Ezekiel 26:2–28:26

²“Son of man, because Tyre^e has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha!^f The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,’ ³therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea^g casting up its waves. ⁴They will destroy^h the walls of Tyreⁱ and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. ⁵Out in the sea^j she will become a place to spread fishnets,^k for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. She will become plunder^l for the nations,^{m 6}and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

⁷“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar^bn king of Babylon, king of kings,^o with horses and chariots,^p with horsemen and a great army. ⁸He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works^q against you, build a ramp^r up to your walls and raise his shields against you. ⁹He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.^{s 10}His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots^t when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. ¹¹The hooves^u of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars^v will fall to the ground.^{w 12}They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.^{x 13}I will put an end^y to your noisy songs,^z and the music of your harps^a will be heard no more.^{b 14}I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt,^c for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁵“This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands^d tremble^e at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan^f and the slaughter takes place in you? ¹⁶Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered^g garments. Clothed^h with terror, they will sit on the ground,ⁱ trembling^j every moment, appalled^k at you. ¹⁷Then they will take up a lament^l concerning you and say to you:

“ ‘How you are destroyed, city of renown,

peopled by men of the sea!

You were a power on the seas,

you and your citizens;

you put your terror

on all who lived there.^m

¹⁸Now the coastlands trembleⁿ

on the day of your fall;

the islands in the sea

are terrified at your collapse.’^o

¹⁹“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths^p over you and its vast waters cover you,^{q 20}then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit,^r to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place^c in the land of the living.^{s 21}I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more.^t You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord.”^u

A Lament Over Tyre

27The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, take up a lament^v concerning Tyre. ³Say to Tyre,^w situated at the gateway to the sea,^x merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘You say, Tyre,

“I am perfect in beauty.^y”

⁴Your domain was on the high seas;

your builders brought your beauty to perfection.^z

⁵They made all your timbers

of juniper from Senir^a;^a

they took a cedar from Lebanon^b

to make a mast for you.

⁶Of oaks^c from Bashan

they made your oars;

of cypress wood^b from the coasts of Cyprus^d

they made your deck, adorned with ivory.

⁷Fine embroidered linen^e from Egypt was your sail

and served as your banner;

your awnings were of blue and purple^f

from the coasts of Elishah.^g

⁸Men of Sidon and Arvad^h were your oarsmen;

your skilled men, Tyre, were aboard as your sailors.ⁱ

⁹Veteran craftsmen of Byblos^j were on board

as shipwrights to caulk your seams.

All the ships of the sea^k and their sailors

came alongside to trade for your wares.

¹⁰“ ‘Men of Persia,^l Lydia^m and Putⁿ

served as soldiers in your army.

They hung their shields^o and helmets on your walls,

bringing you splendor.

¹¹Men of Arvad and Helek

guarded your walls on every side;

men of Gammad

were in your towers.

They hung their shields around your walls;

they brought your beauty to perfection.^p

¹²“ ‘Tarshish^q did business with you because of your great wealth of goods;^r they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.

¹³“ ‘Greece,^s Tubal and Meshek^t did business with you; they traded human beings^u and articles of bronze for your wares.

¹⁴“ ‘Men of Beth Togarmah^v exchanged chariot horses, cavalry horses and mules for your merchandise.

¹⁵“ ‘The men of Rhodes^cw traded with you, and many coastlands^x were your customers; they paid you with ivory^y tusks and ebony.

¹⁶“ ‘Aram^dz did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise,^a purple fabric, embroidered work, fine linen,^b coral^c and rubies for your merchandise.

¹⁷“ ‘Judah and Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat^d from Minnith^e and confections,^e honey, olive oil and balm^f for your wares.^g

¹⁸“ ‘Damascus^h did business with you because of your many products and great wealth of goods.ⁱ They offered wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar ¹⁹and casks of wine from Izal^j in exchange for your wares: wrought iron, cassia^k and calamus.

²⁰“ ‘Dedan^l traded in saddle blankets with you.

²¹“ ‘Arabia^m and all the princes of Kedarⁿ were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats.

²²“ ‘The merchants of Sheba^o and Raamah traded with you; for your merchandise they exchanged the finest of all kinds of spices^p and precious stones, and gold.^q

²³“ ‘Harran,^r Kanneh and Eden^s and merchants of Sheba, Ashur^t and Kilmad traded with you. ²⁴In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.

²⁵“ ‘The ships of Tarshish^u serve

as carriers for your wares.

You are filled with heavy cargo

as you sail the sea.^v

²⁶Your oarsmen take you

out to the high seas.

But the east wind^w will break you to pieces

far out at sea.

²⁷Your wealth,^x merchandise and wares,

your mariners, sailors and shipwrights,

your merchants and all your soldiers,

and everyone else on board

will sink into the heart of the sea^y

on the day of your shipwreck.

²⁸The shorelands will quake^z

when your sailors cry out.

²⁹All who handle the oars

will abandon their ships;

the mariners and all the sailors

will stand on the shore.

³⁰They will raise their voice

and cry bitterly over you;

they will sprinkle dust^a on their heads

and roll^b in ashes.^c

³¹They will shave their heads^d because of you

and will put on sackcloth.

They will weep^e over you with anguish of soul

and with bitter mourning.^f

³²As they wail and mourn over you,

they will take up a lament^g concerning you:

“Who was ever silenced like Tyre,

surrounded by the sea?^h”

³³When your merchandise went out on the seas,ⁱ

you satisfied many nations;

with your great wealth^j and your wares

you enriched the kings of the earth.

³⁴Now you are shattered by the sea

in the depths of the waters;

your wares and all your company

have gone down with you.^k

³⁵All who live in the coastlands^l

are appalled^m at you;

their kings shudder with horror

and their faces are distorted with fear.ⁿ

³⁶The merchants among the nations scoff at you;^o

you have come to a horrible end

and will be no more.^p’ ”

A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre

28The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man^q, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘In the pride of your heart

you say, “I am a god;

I sit on the throne^r of a god

in the heart of the seas.”^s

But you are a mere mortal and not a god,

though you think you are as wise as a god.^t

³Are you wiser than Daniel^a?^u

Is no secret hidden from you?

⁴By your wisdom and understanding

you have gained wealth for yourself

and amassed gold and silver

in your treasuries.^v

⁵By your great skill in trading^w

you have increased your wealth,^x

and because of your wealth

your heart has grown proud.^y

⁶“ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Because you think you are wise,

as wise as a god,

⁷I am going to bring foreigners against you,

the most ruthless of nations;^z

they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom^a

and pierce your shining splendor.^b

⁸They will bring you down to the pit,^c

and you will die a violent death^d

in the heart of the seas.^e

⁹Will you then say, “I am a god,”

in the presence of those who kill you?

You will be but a mortal, not a god,^f

in the hands of those who slay you.^g

¹⁰You will die the death of the uncircumcised^h

at the hands of foreigners.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

¹¹The word of the Lord came to me: ¹²“Son of man, take up a lamentⁱ concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘You were the seal of perfection,

full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.^j

¹³You were in Eden,^k

the garden of God;^l

every precious stone^m adorned you:

carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,

topaz, onyx and jasper,

lapis lazuli, turquoiseⁿ and beryl.^b

Your settings and mountings^c were made of gold;

on the day you were created they were prepared.^o

¹⁴You were anointed^p as a guardian cherub,^q

for so I ordained you.

You were on the holy mount of God;

you walked among the fiery stones.

¹⁵You were blameless in your ways

from the day you were created

till wickedness was found in you.

¹⁶Through your widespread trade

you were filled with violence,^r

and you sinned.

So I drove you in disgrace from…