The Babylonian Exile

All the birds of the air nested in its branches, and all the beasts of the field gave birth beneath its boughs; all the great nations lived in its shade.

It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its limbs, for its roots extended to abundant waters.

The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it; the cypresses could not compare with its branches, nor the plane trees match its boughs. No tree in the garden of God could compare with its beauty.

I made it beautiful with its many branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God.’

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Since it became great in height and set its top among the clouds, and it grew proud on account of its height,

I delivered it into the hand of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with it according to its wickedness. I have banished it.

Foreigners, the most ruthless of the nations, cut it down and left it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth’s ravines. And all the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it.

All the birds of the air nested on its fallen trunk, and all the beasts of the field lived among its boughs.

This happened so that no other trees by the waters would become great in height and set their tops among the clouds, and no other well-watered trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned to death, to the depths of the earth, among the mortals who descend to the Pit.’

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the day it was brought down to Sheol, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it; I held back its rivers; its abundant waters were restrained. I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it.

I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below.

They too descended with it to Sheol, to those slain by the sword. As its allies they had lived in its shade among the nations.

Who then is like you in glory and greatness among the trees of Eden? You also will be brought down to the depths of the earth to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD.’”

In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

“Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churning up the waters with your feet and muddying the streams.’

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will spread My net over you with a company of many peoples, and they will draw you up in My net.

I will abandon you on the land and hurl you into the open field. I will cause all the birds of the air to settle upon you, and all the beasts of the earth to eat their fill of you.

I will put your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains.

I will drench the land with the flow of your blood, all the way to the mountains— the ravines will be filled.

When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you, and I will bring darkness upon your land,’ declares the Lord GOD.

‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring about your destruction among the nations, in countries you do not know.

I will cause many peoples to be appalled over you, and their kings will shudder in horror because of you when I brandish My sword before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life.’

For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you!

I will make your hordes fall by the swords of the mighty, the most ruthless of all nations. They will ravage the pride of Egypt and all her multitudes will be destroyed.