Ezekiel 28:14–26

¹⁴I appointed an angel^ato guard you. 

You were on God’s holy mountain. 

You walked among fiery stones. 

¹⁵Your behavior was perfect from the time you were created, 

until evil was found in you. 

¹⁶You traded far and wide. You learned to be violent, and you sinned. 

So I threw you down from God’s mountain in disgrace. 

The guardian angel forced you out from the fiery stones. 

¹⁷You became too proud because of your beauty. 

You wasted your wisdom because of your greatness. 

So I threw you to the ground 

and left you in front of the kings 

so that they could see you. 

¹⁸You dishonored your own holy places 

because of your many sins and dishonest trade. 

So I set fire to you to burn you up. 

I turned you into ashes on the ground 

in the presence of all who saw you. 

¹⁹All the nations who knew you are horrified because of you. 

You have come to a terrible end, 

and you will never exist again.’ ” 

Judgment on Sidon Means Hope for Israel

²⁰The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, ²¹“Son of man, turn to Sidon and prophesy against it. ²²Tell it, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: 

I’m against you, Sidon. 

I will show my greatness through you. 

Then people will know that I am the Lord, 

because I will punish you and show you how holy I am. 

²³I will send a plague against you 

and make blood flow in your streets. 

Your people will fall dead. 

People with swords will attack you from every side. 

Then they will know that I am the Lord. 

²⁴The nation of Israel will no longer be hurt 

by prickly thorns or sharp briars from everyone around them. 

Then they will know that I am the Almighty Lord. 

²⁵“ ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they were scattered, I will show that I am holy as the nations watch. The people of Israel will live in their own land, the land I gave to my servant Jacob. ²⁶They will live there in safety. They will build homes and plant vineyards. They will live in safety when I punish all the surrounding people who treat them with scorn. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’ ”