23:1 Here is a message about Tyre:
Wail, you large ships, 1
for the port is too devastated to enter! 2
From the land of Cyprus 3 this news is announced to them.
23:2 Lament, 4 you residents of the coast,
you merchants of Sidon 5 who travel over the sea,
whose agents sail over 23:3 the deep waters! 6
Grain from the Shihor region, 7
crops grown near the Nile 8 she receives; 9
she is the trade center 10 of the nations.
23:4 Be ashamed, O Sidon,
for the sea 11 says this, O fortress of the sea:
“I have not gone into labor
or given birth;
I have not raised young men
or brought up young women.” 12
23:5 When the news reaches Egypt,
they will be shaken by what has happened to Tyre. 13
23:6 Travel to Tarshish!
Wail, you residents of the coast!
23:7 Is this really your boisterous city 14
whose origins are in the distant past, 15
and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?
23:8 Who planned this for royal Tyre, 16
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are the dignitaries 17 of the earth?
23:9 The Lord who commands armies planned it –
to dishonor the pride that comes from all her beauty, 18
to humiliate all the dignitaries of the earth.
23:10 Daughter Tarshish, travel back to your land, as one crosses the Nile;
there is no longer any marketplace in Tyre. 19
23:11 The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, 20
he shook kingdoms;
he 21 gave the order
to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. 22
23:12 He said,
“You will no longer celebrate,
oppressed 23 virgin daughter Sidon!
Get up, travel to Cyprus,
but you will find no relief there.” 24
23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,
these people who have lost their identity! 25
The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.
They erected their siege towers, 26
demolished 27 its fortresses,
and turned it into a heap of ruins. 28
23:14 Wail, you large ships, 29
for your fortress is destroyed!
23:15 At that time 30 Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, 31 the typical life span of a king. 32 At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: 33
23:16 “Take the harp,
go through the city,
forgotten prostitute!
Play it well,
play lots of songs,
so you’ll be noticed!” 34
23:17 At the end of seventy years 35 the Lord will revive 36 Tyre. She will start making money again by selling her services to all the earth’s kingdoms. 37 23:18 Her profits and earnings will be set apart for the Lord. They will not be stored up or accumulated, for her profits will be given to those who live in the Lord’s presence and will be used to purchase large quantities of food and beautiful clothes. 38
26:1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, 39 the word of the Lord came to me: 26:2 “Son of man, because Tyre 40 has said about Jerusalem, 41 ‘Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I will become rich, 42 now that she 43 has been destroyed,’ 26:3 therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, 44 I am against you, 45 O Tyre! I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 26:4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I will scrape her soil 46 from her and make her a bare rock. 26:5 She will be a place where fishing nets are spread, surrounded by the sea. For I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord. She will become plunder for the nations, 26:6 and her daughters 47 who are in the field will be slaughtered by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
26:7 “For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note that 48 I am about to bring King Nebuchadrezzar 49 of Babylon, king of kings, against Tyre from the north, with horses, chariots, and horsemen, an army and hordes of people. 26:8 He will kill your daughters in the field with the sword. He will build a siege wall against you, erect a siege ramp against you, and raise a great shield against you. 26:9 He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his weapons. 50 26:10 He will cover you with the dust kicked up by his many horses. 51 Your walls will shake from the noise of the horsemen, wheels, and chariots when he enters your gates like those who invade through a city’s broken walls. 52 26:11 With his horses’ hoofs he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will tumble down to the ground. 26:12 They will steal your wealth and loot your merchandise. They will tear down your walls and destroy your luxurious 53 homes. Your stones, your trees, and your soil he will throw 54 into the water. 55 26:13 I will silence 56 the noise of your songs; the sound of your harps will be heard no more. 26:14 I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place where fishing nets are spread. You will never be built again, 57 for I, the Lord, have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.
