Ezekiel 26:1–28:19

THE DOWNFALL OF TYRE

26In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, because Tyre^h said about Jerusalem, ‘Aha!ⁱ The gateway to the peoples is shattered. She has been turned over to me.^C I will be filled now that she lies in ruins,’ ³therefore this is what the Lord God says: See, I am against you, Tyre!^j I will raise up many nations against you, just as the sea raises its waves. ⁴They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers. I will scrape the soil from her and turn her into a bare rock. ⁵She will become a place in the sea to spread nets, for I have spoken.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “She will become plunder for the nations,^{k 6}and her villages on the mainland will be slaughtered by the sword.^l Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

⁷For this is what the Lord God says: “See, I am about to bring King Nebuchadnezzar^A of Babylon, king of kings,^m against Tyre from the north with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a huge assembly of troops. ⁸He will slaughter your villages on the mainland with the sword. He will set up siege works,ⁿ build a ramp, and raise a wall of shields against you. ⁹He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his iron tools. ¹⁰His horses will be so numerous that their dust will cover you. When he enters your gates as an army entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots. ¹¹He will trample all your streets with the hooves of his horses.^o He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground. ¹²They will take your wealth as spoil and plunder your merchandise.^p They will also demolish your walls and tear down your beautiful homes. Then they will throw your stones, timber, and soil into the water. ¹³I will put an end to the noise of your songs,^q and the sound of your lyres will no longer be heard. ¹⁴I will turn you into a bare rock, and you will be a place to spread nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the Lord, have spoken.”^r This is the declaration of the Lord God.

¹⁵This is what the Lord God says to Tyre: “Won’t the coasts and islands quake at the sound of your downfall,^s when the wounded groan and slaughter occurs within you? ¹⁶All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones,^t remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble continually, and be appalled^u at you. ¹⁷Then they will lament^v for you and say of you,

‘How you have perished, city of renown,

you who were populated from the seas!^B

She who was powerful on the sea,

she and all of her inhabitants

inflicted their terror.^C

¹⁸Now the coastlands tremble^w

on the day of your downfall;

the islands in the sea

are alarmed by your demise.’ ”

¹⁹For this is what the Lord God says: “When I make you a ruined city like other deserted cities, when I raise up the deep against you so that the mighty waters cover you, ²⁰then I will bring you down to be with those who descend to the Pit,^a to the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the underworld^D like^E the ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or display your splendor^F in the land of the living.^{b 21}I will make you an object of horror, and you will no longer exist.^c You will be sought but will never be found again.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

THE SINKING OF TYRE

27The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Now, son of man, lament for Tyre.^{d 3}Say to Tyre, who is situated at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples^e to many coasts and islands, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

Tyre, you declared,

“I am perfect in beauty.”

⁴Your realm was in the heart of the sea;

your builders perfected your beauty.

⁵They constructed all your planking

with pine trees from Senir.^f

They took a cedar from Lebanon

to make a mast for you.

⁶They made your oars of oaks from Bashan.

They made your deck of cypress wood

from the coasts of Cyprus,^g

inlaid with ivory.

⁷Your sail was made of

fine embroidered linen from Egypt,

and served as your banner.

Your awning was of blue and purple fabric

from the coasts of Elishah.

⁸The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad^h

were your rowers.

Your wise men were within you, Tyre;

they were your captains.

⁹The elders of Gebal and its wise menⁱ

were within you, repairing your leaks.

“ ‘All the ships of the sea and their sailors

came to you to barter for your goods.

¹⁰Men of Persia, Lud, and Put^j

were in your army, serving as your warriors.

They hung shields and helmets in you;

they gave you splendor.

¹¹Men of Arvad and Helech

were stationed on your walls all around,

and Gammadites were in your towers.

They hung their shields^A all around your walls;

they perfected your beauty.

