Think about what happened to Assyria. Once it was like a cedar tree in Lebanon. It had beautiful branches that provided shade for the forest. It grew very high. Its top was above all the leaves.

亚述王曾如黎巴嫩中的香柏树，枝条荣美，影密如林，极其高大，树尖插入云中。

看哪，亚述是黎巴嫩的香柏树，枝条荣美，荫密如林，极其高大，树顶高耸入云。

看哪，亚述是黎巴嫩的香柏树，枝条荣美，荫密如林，极其高大，树顶高耸入云。

看啊，亚述曾是黎巴嫩的一棵香柏树，枝繁叶茂，遮天蔽日，高耸入云。

看哪！亚述曾是黎巴嫩的香柏树，枝条秀美，林影茂密，树身高大，树顶在茂密的枝叶之上。

亞述王曾如黎巴嫩中的香柏樹，枝條榮美，影密如林，極其高大，樹尖插入雲中。

看哪，亞述是黎巴嫩的香柏樹，枝條榮美，蔭密如林，極其高大，樹頂高聳入雲。

看哪，亞述是黎巴嫩的香柏樹，枝條榮美，蔭密如林，極其高大，樹頂高聳入雲。

看啊，亞述曾是黎巴嫩的一棵香柏樹，枝繁葉茂，遮天蔽日，高聳入雲。

看哪！亞述曾是黎巴嫩的香柏樹，枝條秀美，林影茂密，樹身高大，樹頂在茂密的枝葉之上。

看哪，我要將你比作利巴嫩中的香柏樹，枝條美麗，成蔭之林，樹身高大，樹梢挺立於雲霄間。

前者亞述王、為利巴嫩之香柏、枝柯繁美、其蔭濃密、其榦崇高、其杪入雲、

試觀亞述王、若利巴嫩之柏香木、其枝葱蒨、其幹扶疏、其杪高不可及、

昔亞述有若利巴嫩之柏香木、枝條豐美、蔥蔥有蔭、其株崇高、其巔圓密、

Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage.

Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds.

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.

Think of Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and shady foliage and of lofty height. Its top was among the clouds.

Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and forest shade, And very high, And its top was among the clouds.

Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, With fine branches that shaded the forest, And of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs.

Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest- like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.

Think of Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and shady foliage and of lofty height. Its top was among the clouds.

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.

Consider Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches, like a forest giving shade, and extremely tall; its top reached into the clouds.

Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest- like shade, of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.

The Assyrian soldiers are like trees in a forest. The Lord who rules over all will chop them down. The Lord will cut off their branches with his great power. He will chop the tall trees down. He will cut down even the highest ones.The Mighty One will chop down the forest with his ax. He will cut down the cedar trees in Lebanon.

Here are the visions I saw while I was lying in bed. I looked up and saw a tree standing in the middle of the land. It was very tall.

Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ A great eagle came to the city of‘ Lebanon.’ It had powerful wings and a lot of long feathers. The feathers were colorful and beautiful. The eagle landed in the top of a cedar tree.It broke off the highest twig. The eagle carried it away to the land of Babylon. There are many traders in that land. The eagle planted the twig in the city of Babylon.

You saw a tree. It grew to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen from anywhere on earth.Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found safety. The birds lived in its branches.Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong. Your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky. Your rule has spread to all parts of the earth.“ Your Majesty, you saw a holy one. He was a messenger. He came down from heaven. He said,‘ Cut down the tree. Destroy it. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put an iron and bronze band around it. Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the wild animals. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.’

“‘ The Lord and King says,“ I myself will get a twig from the very top of a cedar tree and plant it. I will break off the highest twig. I will plant it on a very high mountain.

“ The bush asked the trees,‘ Do you really want to anoint me as king over you? If you do, come and rest in my shade. But if you don’t, I will destroy you! Fire will come out of me and burn up the cedar trees of Lebanon!’

Juniper trees, cry out! The cedar trees have fallen down. The majestic trees are destroyed. Cry out, you oak trees of Bashan! The thick forest has been cut down.

How terrible it will be for Nineveh! It is a city of murderers! It is full of liars! It is filled with stolen goods! The killing never stops!Whips crack! Wheels clack! Horses charge! Chariots rumble!Horsemen attack! Swords flash! Spears gleam! Many people die. Dead bodies pile up. They can’t even be counted. People trip over them.All of that was caused by the evil desires of the prostitute Nineveh. That woman who practiced evil magic was very beautiful. She used her sinful charms to make slaves out of the nations. She worshiped evil powers in order to trap others.“ Nineveh, I am against you,” announces the Lord who rules over all.“ I will pull your skirts up over your face. I will show the nations your naked body. Kingdoms will make fun of your shame.I will throw garbage at you. I will look down on you. I will make an example out of you.All those who see you will run away from you. They will say,‘ Nineveh is destroyed. Who will mourn over it?’ Where can I find someone to comfort your people?”Nineveh, are you better than Thebes on the Nile River? There was water all around that city. The river helped to keep it safe. The waters were like a wall around it.Cush and Egypt gave it all the strength it needed. Put and Libya also helped it.But Thebes was captured anyway. Its people were taken away as prisoners. Its babies were smashed to pieces at every street corner. The Assyrian soldiers cast lots for all its nobles. They put them in chains and made slaves out of them.People of Nineveh, you too will get drunk. You will try to hide from your enemies. You will look for a place of safety.All your forts are like fig trees that have their first ripe fruit on them. When the trees are shaken, the figs fall into the mouths of those who eat them.Look at your troops. All of them are weak. The gates of your forts are wide open to your enemies. Fire has destroyed the bars that lock your gates.Prepare for the attack by storing up water! Make your walls as strong as you can! Make some bricks out of clay! Mix the mud to hold them together! Use them to repair the walls!In spite of all your hard work, fire will burn you up inside your city. Your enemies will cut you down with their swords. They will destroy you just as a swarm of locusts eats up crops. Multiply like grasshoppers! Increase your numbers like locusts!You have more traders than the number of stars in the sky. But like locusts they strip the land. Then they fly away.Your guards are like grasshoppers. Your officials are like swarms of locusts. They settle in the walls on a cold day. But when the sun appears, they fly away. And no one knows where they go.King of Assyria, your leaders are asleep. Your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains. No one is left to gather them together.Nothing can heal your wounds. You will die of them. All those who hear the news about you clap their hands. That’s because you have fallen from power. Is there anyone who has not suffered because of how badly you treated them?

Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found safety. The birds lived in its branches. Every creature was fed from that tree.

Through your messengers you have laughed at me again and again. And you have said,‘ I have many chariots. With them I have climbed to the tops of the mountains. I’ve climbed the highest mountains in Lebanon. I’ve cut down its tallest cedar trees. I’ve cut down the best of its juniper trees. I’ve reached its farthest mountains. I’ve reached its finest forests.

All the birds in the sky made their nests in its limbs. All the wild animals had their babies under its branches. All the great nations lived in its shade.

I brought the cedar tree down to the place of the dead. It joined the other nations that go down there. I made the nations on earth shake because of the sound of its fall. Then all the trees of Eden were comforted in the earth below. That included the finest and best trees in Lebanon. And it included all the trees that received plenty of water.

The Lord will reach out his powerful hand against the north. He will destroy Assyria. He’ll leave Nineveh totally empty. It will be as dry as a desert.