26:15 “This is what the sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Oh, how the coastlands will shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, at the massive slaughter in your midst! 26:16 All the princes of the sea will vacate 58 their thrones. They will remove their robes and strip off their embroidered clothes; they will clothe themselves with trembling. They will sit on the ground; they will tremble continually and be shocked at what has happened to you. 59 26:17 They will sing this lament over you: 60
“‘How you have perished – you have vanished 61 from the seas,
O renowned city, once mighty in the sea,
she and her inhabitants, who spread their terror! 62
26:18 Now the coastlands will tremble on the day of your fall;
the coastlands by the sea will be terrified by your passing.’ 63
26:19 “For this is what the sovereign Lord says: When I make you desolate like the uninhabited cities, when I bring up the deep over you and the surging 64 waters overwhelm you, 26:20 then I will bring you down to bygone people, 65 to be with those who descend to the pit. I will make you live in the lower parts of the earth, among 66 the primeval ruins, with those who descend to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited or stand 67 in the land of the living. 26:21 I will bring terrors on you, and you will be no more! Though you are sought after, you will never be found again, declares the sovereign Lord.”
27:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 27:2 “You, son of man, sing a lament for Tyre. 68 27:3 Say to Tyre, who sits at the entrance 69 of the sea, 70 merchant to the peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘O Tyre, you have said, “I am perfectly beautiful.”
27:4 71 Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
your builders have perfected your beauty.
27:5 They crafted 72 all your planks out of fir trees from Senir; 73
they took a cedar from Lebanon to make your mast.
27:6 They made your oars from oaks of Bashan;
they made your deck 74 with cypresses 75 from the Kittean isles. 76
27:7 Fine linen from Egypt, woven with patterns, was used for your sail
to serve as your banner;
blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah 77 was used for your deck’s awning.
27:8 The leaders 78 of Sidon 79 and Arvad 80 were your rowers;
your skilled 81 men, O Tyre, were your captains.
27:9 The elders of Gebal 82 and her skilled men were within you, mending cracks; 83
all the ships of the sea and their mariners were within you to trade for your merchandise. 84
27:10 Men of Persia, Lud, 85 and Put were in your army, men of war.
They hung shield and helmet on you; they gave you your splendor.
27:11 The Arvadites 86 joined your army on your walls all around,
and the Gammadites 87 were in your towers.
They hung their quivers 88 on your walls all around;
they perfected your beauty.
27:12 “‘Tarshish 89 was your trade partner because of your abundant wealth; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your products. 27:13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your clients; they exchanged slaves and bronze items for your merchandise. 27:14 Beth Togarmah exchanged horses, chargers, 90 and mules for your products. 27:15 The Dedanites 91 were your clients. Many coastlands were your customers; they paid 92 you with ivory tusks and ebony. 27:16 Edom 93 was your trade partner because of the abundance of your goods; they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your products. 27:17 Judah and the land of Israel were your clients; they traded wheat from Minnith, 94 millet, honey, olive oil, and balm for your merchandise. 27:18 Damascus was your trade partner because of the abundance of your goods and of all your wealth: wine from Helbon, white wool from Zahar, 27:19 and casks of wine 95 from Izal 96 they exchanged for your products. Wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were among your merchandise. 27:20 Dedan was your client in saddlecloths for riding. 27:21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your trade partners; for lambs, rams, and goats they traded with you. 27:22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah engaged in trade with you; they traded the best kinds of spices along with precious stones and gold for your products. 27:23 Haran, Kanneh, Eden, merchants from Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad were your clients. 27:24 They traded with you choice garments, purple clothes and embroidered work, and multicolored carpets, bound and reinforced with cords; these were among your merchandise. 27:25 The ships of Tarshish 97 were the transports for your merchandise.
“‘So you were filled and weighed down in the heart of the seas.
27:26 Your rowers have brought you into surging waters.
The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas.
27:27 Your wealth, products, and merchandise, your sailors and captains,
your ship’s carpenters, 98 your merchants,
and all your fighting men within you,
along with all your crew who are in you,
will fall into the heart of the seas on the day of your downfall.
27:28 At the sound of your captains’ cry the waves will surge; 99
27:29 They will descend from their ships – all who handle the oar,
the sailors and all the sea captains – they will stand on the land.
27:30 They will lament loudly 100 over you and cry bitterly.