¹²“ ‘Tarshish^k was your trading partner because of your abundant wealth of every kind. They exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise. ¹³Javan, Tubal, and Meshech^l were your merchants. They exchanged slaves^B and bronze utensils for your goods. ¹⁴Those from Beth-togarmah^m exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your merchandise. ¹⁵Men of Dedan^Cn were also your merchants; many coasts and islands were your regular markets. They brought back ivory tusks^o and ebony as your payment. ¹⁶Aram^D was your trading partner because of your numerous products. They exchanged turquoise,^E purple and embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral,^E and rubies^E for your merchandise. ¹⁷Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants. They exchanged wheat from Minnith,^p meal,^F honey, oil, and balm, for your goods. ¹⁸Damascus was also your trading partner because of your numerous products and your abundant wealth of every kind, trading in wine from Helbon and white wool.^{A 19}Vedan^B and Javan from Uzal^Cq dealt in your merchandise; wrought iron, cassia,^r and aromatic cane were exchanged for your goods. ²⁰Dedan^s was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. ²¹Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your business partners, trading with you in lambs, rams, and goats. ²²The merchants of Sheba^a and Raamah traded with you. For your merchandise they exchanged the best of all spices and all kinds of precious stones as well as gold.^{b 23}Haran, Canneh, Eden,^c the merchants of Sheba, Asshur,^d and Chilmad traded with you. ²⁴They were your merchants in choice garments, cloaks of blue and embroidered materials, and multicolored carpets,^C which were bound and secured with cords in your marketplace. ²⁵Ships of Tarshish^e were the carriers for your goods.

“ ‘So you became full and heavily loaded^D

in the heart of the sea.

²⁶Your rowers have brought you

onto the high seas,^f

but the east wind has wrecked you

in the heart of the sea.

²⁷Your wealth, merchandise, and goods,

your sailors and captains,

those who repair your leaks,

those who barter for your goods,

and all the warriors on board,

with all the other people within you,

sink into the heart of the sea

on the day of your downfall.

²⁸“ ‘The countryside shakes

at the sound of your sailors’ cries.^g

²⁹All the oarsmen

disembark from their ships.

The sailors and all the captains of the sea

stand on the shore.

³⁰Because of you, they raise their voices

and cry out bitterly.

They throw dust on their heads;^h

they roll in ashes.

³¹They shave their heads because of you

and wrap themselves in sackcloth.

They weep over you

with deep anguish and bitter mourning.

³²“ ‘In their wailing they lament for you,ⁱ

mourning over you:

“Who was like Tyre,

silenced^C in the middle of the sea?

³³When your merchandise was unloaded from the seas,

you satisfied many peoples.

You enriched the kings of the earth

with your abundant wealth and goods.

³⁴Now you are wrecked by the sea

in the depths of the waters;

your goods and the people within you

have gone down.

³⁵All the inhabitants of the coasts and islands

are appalled^j at you.

Their kings shudder with fear;

their faces are contorted.

³⁶Those who trade among the peoples scoff^Ak at you;

you have become an object of horror

and will never exist again.” ’ ”^l

THE FALL OF TYRE’S RULER

28The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Your^B heart is proud, and you have said, “I am a god;^m I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.” Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god. ³Yes, you are wiser than Daniel;ⁿ no secret is hidden from you! ⁴By your wisdom and understanding you have acquired wealth for yourself. You have acquired gold and silver for your treasuries.^{o 5}By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, but your heart has become proud because of your wealth.

⁶“ ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

Because you regard your heart as that of a god,

⁷I am about to bring strangers against you,

ruthless men from the nations.

They will draw their swords

against your magnificent wisdom

and will pierce your splendor.^p

⁸They will bring you down to the Pit,^q

and you will die a violent death

in the heart of the sea.

⁹Will you still say, “I am a god,”

in the presence of those who slay^C you?

Yet you will be only a man, not a god,

in the hands of those who kill you.

¹⁰You will die the death of the uncircumcised^a

at the hands of strangers.^b

For I have spoken.

This is the declaration of the Lord God.’ ”

A LAMENT FOR TYRE’S KING

¹¹The word of the Lord came to me: ¹²“Son of man, lament^c for the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

You were the seal^D of perfection,^E

full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.^d

¹³You were in Eden,^e the garden of God.

Every kind of precious stone covered you:

carnelian, topaz, and diamond,^E

beryl, onyx, and jasper,

lapis lazuli, turquoise^F and emerald.^G

Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold;^f

they were prepared on the day you were created.

¹⁴You were an anointed…