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Ezekiel 31
Ezekiel 31:1
it came about
This phrase is used here to mark the beginning of a new part of the story. If your language has a way for doing this, you could consider using it here.
in the eleventh year
"in year 11." This means the eleventh year after King Jehoiachin was taken into exile in Babylon. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 26:1. Alternate translation: "in the eleventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-ordinal and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
in the third month, on the first day of the month
"on the first day of the third month." This is the third month of the Hebrew calendar. This first day is near the beginning of June on Western calendars. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-hebrewmonths and rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-ordinal)
the word of Yahweh came
This is an idiom that is used to introduce something that God told his prophets or his people. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 3:16. Alternate translation: "Yahweh spoke this message" or "Yahweh spoke these words" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
Ezekiel 31:2
Son of man
"Son of a human being" or "Son of humanity." God calls Ezekiel this to emphasize that Ezekiel is only a human being. God is eternal and powerful, but humans are not. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 2:1. Alternate translation: "Mortal person" or "Human"
In your greatness, who are you like?
"Who is as great as you are?" Yahweh uses this question to introduce a new topic. Pharaoh thought that his nation was the greatest, but God is about to talk about another great nation. Alternate translation: "You think that there is no country whose power is as great as the power of your country." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Ezekiel 31:3
General Information:
These are God's words to Pharaoh about Assyria. God gives his message in the form of a parable about a great cedar tree. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parables)
Behold!
"Look!" or "Listen!" or "Pay attention to what I am about to tell you!"
Assyria was a cedar
In this parable, God speaks about Assyria as if it were a great tree to emphasize how great and powerful the Assyrians were. This parable continues until 31:9. Alternate translation: "Assyria was like a cedar" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parables)
the branches formed its treetop
"its top was above the branches of the other trees." Some versions of the Bible translate this as "the top of the tree was in the clouds."
Ezekiel 31:4
Many waters made it tall
"Because the cedar had a lot of water, it grew very tall"
the deep waters made it huge
"the water deep in the ground made the cedar grow very big"
for their channels stretched out to all the trees in the field
"and streams flowed from the rivers to all the trees of the field"
Ezekiel 31:5
General Information:
Yahweh's parable about the cedar continues.
Its great height was more than any of the other trees in the field
"The cedar was taller than any of the other trees of the field"
its branches became very many
"it grew very many branches"
because of many waters as they grew
"because it had a lot of water"
Ezekiel 31:6
Every bird of the heavens nested in its branches
"All kinds of birds that fly in the sky made nests in its branches"
while every living thing of the field gave birth to its young under its foliage
"and all of the creatures that live in the field gave birth under the cedar's branches"
All of the many nations lived under its shade
"All of the great nations lived in the shade of that tree." Here "nations" represents the people who live there. Alternate translation: "The people from all the nations lived in the shade of that tree" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Ezekiel 31:7
it was beautiful in its greatness and the length of its branches
"It was beautiful because it was very big and its branches were very long"
Ezekiel 31:8
General Information:
Yahweh's parable about the cedar continues.
Cedars in the garden of God could not equal it
Since these were God's words to Pharaoh, it can also be translated with the first person. Alternate translation: "The cedar trees in my garden were not as great as that tree" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person)
the garden of God
This is another way of referring to "the garden of Eden."
None among the cypress trees matched its branches
Yahweh was comparing how many branches the trees had. Alternate translation: "None of the cypress trees had as many branches as the cedar" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
cypress trees
Cypress trees have very many branches. They can grow very tall. See how you translated "cypress" in Ezekiel 27:5.
the plane tree could not equal its boughs
It was implied Yahweh was comparing the long branches of the cedar tree with the long branches of the plane tree. Alternate translation: "the plane tree did not have branches like the cedar tree" or "no plane tree had branches as long as the branches of the cedar tree" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
plane tree
A plane tree was a large, leafy tree with strong branches. It is similar to a sycamore tree. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-unknown)
was like it in its beauty
"was as beautiful as the cedar tree"
Ezekiel 31:9
I made it beautiful with its many branches
"I made the cedar beautiful by giving it many long branches"
envied it
"were jealous of the cedar tree"
Ezekiel 31:10
General Information:
Yahweh's parable about the cedar continues.
Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this
Since Yahweh is speaking this can be stated in first person. Alternate translation: "Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person)
it set its treetop between its branches
"its top was above the branches of the other trees." Some versions of the Bible translate this as "the top of the tree was in the clouds."
