Ezekiel 26:1–28:26

Prophecy against Tyre

26^*On the first day of the … month^g of the eleventh year of our exile, the Lord spoke to me. ^2*“Mortal man,” he said, “this is what the people in the city of Tyre are cheering about. They shout, ‘Jerusalem is shattered! Her commercial power is gone! She won’t be our rival any more!’

^3*“Now then, this is what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: I am your enemy, city of Tyre. I will bring many nations to attack you, and they will come like the waves of the sea. ^4*They will destroy your city walls and tear down your towers. Then I will sweep away all the dust and leave only a bare rock. ^5*Fishermen will dry their nets on it, there where it stands in the sea. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. The nations will plunder Tyre, ^6*and with their swords they will kill those who live in her towns on the mainland. Then Tyre will know that I am the Lord.”

^7*The Sovereign Lord says, “I am going to bring the greatest king of all—King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia—to attack Tyre. He will come from the north with a huge army, with horses and chariots and with cavalry. ^8*Those who live in the towns on the mainland will be killed in the fighting. The enemy will dig trenches, build earthworks, and make a solid wall of shields against you. ^9*They will pound in your walls with battering rams and tear down your towers with iron bars. ^10*The clouds of dust raised by their horses will cover you. The noise of their horses pulling wagons and chariots will shake your walls as they pass through the gates of the ruined city. ^11*Their horsemen will storm through your streets, killing your people with their swords. Your mighty pillars will be thrown to the ground. ^12*Your enemies will help themselves to your wealth and merchandise. They will pull down your walls and shatter your luxurious houses. They will take the stones and wood and all the rubble, and dump them into the sea. ^13*I will put an end to all your songs, and I will silence the music of your harps. ^14*I will leave only a bare rock where fishermen can dry their nets. The city will never be rebuilt. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”

^15*The Sovereign Lord has this to say to the city of Tyre: “When you are being conquered, the people who live along the coast will be terrified at the screams of those who are slaughtered. ^16*All the kings of the seafaring nations will come down from their thrones. They will take off their robes and their embroidered clothes and sit trembling on the ground. They will be so terrified at your fate that they will not be able to stop trembling. ^17*They will sing this funeral song for you: The famous city is destroyed! Her ships have been swept^h from the seas. The people of this city ruled the seas And terrified all who lived on the coast. ^18*Now, on the day it has fallen, The islands are trembling, And their people are shocked at such destruction.”

^19*The Sovereign Lord says: “I will make you as desolate as ruined cities where no one lives. I will cover you with the water of the ocean depths. ^20*I will send you down to the world of the dead to join the people who lived in ancient times. I will make you stay in that underground world among eternal ruins, keeping company with the dead. As a result you will never again be inhabited and take your placeⁱ in the land of the living. ^21*I will make you a terrifying example, and that will be the end of you. People may look for you, but you will never be found.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

A Funeral Song For Tyre

27^*The Lord said to me, ^2*“Mortal man, sing a funeral song for Tyre, ^3*that city which stands at the edge of the sea and does business with the people living on every seacoast. Tell her what the Sovereign Lord is saying:

Tyre, you boasted of your perfect beauty.

^4*Your home is the sea.

Your builders made you like a beautiful ship;

^5*They used fir trees from Mount Hermon for timber

And a cedar from Lebanon for your mast.

^6*They took oak trees from Bashan to make oars;

They made your deck out of pine from Cyprus

And inlaid it with ivory.

^7*Your sails were made of linen,

Embroidered linen from Egypt,

Easily recognized from afar.

Your awnings were made of finest cloth,

Of purple from the island of Cyprus.

^8*Your oarsmen were from the cities of Sidon and Arvad.

Your own skilful men were the sailors.

^9*The ship’s carpenters

Were well-trained men from Byblos.

Sailors from every seagoing ship

Did business in your shops.

^10*“Soldiers from Persia, Lydia, and Libya served in your army. They hung their shields and their helmets in your barracks. They are the men who won glory for you. ^11*Soldiers from Arvad guarded your walls, and men from Gamad guarded your towers. They hung their shields on your walls. They are the men who made you beautiful.

