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 Now in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, say to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to his people; Whom are you like in your great power?

3 See, a pine-tree with beautiful branches and thick growth, giving shade and very tall; and its top was among the clouds.

4 It got strength from the waters and the deep made it tall: its streams went round about its planted land and it sent out its waterways to all the trees of the field.

5 In this way it became taller than all the trees of the field; and its branches were increased and its arms became long because of the great waters.

6 In its branches all the birds of heaven came to rest, and under its arms all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and great nations were living in its shade.

7 So it was beautiful, being so tall and its branches so long, for its root was by great waters.

8 No cedars were equal to it in the garden of God; the fir-trees were not like its branches, and plane-trees were as nothing in comparison with its arms; no tree in the garden of God was so beautiful.

9 I made it beautiful with its mass of branches: so that all the trees in the garden of God were full of envy of it.

10 For this cause the Lord has said: Because he is tall, and has put his top among the clouds, and his heart is full of pride because he is so high,

11 I have given him up into the hands of a strong one of the nations; he will certainly give him the reward of his sin, driving him out.

12 And men from strange lands, who are to be feared among the nations, after cutting him off, have let him be: on the mountains and in all the valleys his branches have come down; his arms are broken by all the waterways of the land; all the peoples of the earth have gone from his shade, and have let him be.

13 All the birds of heaven have come to rest on his broken stem where it is stretched on the earth, and all the beasts of the field will be on his branches:

14 In order that no trees by the waters may be lifted up in their growth, putting their tops among the clouds; and that no trees which are watered may take their place on high: for they are all given up to death, to the lowest parts of the earth among the children of men, with those who go down to the underworld.

15 This is what the Lord has said: The day when he goes down to the underworld, I will make the deep full of grief for him; I will keep back her streams and the great waters will be stopped: I will make Lebanon dark for him, and all the trees of the field will be feeble because of him.

16 I will send shaking on the nations at the sound of his fall, when I send him down to the underworld with those who go down into the deep: and on earth they will be comforting themselves, all the trees of Eden, the best of Lebanon, even all the watered ones.

17 And they will go down with him to the underworld, to those who have been put to the sword; even those who were his helpers, living under his shade among the nations

18 Whom then are you like? for you will be sent down with the trees of Eden into the lowest parts of the earth: there you will be stretched out among those without circumcision, with those who were put to the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his people, says the Lord.