Ezekiel 27–28

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 guardian cherub,^g

for^A I had appointed you.

You were on the holy mountain of God;

you walked among the fiery stones.

¹⁵From the day you were created

you were blameless in your ways

until wickedness was found in you.

¹⁶Through the abundance of your trade,

you were filled with violence, and you sinned.

So I expelled you in disgrace

from the mountain of God,

and banished you, guardian cherub,^B

from among the fiery stones.

¹⁷Your heart became proud because of your beauty;^h

For the sake of your splendor

you corrupted your wisdom.

So I threw you down to the ground;^C

I made you a spectacle before kings.

¹⁸You profaned your sanctuaries

by the magnitude of your iniquities

in your dishonest trade.

So I made fire come from within you,

and it consumed you.ⁱ

I reduced you to ashes on the ground

in the sight of everyone watching you.

¹⁹All those who know you among the peoples

are appalled at you.

You have become an object of horror

and will never exist again.’ ”^j

A PROPHECY AGAINST SIDON

²⁰The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹“Son of man, face Sidon^k and prophesy against it. ²²You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

Look! I am against you, Sidon,^l

and I will display my glory within you.

They will know that I am the Lord

when I execute judgments against her^m

and demonstrate my holiness through her.

²³I will send a plague against herⁿ

and bloodshed in her streets;

the slain will fall within her,

while the sword is against her^D on every side.

Then they will know that I am the Lord.

²⁴“ ‘The house of Israel will no longer be hurt by^E prickly briers or painful thorns^o from all their neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.

²⁵“ ‘This is what the Lord God says: When I gather the house of Israel^p from the peoples where they are scattered, I will demonstrate my holiness through them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. ²⁶They will live there securely,^q build houses, and plant vineyards.^r They will live securely when I execute judgments^s against all their neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’ ”