Et factum est in anno undecimo, tertio mense, una mensis: factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens:

And it came to pass in the eleventh year, the third month, the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

That same year, on the first day of the third month, word came to me from the Lord:

Fili hominis, dic Pharaoni regi Ægypti et populo ejus: Cui similis factus es in magnitudine tua?

Son of man, speak to Pharao king of Egypt, and to his people: To whom art thou like in thy greatness?

Son of man, here is a message for Pharao, king of Egypt, and his retinue. Say to him, This greatness of thine, whose memory does it recall?

ecce Assur quasi cedrus in Libano, pulcher ramis, et frondibus nemorosus, excelsusque altitudine, et inter condensas frondes elevatum est cacumen ejus.

Behold, the Assyrian was like a cedar in Libanus, with fair branches, and full of leaves, of a high stature, and his top was elevated among the thick boughs.

Not less powerful once was the Assyrian king, a very cedar of Lebanon. How fair its boughs, yonder tree, its leaves how overshadowing; what height, what thickness of growth about its top!

Aquæ nutrierunt illum; abyssus exaltavit illum: flumina ejus manabant in circuitu radicum ejus, et rivos suos emisit ad universa ligna regionis.

The waters nourished him, the deep set him tip on high, the streams thereof ran round about his roots, and it sent forth its rivulets to all the trees of the country.

Water nourished it, water came up from the depth beneath to sustain it, washed about its roots and parted into runnels to feed the trees around.

Propterea elevata est altitudo ejus super omnia ligna regionis, et multiplicata sunt arbusta ejus, et elevati sunt rami ejus præ aquis multis.

Therefore was his height exalted above all the trees of the country: and his branches were multiplied, and his boughs were elevated because of many waters.

In all the country-side none rose so tall, had covert so thick, branches so wide; none fed so deep.

Cumque extendisset umbram suam, in ramis ejus fecerunt nidos omnia volatilia cæli: et sub frondibus ejus genuerunt omnes bestiæ saltuum, et sub umbraculo illius habitabat cœtus gentium plurimarum.

And when he had spread forth his shadow, all the fowls of the air made their nests in his boughs, and all the beasts of the forest brought forth their young under his branches, and the assembly of many nations dwelt under his shadow.

Among its boughs the birds nested, the beasts in their travail sought its shade; proud nations a many under Assyria’s shelter grew.

Eratque pulcherrimus in magnitudine sua, et in dilatatione arbustorum suorum: erat enim radix illius juxta aquas multas.

And he was most beautiful for his greatness, and for the spreading of his branches: for his root was near great waters.

So fair it was, so tall and spreading, there by the brimming water’s side,

Cedri non fuerunt altiores illo in paradiso Dei; abietes non adæquaverunt summitatem ejus, et platani non fuerunt æquæ frondibus illius: omne lignum paradisi Dei non est assimilatum illi, et pulchritudini ejus.

The cedars in the paradise of God were not higher than he, the fir trees did not equal his top, neither were the plane trees to be compared with him for branches: no tree in the paradise of God was like him in his beauty.

in God’s own garden cedar could not overtop it, fir-tree match it for height, or plane-tree for shade. God’s garden itself could not shew such beauty:

Quoniam speciosum feci eum, et multis condensisque frondibus, et æmulata sunt eum omnia ligna voluptatis quæ erant in paradiso Dei.

For I made him beautiful and thick set with many branches: and all the trees of pleasure, that were in the paradise of God, envied him.

never a tree there, tree of Eden, but must envy it the leafy loveliness that was my gift.

Propterea hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Pro eo quod sublimatus est in altitudine, et dedit summitatem suam virentem atque condensam, et elevatum est cor ejus in altitudine sua:

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because he was exalted in height, and shot up his top green and thick, and his heart was lifted up in his height:

Alas, that he should aim too high, the Lord God says; alas for youth’s luxuriant promise, that swelled his heart with pride!

tradidi eum in manu fortissimi gentium: faciens faciet ei: juxta impietatem ejus ejeci eum.

I have delivered him into the hands of the mighty one of the nations, he shall deal with him: I have cast him out according to his wickedness.

I must needs hand him over to a conquering power, that should settle my reckoning with him; he, the godless, homeless should be.

Et succident eum alieni, et crudelissimi nationum, et projicient eum super montes: et in cunctis convallibus corruent rami ejus, et confringentur arbusta ejus in universis rupibus terræ: et recedent de umbraculo ejus omnes populi terræ, et relinquent eum.

And strangers, and the most cruel of the nations shall cut him down, and cast him away upon the mountains, and his boughs shall fall in every valley, and his branches shall be broken on every rock of the country: and all the people of the earth shall depart from his shadow, and leave him.

Cut down, yonder tree, by alien folk, heathen that pity have none, and left to lie on the hill-side, boughs choking the valleys, branches carried off by the mountain streams; vassal nations abandoned his shelter, and he was all alone.

In ruina ejus habitaverunt omnia volatilia cæli, et in ramis ejus fuerunt universæ bestiæ regionis.

All the fowls of the air dwelt upon his ruins, and all the beasts of the field were among his branches.

In the fallen trunk birds nested, under torn branches the wild beasts made their lair;

Quam ob rem non elevabuntur in altitudine sua omnia ligna aquarum, nec ponent sublimitatem suam inter nemorosa atque frondosa, nec stabunt in sublimitate sua omnia quæ irrigantur aquis: quia omnes traditi sunt in mortem ad terram ultimam, in medio filiorum hominum, ad eos qui descendunt in lacum.

For which cause none of the trees by the waters shall exalt themselves for their height: nor shoot up their tops among the thick branches and leaves, neither shall any of them that are watered stand up in their height: for they are all delivered unto death to the lowest parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down into the pit.

never again should tree boast of its height, there by the river bank, overtopping the covert of the woods, never again should the waters nourish its pride. Death and the deep earth should await them all, mortal things to a mortal doom appointed.

Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: In die quando descendit ad inferos, induxi luctum: operui eum abysso, et prohibui flumina ejus, et coërcui aquas multas: contristatus est super eum Libanus, et omnia ligna agri concussa sunt.

Thus saith the Lord God: In the day. when he went down to hell, I brought in mourning, I covered him with the deep: and I withheld its rivers, and restrained the many waters: Libanus grieved for him, and all the trees of the field trembled.

Sad dirge was his, the Lord God says, at his down-going; the great depth was the shroud of him, its flooding streams hushed and stayed; mourned Lebanon, and all the forest swooned away.

A sonitu ruinæ ejus commovi gentes cum deducerem eum ad infernum cum his qui descendebant in lacum: et consolata sunt in terra infima omnia ligna voluptatis egregia atque præclara in Libano, universa quæ irrigabantur aquis.

I shook the nations with the sound of his fall, when I brought him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of pleasure, the choice and best in Libanus, all that were moistened with waters, were comforted in the lowest parts of the earth.

How it echoed through the world, the crash of his fall! He too, like all mortal things, was for the earth at last; comfort for those others that were brought to earth like himself, trees of Eden like himself, so noble, so fair, so well watered!

Nam et ipsi cum eo descendent in infernum ad interfectos gladio: et brachium uniuscujusque sedebit sub umbraculo ejus in medio nationum.

For they also shall go down with him to hell to them that are slain by the sword: and the arm of every one shall sit down under his shadow in the midst of the nations.

All alike must go down to the grave, the sword’s way; his arm … … his shadow their protection against surrounding nations.

Cui assimilatus es, o inclyte atque sublimis inter ligna voluptatis? ecce deductus es cum lignis voluptatis ad terram ultimam: in medio incircumcisorum dormies, cum eis qui interfecti sunt gladio: ipse est Pharao, et omnis multitudo ejus, dicit Dominus Deus.

To whom art thou like, O thou that art famous and lofty among the trees of pleasure? Behold, thou art brought down with the trees of pleasure to the lowest parts of the earth: thou shalt sleep in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword: this is Pharao, and all his multitude, saith the Lord God.

And thou, in thy greatness and glory among Eden’s trees so like him! Yet thou, like other Eden trees, must come down low as earth can bring thee; and the sword shall level thee with the uncircumcised in death. (Pharao is meant, and Pharao’s retinue, the Lord God says. )