A
Cedar In Lebanon
In
the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day,
The
Word of the Lord came to me:
2
'Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:
'Who
can be compared with you in majesty?
3
Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon,
With
beautiful branches overshadowing the forest ;
It
towered on high its top above the thick foliage.
4
The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall;
Their
streams flowed all around its base
And
sent their channels to all the trees of the field.
5
So it towered higher than all the trees of the field;
Its
boughs increased and it s branches grew long,
Spreading
because of abundant waters.
6
All the birds of the air nested in its boughs,
All
the beast of the field gave birth under its branches;
ALL
THE GREAT NATIONS LIVED IN ITS SHADE.
7
It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs,
For
its roots went down to abundant waters.
8
THE CEDARS OF THE GARDEN OF GOD COULD NOT RIVAL IT,
Nor
could the pine trees equal its boughs,
Nor
could the plane trees compare with its branches--
NO
TREE IN THE GARDEN OF GOD COULD MATCH ITS BEAUTY.
9 I
MADE IT BEAUTIFUL WITH ABUNDANT BRANCHES,
THE
ENVY OF ALL THE TREES OF EDEN
IN
THE GARDEN OF GOD.
10
'THEREFORE THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
Because
it towered on high,
Lifting
its top above the thick foliage,
And
because it was proud of its height,
I
HANDED IT OVER TO THE RULER OF THE NATIONS,
FOR
HIM TO DEAL WITH ACCORDING TO ITS WICKEDNESS.
I
CAST IT ASIDE,
12
AND THE MOST RUTHLESS OF FOREIGN NATIONS
CUT
IT DOWN AND LEFT IT.
It
boughs fell on on the mountains and in all the valleys;
Its
branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land.
ALL
THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH
CAME
OUT FROM UNDER ITS SHADE AND LEFT IT.
13
All the birds of the air settled on the fallen tree,
And
all the beast of the field were among its branches.
14
Therefore no other trees by the waters
Are
ever to tower proudly on high,
Lifting
their tops above the thick foliage.
NO
OTHER TREES SO WELL WATERED
ARE
EVER OT REACH SUCH A HEIGHT;
THEY
ARE ALL DESTINED FOR DEATH,
FROM
THE EARTH BELOW, AMONG MORAL MEN,
WITH
THOSE WHO GO DOWN TO THE PIT.
15
'THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS;
On
the day it was brought down to the grave
I
covered the deep springs with mourning for it;
I
held back its streams,
And
its abundant waters were restrained.
Because
of it I clothed Lebanon with Gloom,
And
all the trees of the field withered away.
16
I MADE THE NATIONS TREMBLE AT THE SOUND OF ITS FALL
WHEN
I BROUGHT IT DOWN TO THE GRAVE
WITH
THOSE WHO GO DOWN TO THE PIT.
Then
all the trees of Eden,
The
choicest and best of Lebanon,
All
the trees that were well-watered,
Were
consoled in the earth below.
17
THOSE WHO LIVED IN ITS SHADE,
ITS
ALLIES AMONG THE NATIONS,
HAD
ALSO GONE DOWN TO THE GRAVE WITH IT,
JOINING
THOSE KILLED BY THE SWORD.
18
'Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you
In
Splendor and Majesty?
YET
YOU TOO, WILL BE BROUGHT DOWN
WITH
THE TREES OF EDEN TO THE EARTH BELOW;
YOU
WILL LIE AMONG THE UNCIRCUMCISED,
WITH
THOSE KILLED BY THE SWORD.
'THIS
IS PHARAOH AND ALL HIS HORDES,
DECLARES
THE SOVEREIGN LORD.'
(Ezekiel
31)
Because
Wickedness was found in Assyria
The
Sovereign Lord brought it down to the Pit,
Along
with all of its Allies.
And
just as Assyria was brought down,
So
Egypt was also to be brought down for the same reason.
Today,
the Sovereign God will bring down to the ground
And
to the Pit, ALL the Wicked Nations.
Soon,
All the Nations will embrace the son of Satan,
The
Beast of Revelation, the Antichrist,
The
Ultimate Act of Rebellion toward God,
And
they ALL will be brought down to the Pit.
As
God has written, so shall it be.
(Revelation
13)
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