1. On the first day of the third month in the eleventh year of exile, the word of the Lord came to me. He said,
2. “Son of man, say this to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to his people: “‘You are so great! Who can I compare you to?
3. Assyria was a cedar tree in Lebanon with beautiful branches, with forest shade, and very tall. Its top was among the clouds!
4. The water made the tree grow. The deep river made the tree tall. Rivers flowed around the place where the tree was planted. Only small streams flowed from that tree to all the other trees of the field.
5. So that tree was taller than all the other trees of the field, and it grew many branches. There was plenty of water, so the tree branches spread out.
6. All the birds of the sky made their nests in the branches of that tree, and all the animals of the field gave birth under the branches of that tree. All the great nations lived under the shade of that tree.
7. The tree was very beautiful. It was so large! It had such long branches. Its roots had plenty of water.
8. Even the cedar trees in God’s garden were not as big as this tree. Cypress trees did not have as many branches. Plane trees did not have such branches. No tree in God’s garden was as beautiful as this tree.
9. I gave it many branches and made it beautiful. And all the trees in Eden, God’s garden, were jealous!’”
10. So this is what the Lord GOD says: “That tree grew tall. Its top reached up to the clouds. It grew so big that it became proud!