1 En in die elfde jaar, in die derde maand, op die eerste van die maand, het die woord van die HERE tot my gekom en gesê:

2 Mensekind, sê aan Farao, die koning van Egipte, en aan sy menigte: Na wie lyk jy in jou grootheid?

3 Kyk, Assur was 'n seder op die L¡banon, skoon van takke en 'n skaduryke bos en hoog van groei; en sy top was tussen die wolke.

4 Waters het hom grootgemaak; die watervloed het hom hoog laat groei, wat met sy strome gegaan het rondom die plek waar hy geplant was, en sy watervore uitgestuur het na al die bome van die veld.

5 Daarom het hy hoër gegroei as al die bome van die veld, en het sy takke baie geword en sy takkies lank, weens die groot waters toe hy uitgeskiet het.

6 Al die voëls van die hemel het nes gemaak in sy takke, en al die wilde diere van die veld het onder sy takkies aangeteel, en allerhande groot volke het onder sy skaduwee gaan sit.

7 En hy het skoon geword in sy grootheid, in die lengte van sy takke, omdat sy wortel by groot waters was.

8 Seders het nie naby hom gekom in die tuin van God nie, sipresse was nie soos sy takke nie, en platane het nie gehaal by sy takwerk nie: geen boom in die tuin van God was met hom te vergelyk in sy skoonheid nie.

9 Ek het hom mooi gemaak deur die menigte van sy takke, sodat al die bome van Eden wat in die tuin van God was, hom beny het.

10 Daarom, so het die Here HERE gesê: Omdat hy hoog uitgegroei het, en hy sy top tussen die wolke verhef het en hoogmoedig geword het oor sy hoogte,

11 sal Ek hom oorgee in die hand van die magtige onder die nasies; die sal sekerlik met hom handel; vanweë sy goddeloosheid het Ek hom uitgedrywe.

12 Vreemdes, die geweldigste nasies, het hom afgekap en hom neergewerp; op die berge en in al die dale het sy takke geval, en sy takkies is stukkend gebreek in al die klowe van die land; en al die volke van die aarde het uit sy skaduwee weggegaan en hom so laat lê.

13 Al die voëls van die hemel het gaan sit op sy omgevalle stam, en al die wilde diere van die veld was op sy takkies;

14 sodat al die bome wat by water staan, nie hoog sou groei en hulle top nie sou verhef tussen die wolke nie, en hulle magtiges nie sou gaan staan in hulle hoogheid, almal wat water drink nie! Want hulle is almal oorgegee aan die dood om te gaan na die onderste van die aarde, onder die mensekinders, na die wat in die kuil neerdaal.

15 So sê die Here HERE: Op die dag toe hy na die doderyk neergedaal het, het Ek laat treur: Ek het om sy ontwil die watervloed oordek en die strome daarvan teruggehou, sodat die groot waters gestuit is; en Ek het om sy ontwil die L¡banon in swart gehul, en al die bome van die veld het gesmag om sy ontwil.

16 Deur die geluid van sy val het Ek die nasies laat bewe, toe Ek hom na die doderyk laat neerdaal het saam met die wat in die kuil neerdaal; en al die bome van Eden, die uitgesoektes en bestes van die L¡banon, almal waterdrinkers, het hulleself getroos in die onderste van die aarde.

17 Hulle het ook saam met hom neergedaal na die doderyk, na die wat verslaan is deur die swaard, ook sy helpers wat in sy skaduwee gesit het onder die nasies.

18 Na wie lyk jy so in heerlikheid en grootheid onder die bome van Eden? En tog sal jy neergewerp word saam met die bome van Eden na die onderste van die aarde; tussen die onbesnedenes sal jy lê, saam met die wat verslaan is deur die swaard. Dit is Farao en sy hele menigte, spreek die Here HERE.

1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude: Whom art thou like in thy greatness? 3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs. 4 The waters nourished it, the deep made it to grow: the rivers thereof ran round about its plantation; and it sent out its channels unto all the trees of the field. 5 Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it shot them forth. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; and under its branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young; and under its shadow dwelt all great nations. 7 Thus was it fair in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; the fir-trees were not like its boughs, and the plane-trees were not as its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like unto it in its beauty. 9 I made it fair by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it. 10 Therefore thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because thou art exalted in stature, and he hath set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; 11 I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him; I have driven him out for his wickedness. 12 And 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 watercourses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him. 13 Upon his ruin all the birds of the heavens shall dwell, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches; 14 to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, neither set their top among the thick boughs, nor that their mighty ones stand up in their height, even 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.

15 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the rivers 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. 16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with them that descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the nether parts of the earth. 17 They also went down into Sheol with him unto them that are slain by the sword; yea, they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations.

18 To 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 are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah.