ezekiel 31, verse 1. Again it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Ezekiel 31, verse 2. “Son of man, say to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to his multitude, ‘To whom do you liken yourself in your high position? Ezekiel 31, verse 3. Behold, Assyria was a cypress in Lebanon, and he was beautiful in offshoots and high in greatness. His rule came to be among the clouds. Ezekiel 31, verse 4. Water nurtured him, and the depths made him grow tall. The depths led her rivers around his trees, and sent forth her system into all the trees of the plain. Ezekiel 31, verse 5. For this reason his greatness was exalted above all the trees of the plain, and his branches were enlarged because of the abundance of water. Ezekiel 31, verse 6. All the birds of the heavens made their nests in his offshoots, and under his branches all the wild animals of the plain brought forth their young; and all the multitude of nations dwelt under his shadow. Ezekiel 31, verse 7. Thus he was beautiful in his high position because of the multitude of his branches, for his roots were in much water. Ezekiel 31, verse 8. There were no such cypresses in the paradise of God, and there were no pine trees displaying offshoots like these. Silver firs did not have branches like these. No tree in the paradise of God was like him in beauty because of the multitude of his branches, Ezekiel 31, verse 9. and all the trees of God's paradise of splendor were jealous of him.’ Ezekiel 31, verse 10. “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Because you increased in greatness, and you established your rule among the clouds, and I saw him when he was exalted; Ezekiel 31, verse 11. therefore, I delivered him into the hands of the ruler of nations, and he carried out his destruction. Ezekiel 31, verse 12. Thus foreigners, the plague of the nations, destroyed him and cast him down upon the mountains. His branches fell in all the valleys, and his stems were broken in every plain of the land. All the peoples of the nations went down from their shelter and dashed him to the ground. Ezekiel 31, verse 13. All the birds of heaven rested on his fall, and all the wild animals of the field came upon his branches, Ezekiel 31, verse 14. that no trees in the water may ever again exalt themselves in their greatness, nor establish their rule among the clouds, and that no trees which drink water may stand in their high position. For all were delivered to death, to the depths of the earth, among the sons of men who go down to the pit.’ Ezekiel 31, verse 15. “Thus says the Lord and Master: ‘In the day he went down to Hades, the deep abyss mourned him; and I stood over her rivers and restrained her abundant water. Lebanon mourned over him, and all the trees of the field fainted over him. Ezekiel 31, verse 16. From the sound of his fall, the nations were shaken when I cast him down to Hades, together with those who descend into the pit. All the trees of splendor and the chosen plants of Lebanon, all that drink water, comforted him in the earth. Ezekiel 31, verse 17. Yet they also went down to Hades with him among those slain by the sword, along with their posterity. They that dwelt under his shadow perished in the midst of their life. Ezekiel 31, verse 18. To whom are you likened? Go down and be humiliated with the trees of splendor to the depths of the earth. You will sleep in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. Thus shall it be for Pharaoh and the multitude of his strength,’ says the Lord and Master.”