A Pronouncement against Tyre

23 A pronouncement(A) concerning Tyre:(B)

Wail, ships of Tarshish,(C)
for your haven has been destroyed.
Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.[a](D)
Mourn, inhabitants of the coastland,
you merchants of Sidon;(E)
your agents have crossed the sea[b]
over deep water.
Tyre’s revenue was the grain from Shihor—
the harvest of the Nile.
She was the merchant among the nations.(F)
Be ashamed, Sidon, the stronghold of the sea,
for the sea has spoken:
“I have not been in labor or given birth.
I have not raised young men
or brought up young women.”
When the news reaches Egypt,
they will be in anguish over the news about Tyre.(G)
Cross over to Tarshish;
wail, inhabitants of the coastland!
Is this your jubilant city,
whose origin was in ancient times,
whose feet have taken her
to reside far away?
Who planned this against Tyre,
the bestower of crowns,
whose traders are princes,
whose merchants are the honored ones of the earth?
The Lord of Armies planned it,
to desecrate all its glorious beauty,
to disgrace all the honored ones of the earth.
10 Overflow[c] your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish;
there is no longer anything to restrain you.[d]
11 He stretched out his hand over the sea;(H)
he made kingdoms tremble.
The Lord has commanded
that the Canaanite fortresses be destroyed.
12 He said,
“You will not celebrate anymore,
ravished young woman, daughter of Sidon.
Get up and cross over to Cyprus(I)
even there you will have no rest!”
13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans—
a people who no longer exist.
Assyria destined it for desert creatures.
They set up their siege towers
and stripped its palaces.
They made it a ruin.
14 Wail, ships of Tarshish,
because your fortress is destroyed!

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Footnotes

  1. 23:1 Hb Kittim
  2. 23:2 DSS; MT reads Sidon, whom the seafarers have filled
  3. 23:10 DSS, LXX read Work
  4. 23:10 Or longer any harbor

An Oracle concerning Tyre

23 The oracle concerning Tyre.

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
    for your fortress is destroyed.[a]
When they came in from Cyprus
    they learned of it.(A)
Be still, O inhabitants of the coast,
    O merchants of Sidon;
your messengers crossed over the sea[b](B)
    and were on the mighty waters;
your revenue[c] was the grain of Shihor,
    the harvest of the Nile;
    you were the merchant of the nations.(C)
Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken,
    the fortress of the sea, saying:
“I have neither labored nor given birth;
    I have neither reared young men
    nor brought up young women.”(D)
When the report comes to Egypt,
    they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre.
Cross over to Tarshish—
    wail, O inhabitants of the coast!
Is this your exultant city
    whose origin is from days of old,
whose feet carried her
    to settle far away?(E)
Who has planned this
    against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants were princes,
    whose traders were the honored of the earth?
The Lord of hosts has planned it—
    to defile the pride of all glory,
    to shame all the honored of the earth.(F)
10 Cross over to your own land,
    O ships of[d] Tarshish;
    this is a harbor[e] no more.
11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea;
    he has shaken the kingdoms;
the Lord has given command concerning Canaan,
    to destroy its fortresses.(G)
12 He said:
“You will exult no longer,
    O oppressed virgin daughter Sidon;
rise, cross over to Cyprus—
    even there you will have no rest.”(H)

13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people; it was not Assyria. They destined it for wild animals.[f] They erected their siege towers; they tore down her palaces; they made her a ruin.(I)

14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
    for your fortress is destroyed.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 23.1 Cn: Heb for it is destroyed, without houses
  2. 23.2 Q ms: MT crossing over the sea, they replenished you
  3. 23.3 Heb its
  4. 23.10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb like the Nile, daughter
  5. 23.10 Cn: Heb restraint
  6. 23.13 Or This is the people that was not. Assyria founded it for its fleet.