Yǐsījiēshū 31

1 Shí yī nián sān yuè chū yī rì , Yēhéhuá de huà líndào wǒ shuō ,

2 Rénzǐ a , nǐ yào xiàng Āijí wáng fǎlǎo hé tāde zhòngrén shuō , zaì wēi shì shang shuí néng yǔ nǐ xiāng bǐ ne .

3 Yàshù wáng céng rú Lìbānèn zhōng de xiāng bǎi shù , zhī tiaó róng mĕi , yǐng mì rú lín , jíqí gāo dà , shù jiān chārù yún zhōng .

4 Zhòng shuǐ shǐ tā shēng zhǎng . shēn shuǐ shǐ tā zhǎngdà . suǒ zāi zhī dì yǒu jiāng hé wéi liú , chà chū de shuǐ dào yán dào tiānyĕ zhū shù .

5 Suǒyǐ tā gāo dà chāo guō tiānyĕ zhū shù . fā wàng de shíhou , zhīzǐ fán duō , yīn dé dà shuǐ zhī lì zhī tiàozhǎng zhǎng .

6 Kōng zhōng de fēiniǎo dōu zaì zhīzǐ shang dā wō . tiānyĕ de zǒushòu dōu zaì zhī tiaó xià shēng zǐ . suǒ yǒu dà guó de rénmín dōu zaì tā yīn xià jūzhù .

7 Shù dà tiaó zhǎng , chéngwéi róng mĕi , yīnwei gēn zaì zhòng shuǐ zhī páng .

8 Shén yuán zhōng de xiāng bǎi shù bùnéng zhē bì tā . sōng shù bù jí tā de zhīzǐ . fēngshù bù jí tā de zhī tiaó . shén yuán zhōng de shù dōu méiyǒu tā róng mĕi .

9 Wǒ shǐ tā de zhī tiaó fán duō , chéngwéi róng mĕi , yǐzhì shén Yīdiànyuán zhōng de shù dōu jídù tā .

10 Suǒyǐ zhǔ Yēhéhuá rúcǐ shuō , yīn tā gāo dà , shù jiān chārù yún zhōng , xīn jiāo qì ào ,

11 Wǒ jiù bìjiāng tā jiāo gĕi liè guó zhōng dà yǒu wēi shì de rén . tā bìdéng bàn tā . wǒ yīn tā de zuìè , yǐjing qū zhú tā .

12 Waìbāngrén , jiù shì liè bāng zhōng qiángbào de , jiāng tā kǎn duàn qì diào . tā de zhī tiaó luō zaì shān jiān hé yīqiè gǔ zhōng , tā de zhīzǐ zhé duàn , luō zaì dì de yīqiè hé páng . dì shang de zhòng mín yǐjing zǒu qù , líkāi tā de yīn xià .

13 Kōng zhōng de fēiniǎo dōu yào xiǔ zaì zhè baì luō de shù shang , tiānyĕ de zǒushòu dōu yào wò zaì tā de zhī tiaó xià ,

14 Hǎo shǐ shuǐ páng de zhū shù bù yīn gāo dà ér zì zūn , yĕ bú jiāng shù jiān chārù yún zhōng , bìngqiĕ nàxiē dé shuǐ zīrùn , yǒu shìlì de , yĕ bùdé gāo dà zì lì . yīnwei tāmen zaì shìrén zhōng , hé xià kēng de rén dōu beì jiāo yǔ sǐwáng , dào yīn fǔ qù le .

15 zhǔ Yēhéhuá rúcǐ shuō , tā xià yīnjiān de nà rì , wǒ biàn shǐ rén bēiāi . wǒ wèi tā zhēgaì shēn yuān , shǐ jiāng hé níng jié , dà shuǐ tíng liú . wǒ yĕ shǐ Lìbānèn wèi tā qī cǎn , tiānyĕ de zhū shù dōu yīn tā fā hūn .

16 Wǒ jiāng tā rēng dào yīnjiān , yǔ xià kēng de rén yītóng xià qù . nàshí , liè guó tīngjian tā zhuìluò de xiǎngshēng jiù dōu zhèndòng , bìngqiĕ Yīdiàn de yīqiè shù jiù shì Lìbānèn dé shuǐ zīrùn , zuì jiā zuì mĕi de shù dōu zaì yīn fǔ shòu le ānwèi .

17 Tāmen yĕ yǔ tā tóng xià yīnjiān , dào beì shā de rén nàli . tāmen céng zuò tā de bǎngbì , zaì liè guó zhōng tā de yīn xià jūzhù .

18 Zaì zhèyàng róngyào wēi shì shang , zaì Yīdiànyuán zhū shù zhōng , shuí néng yǔ nǐ xiāng bǐ ne . ránér nǐ yào yǔ Yīdiàn de zhū shù yītóng xià dào yīn fǔ , zaì wèi shòu gēlǐ de rén zhōng , yǔ beì shā de rén yītóng tǎng wò . fǎlǎo hé tāde qúnzhòng nǎi shì rúcǐ . zhè shì zhǔ Yēhéhuá shuō de .

Yǐsījiēshū 31 Commentary

Chapter 31

The glory of Assyria. (1-9) Its fall, and the like for Egypt. (10-18)

Verses 1-9 The falls of others, both into sin and ruin, warn us not to be secure or high-minded. The prophet is to show an instance of one whom the king of Egypt resembled in greatness, the Assyrian, compared to a stately cedar. Those who excel others, make themselves the objects of envy; but the blessings of the heavenly paradise are not liable to such alloy. The utmost security that any creature can give, is but like the shadow of a tree, a scanty and slender protection. But let us flee to God for protection, there we shall be safe. His hand must be owned in the rising of the great men of the earth, and we must not envy them. Though worldly people may seem to have firm prosperity, yet it only seems so.

Verses 10-18 The king of Egypt resembled the king of Assyria in his greatness: here we see he resembles him in his pride. And he shall resemble him in his fall. His own sin brings his ruin. None of our comforts are ever lost, but what have been a thousand times forfeited. When great men fall, many fall with them, as many have fallen before them. The fall of proud men is for warning to others, to keep them humble. See how low Pharaoh lies; and see what all his pomp and pride are come to. It is best to be a lowly tree of righteousness, yielding fruit to the glory of God, and to the good of men. The wicked man is often seen flourishing like the cedar, and spreading like the green bay tree, but he soon passes away, and his place is no more found. Let us then mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 31

This chapter contains a confirmation of the preceding prophecy, of the ruin of the king of Egypt, by the example of the king of Assyria, to whom he was like in grandeur and pride, and would be in his fall. The time of the prophecy is observed, Eze 31:1, the prophet is ordered to give the following relation to the king of Egypt, Eze 31:2 in which the king of Assyria is compared to a large and flourishing cedar, for the extent of his dominions, the prosperous state of his empire, and his exaltation above all other princes, which drew upon him their envy Eze 31:3-9, wherefore because of his pride, his heart being lifted up with these things, Eze 31:10, ruin came upon him; which is described by the instruments and manner of it, and the effects following it; mourning and fear in some, solace and comfort to others, and destruction to his associates, Eze 31:11-17, wherefore Pharaoh is called upon to consider all this, who was like to him in greatness and pride, and should have the like fate with him; nor could his greatness any more secure him than it did the Assyrian monarch, Eze 31:18.