In much buying and selling

you turned violent, you sinned!

I threw you, disgraced, off the mountain of God.

I threw you out—you, the anointed angel-cherub.

No more strolling among the gems of fire for you!

Your beauty went to your head.

You corrupted wisdom

by using it to get worldly fame.

I threw you to the ground,

sent you sprawling before an audience of kings

and let them gloat over your demise.

By sin after sin after sin,

by your corrupt ways of doing business,

you defiled your holy places of worship.

So I set a fire around and within you.

It burned you up. I reduced you to ashes.

All anyone sees now

when they look for you is ashes,

a pitiful mound of ashes.

All who once knew you

now throw up their hands:

‘This can’t have happened!

This has happened!’ ”