Daily Bread

Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon

31 In the eleventh year,^(A) in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(B) 2} “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:

¹⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud^(R) of its height, ¹¹ I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,^{(S) 12} and the most ruthless of foreign nations^(T) cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys;^(U) 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.^{(V) 13} All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.^{(W) 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 to reach such a height; they are all destined^(X) for death,^(Y) for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.^(Z)

¹⁵ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead 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.^{(AA) 16} I made the nations tremble^(AB) at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees^(AC) of Eden,^(AD) the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled^(AE) in the earth below.^{(AF) 17} They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword,^(AG) along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.

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,^(AH) with those killed by the sword.

“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

A Lament Over Pharaoh

32 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(AI) 2} “Son of man, take up a lament^(AJ) concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:

³ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

¹⁶ “This is the lament^(BG) they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Egypt’s Descent Into the Realm of the Dead

¹⁷ In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(BH) 18} “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign^(BI) to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.^{(BJ) 19} Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’^{(BK) 20} They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged^(BL) off with all her hordes.^{(BM) 21} From within the realm of the dead^(BN) the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised,^(BO) with those killed by the sword.’

²² “Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. ²³ Their graves are in the depths of the pit^(BP) and her army lies around her grave.^(BQ) All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.

²⁴ “Elam^(BR) is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.^(BS) All who had spread terror in the land of the living^(BT) went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.^{(BU) 25} A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised,^(BV) killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.

²⁶ “Meshek and Tubal^(BW) are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. ²⁷ But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old,^[b](BX) who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields^[c] resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.

²⁸ “You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.

²⁹ “Edom^(BY) is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.^(BZ)

³⁰ “All the princes of the north^(CA) and all the Sidonians^(CB) are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised^(CC) with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.^(CD)

³¹ “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled^(CE) for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord. ³² Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh^(CF) and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”^(CG)