Ezekiel 31:3–9

Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,

with beautiful branches and forest shade,

and of towering height,

its top among the clouds.

The waters nourished it;

the deep made it grow tall,

making its rivers flow

around the place of its planting,

sending forth its streams

to all the trees of the field.

So it towered high

above all the trees of the field;

its boughs grew large

and its branches long

from abundant water in its shoots.

All the birds of the heavens

made their nests in its boughs;

under its branches all the beasts of the field

gave birth to their young,

and under its shadow

lived all great nations.

It was beautiful in its greatness,

in the length of its branches;

for its roots went down

to abundant waters.

The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it,

nor the fir trees equal its boughs;

neither were the plane trees

like its branches;

no tree in the garden of God

was its equal in beauty.

I made it beautiful

in the mass of its branches,

and all the trees of Eden envied it,

that were in the garden of God.

Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon,

with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;

it towered on high,

its top above the thick foliage.

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.

So it towered higher

than all the trees of the field;

its boughs increased

and its branches grew long,

spreading because of abundant waters.

All the birds of the sky

nested in its boughs,

all the animals of the wild

gave birth under its branches;

all the great nations

lived in its shade.

It was majestic in beauty,

with its spreading boughs,

for its roots went down

to abundant waters.

The cedars in the garden of God

could not rival it,

nor could the junipers

equal its boughs,

nor could the plane trees

compare with its branches—

no tree in the garden of God

could match its beauty.

I made it beautiful

with abundant branches,

the envy of all the trees of Eden

in the garden of God.

Think of Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon,

with beautiful branches and shady foliage

and of lofty height.

Its top was among the clouds.

The waters caused it to grow;

the underground springs made it tall,

directing their rivers all around

the place where the tree was planted

and sending their channels

to all the trees of the field.

Therefore the cedar became greater in height

than all the trees of the field.

Its branches multiplied,

and its boughs grew long

as it spread them out

because of the abundant water.

All the birds of the sky

nested in its branches,

and all the animals of the field

gave birth beneath its boughs;

all the great nations lived in its shade.

It was beautiful in its size,

in the length of its limbs,

for its roots extended to abundant water.

The cedars in God’s garden could not eclipse it;

the pine trees couldn’t compare with its branches,

nor could the plane trees match its boughs.

No tree in the garden of God

could compare with it in beauty.

I made it beautiful with its many limbs,

and all the trees of Eden,

which were in God’s garden, envied it.

You are like mighty Assyria,

which was once like a cedar of Lebanon,

with beautiful branches that cast deep forest shade

and with its top high among the clouds.

Deep springs watered it

and helped it to grow tall and luxuriant.

The water flowed around it like a river,

streaming to all the trees nearby.

This great tree towered high,

higher than all the other trees around it.

It prospered and grew long thick branches

because of all the water at its roots.

The birds nested in its branches,

and in its shade all the wild animals gave birth.

All the great nations of the world

lived in its shadow.

It was strong and beautiful,

with wide-spreading branches,

for its roots went deep

into abundant water.

No other cedar in the garden of God

could rival it.

No cypress had branches to equal it;

no plane tree had boughs to compare.

No tree in the garden of God

came close to it in beauty.

Because I made this tree so beautiful,

and gave it such magnificent foliage,

it was the envy of all the other trees of Eden,

the garden of God.

Look! Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,

with beautiful branches and a forest giving shade,

and very high,

and its treetop was between the clouds.

Waters made it great,

the deep made it grow high;

its rivers were going all around its planting area,

and its channels it sent out

to all of the trees of the field.

Therefore it became tall,

with its height more than all of the trees of the field,

and its branches became numerous,

and its branches became long

from its sending its shoots from abundant water.

In its branches all the birds of the heaven made their nest,

and under its branches all the animals of the field gave birth,

and in its shadow all the many nations lived.

And it was beautiful in its greatness,

in the length of its branches,

for its root was toward much water.

Cedars in the garden of God

could not be equal to it;

fir trees could not resemble its branches,

and plane trees were not even like its branches;

any tree even in the garden of God

could not resemble it in its beauty.

I made it beautiful with the abundance of its branches,

and all of the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied it.’ ”

Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field. Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth. All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations. Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters. The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.