They will throw dust on their heads and roll in the ashes; 101
27:31 they will tear out their hair because of you and put on sackcloth,
and they will weep bitterly over you with intense mourning. 102
27:32 As they wail they will lament over you, chanting:
“Who was like Tyre, like a tower 103 in the midst of the sea?”
27:33 When your products went out from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples;
with the abundance of your wealth and merchandise
you enriched the kings of the earth.
27:34 Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your company have sunk 104 along with you. 105
27:35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands are shocked at you,
and their kings are horribly afraid – their faces are troubled.
27:36 The traders among the peoples hiss at you;
you have become a horror, and will be no more.’”
28:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 28:2 “Son of man, say to the prince 106 of Tyre, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Your heart is proud 107 and you said, “I am a god; 108
I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas” –
yet you are a man and not a god,
though you think you are godlike. 109
28:3 Look, you are wiser than Daniel; 110
no secret is hidden from you. 111
28:4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself;
you have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
28:5 By your great skill 112 in trade you have increased your wealth,
and your heart is proud because of your wealth.
28:6 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says:
Because you think you are godlike, 113
28:7 I am about to bring foreigners 114 against you, the most terrifying of nations.
They will draw their swords against the grandeur made by your wisdom, 115
and they will defile your splendor.
28:8 They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die violently 116 in the heart of the seas.
28:9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” before the one who kills you –
though you are a man and not a god –
when you are in the power of those who wound you?
28:10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised 117 by the hand of foreigners;
for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
28:11 The word of the Lord came to me: 28:12 “Son of man, sing 118 a lament for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘You were the sealer 119 of perfection,
full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. 120
Every precious stone was your covering,
the ruby, topaz, and emerald,
the chrysolite, onyx, and jasper,
the sapphire, turquoise, and beryl; 121
your settings and mounts were made of gold.
On the day you were created they were prepared.
28:14 I placed you there with an anointed 122 guardian 123 cherub; 124
you were on the holy mountain of God;
you walked about amidst fiery stones.
28:15 You were blameless in your behavior 125 from the day you were created,
until sin was discovered in you.
28:16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, 126 and you sinned;
so I defiled you and banished you 127 from the mountain of God –
the guardian cherub expelled you 128 from the midst of the stones of fire.
28:17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;
you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor.
I threw you down to the ground;
I placed you before kings, that they might see you.
28:18 By the multitude of your iniquities, through the sinfulness of your trade,
you desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I drew fire out from within you;
it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth
before the eyes of all who saw you.
28:19 All who know you among the peoples are shocked at you;
you have become terrified and will be no more.’”
28:20 The word of the Lord came to me: 28:21 “Son of man, turn toward 129 Sidon 130 and prophesy against it. 28:22 Say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Look, I am against you, 131 Sidon,
and I will magnify myself in your midst.
Then they will know that I am the Lord
when I execute judgments on her
and reveal my sovereign power 132 in her.
28:23 I will send a plague into the city 133 and bloodshed into its streets;
the slain will fall within it, by the sword that attacks it 134 from every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
28:24 “‘No longer will Israel suffer from the sharp briers 135 or painful thorns of all who surround and scorn them. 136 Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.
28:25 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power 137 over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 28:26 They will live securely in it; they will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live securely 138 when I execute my judgments on all those who scorn them and surround them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”
3:4 Why are you doing these things to me, Tyre and Sidon? 139
Are you trying to get even with me, land of Philistia? 140
I will very quickly repay you for what you have done! 141
3:5 For you took my silver and my gold
and brought my precious valuables to your own palaces. 142
3:6 You sold Judeans and Jerusalemites to the Greeks,
removing them far from their own country. 143
3:7 Look! I am rousing them from that place to which you sold them.
I will repay you for what you have done! 144
3:8 I will sell your sons and daughters to 145 the people of Judah. 146
They will sell them to the Sabeans, 147 a nation far away.
Indeed, the Lord has spoken!
1:9 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Tyre has committed three crimes 148 –
make that four! 149 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 150
They sold 151 a whole community 152 to Edom;
they failed to observe 153 a treaty of brotherhood. 154
1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; 155
fire 156 will consume her fortresses.”