^12*“You did business in Spain and took silver, iron, tin, and lead in payment for your abundant goods. ^13*You did business in Greece, Tubal, and Meshech and traded your goods for slaves and for articles of bronze. ^14*You sold your goods for draught horses, war horses, and mules from Beth Togarmah. ^15*The people of Rhodes^j traded with you; people of many coastal lands gave you ivory and ebony in exchange for your goods. ^16*The people of Syria bought your merchandise and your many products. They gave emeralds, purple cloth, embroidery, fine linen, coral, and rubies in payment for your wares. ^17*Judah and Israel paid for your goods with wheat,^k honey, olive oil, and spices. ^18–19*The people of Damascus bought your merchandise and your products, paying for them with wine from Helbon and wool from Sahar.^l They exchanged wrought iron and spices for your goods. ^20*The people of Dedan exchanged saddlecloths for your goods. ^21*The Arabians and the rulers of the land of Kedar paid for your merchandise with lambs, sheep, and goats. ^22*For your goods the merchants of Sheba and Raamah exchanged jewels, gold, and the finest spices. ^23*The cities of Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, the cities of Asshur and Chilmad—they all traded with you. ^24*They sold you luxurious clothing, purple cloth, and embroidery, brightly coloured carpets, and well-made cords and ropes. ^25*Your merchandise was carried in fleets of the largest cargo ships.

You were like a ship at sea

Loaded with heavy cargo.

^26*When your oarsmen brought you out to sea,

An east wind wrecked you far from land.

^27*All your wealth of merchandise,

All the sailors in your crew,

Your ship’s carpenters and your merchants,

Every soldier on board the ship—

All, all were lost at sea

When your ship was wrecked.

^28*The shouts of the drowning sailors

Echoed on the shore.

^29*“Every ship is now deserted,

And every sailor has gone ashore.

^30*They all mourn bitterly for you,

Throwing dust on their heads and rolling in ashes.

^31*They shave their heads for you

And dress themselves in sackcloth.

Their hearts are bitter as they weep.

^32*They chant a funeral song for you:

‘Who can be compared to Tyre,

To Tyre now silent in the sea?

^33*When your merchandise went overseas,

You filled the needs of every nation.

Kings were made rich

By the wealth of your goods.

^34*Now you are wrecked in the sea;

You have sunk to the ocean depths.

Your goods and all who worked for you

Have vanished with you in the sea.’

^35*“Everyone who lives along the coast is shocked at your fate. Even their kings are terrified, and fear is written on their faces. ^36*You are gone, gone for ever, and merchants all over the world are terrified, afraid that they will share your fate.”

Prophecy against the King of Tyre

28The Lord spoke to me. ²“Mortal man,” he said, “tell the ruler of Tyre what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to him: puffed up with pride, you claim to be a god. You say that like a god you sit on a throne, surrounded by the seas. You may pretend to be a god, but, no, you are mortal, not divine. ³You think you are wiser than Danel,^m that no secret can be kept from you. ⁴Your wisdom and skill made you rich with treasures of gold and silver. ⁵You made clever business deals and kept on making profits. How proud you are of your wealth!

⁶“Now then, this is what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: because you think you are as wise as a god, ⁷I will bring ruthless enemies to attack you. They will destroy all the beautiful things you have acquired by your skill and wisdom. ⁸They will kill you and send you to a watery grave. ⁹When they come to kill you, will you still claim that you are a god? When you face your murderers, you will be mortal and not at all divine. ¹⁰You will die like a dog at the hand of godless foreigners. I, the Sovereign Lord, have given the command.”

The Fall of the King of Tyre

¹¹The Lord spoke to me again. ¹²“Mortal man,” he said, “grieve for the fate that is waiting for the king of Tyre. Tell him what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: you were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! ¹³You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz, beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for youⁿ on the day you were created. ¹⁴I put a terrifying angel there to guard you.^o You lived on my holy mountain and walked among sparkling gems. ¹⁵Your conduct was perfect from the day you were created until you began to do evil. ¹⁶You were busy buying and selling, and this led you to violence and sin. So I forced you to leave my holy mountain, and the angel who guarded you drove you away from the sparkling gems. ¹⁷You were proud of being handsome, and your fame made you act like a fool. Because of this I hurled you to the ground and left you as a warning to other kings. ¹⁸You did such evil in buying and selling that your places of worship were corrupted. So I set fire to the city and burnt it to the ground. All who look at you now see you reduced to ashes. ¹⁹You are gone, gone for ever, and all the nations that had come to know you are terrified, afraid that they will share your fate.”

Prophecy against Sidon

^20*The …