Ezekiel 31:11
I have given it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations
The word "hand" represents control. Alternate translation: "I put it in the power of the strongest nation" or "I gave the strongest nation power over it" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
I have thrown it out
"I sent the cedar away from the cedar's land because the cedar was wicked"
Ezekiel 31:12
General Information:
Yahweh's parable about the cedar continues.
who were the terror of all the nations
The abstract noun "terror" can be stated as "afraid." And here "nations" represents the people of the nations. Alternate translation: "who made the people of all the nations afraid" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
cut it off
"cut the cedar down"
its boughs lay broken
"the foreigners broke the boughs of the cedar"
boughs
Boughs are very large branches that grow on trees. Usually, many smaller branches grow on the boughs.
came out from under its shade
"left the shade of the cedar"
Ezekiel 31:13
General Information:
Yahweh's parable about the cedar continues.
All the birds of the sky
"All the birds that fly in the sky"
rested on the trunk of the fallen tree
"rested on the remains of the cedar"
trunk
The trunk is a very thick part of the tree that comes out of the ground and holds up the rest of the tree.
every animal of the field came to its branches
"the wild animals lived in the branches of the cedar"
Ezekiel 31:14
that no other trees that grow by the waters
"that no other trees that get a lot of water"
will lift up their foliage to the height of the tallest trees
"will grow taller than the branches of other trees." Some Bibles translate this as "will set their tops among the clouds."
that no other trees that grow beside the waters will reach up to that height
"that no other trees that get a lot of water will ever grow that tall again"
All of them have been assigned to death, to the earth below
This can be stated in active form. And the abstract noun "death" can be stated "die." Alternate translation: "For I made it so that they all will die and go deep under the ground" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns)
among the children of humanity, with those that go down to the pit
"to be with those people who have died and gone down to the grave"
the pit
This refers to the grave; because the grave was thought to be the entrance to the world of the dead, the pit also represents that world. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 26:20. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Ezekiel 31:15
General Information:
Yahweh's parable about the cedar continues. Here, Yahweh speaks about the great sadness caused by the tree being cut down as if even the waters, Lebanon, and the wild trees all mourned for the cedar.
On the day when the cedar went down to Sheol
The phrase "went down to Sheol" means "died." Alternate translation: "On the day that the cedar died" or "On the day that the cedar was chopped down" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
I brought mourning to the earth
The abstract noun "mourning" can be stated as a verb. Alternate translation: "I caused the earth to mourn" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns)
I covered the deep waters over it
The word "covered" possibly refers to putting on clothes for mourning. Alternate translation: "I made the water from the springs mourn for the cedar" or "it was as though the springs that watered it mourned for it" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
I held back the ocean waters
"I kept the water in the ocean from watering the earth"
I kept back the great waters
"I made it so that there would not be a lot of water anymore"
I brought mourning to Lebanon for him
The abstract noun "mourning" can be stated as a verb. Alternate translation: "I made Lebanon mourn for the cedar" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns)
Ezekiel 31:16
General Information:
Yahweh's parable about the cedar continues.
when I threw it down to Sheol with those who went down into the pit
Here "threw it down to Sheol" is an idiom that means to kill. "The pit" refers to the grave; because the grave was thought to be the entrance to the world of the dead, the pit also represents that world. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 31:14. Alternate translation: "when I killed the cedar and it went to Sheol with everyone else that is dead" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
in the lowest parts of the earth
"that were already deep down in the ground." This is an idiom. Alternate translation: "that had already died and are now in Sheol" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
the choicest and best trees of Lebanon; the trees that drank the waters
"the best trees of Lebanon that everyone would want; trees that got a lot of water." This is describing the trees of Eden that were in the lowest parts of the earth.
the choicest
This is something that everyone would want because it is very good.
Ezekiel 31:17
General Information:
Yahweh's parable about the cedar continues.
they also went down with it to Sheol
Here "went down ... to Sheol" is an idiom that means to die. Alternate translation: "those trees of Lebanon also died and went down to Sheol with the cedar" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
who had been killed by the sword
Here "sword" represents enemies who fought them in battle. This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "whom enemies had killed with swords" or "who had died in battle" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
These were its strong arm
"These trees of Lebanon were its strong arm." The phrase "strong arm" represents "power." Alternate translation: "These trees of Lebanon were the power of the cedar" or "These trees strengthened the cedar" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Ezekiel 31:18
Which of the trees in Eden was your equal in glory and greatness?
"Which of these trees in Eden had as much glory as you and was as great as you?" God asks Pharaoh this question to show him that the parable applies to him and his country. It can start with "So Pharaoh" or "So Egypt." Alternate translation: "None of the trees in Eden was your equal in glory and greatness!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
For you will be brought down
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "For I will bring you down" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
with the trees of Eden
"like the other trees of Eden"
to the lowest parts of the earth
"to a place deep in the ground"
among the uncircumcised
"where you will be with people who are not circumcised"
this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration
Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 5:11. Alternate translation: "this is what the Lord Yahweh has declared" or "this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, have declared" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person)