Ezekiel 27
Christian Standard Bible
The Sinking of Tyre
27 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Now, son of man, lament for Tyre.(A) 3 Say to Tyre, who is situated at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples(B) to many coasts and islands, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
Tyre, you declared,
“I am perfect in beauty.”
4 Your realm was in the heart of the sea;
your builders perfected your beauty.
5 They constructed all your planking
with pine trees from Senir.(C)
They took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
6 They made your oars of oaks from Bashan.
They made your deck of cypress wood
from the coasts of Cyprus,(D)
inlaid with ivory.
7 Your sail was made of
fine embroidered linen from Egypt,
and served as your banner.
Your awning was of blue and purple fabric
from the coasts of Elishah.
8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad(E)
were your rowers.
Your wise men were within you, Tyre;
they were your captains.
9 The elders of Gebal and its wise men(F)
were within you, repairing your leaks.
“‘All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came to you to barter for your goods.
10 Men of Persia, Lud, and Put(G)
were in your army, serving as your warriors.
They hung shields and helmets in you;
they gave you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helech
were stationed on your walls all around,
and Gammadites were in your towers.
They hung their shields[a] all around your walls;
they perfected your beauty.
12 “‘Tarshish(H) was your trading partner because of your abundant wealth of every kind. They exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech(I) were your merchants. They exchanged slaves[b] and bronze utensils for your goods. 14 Those from Beth-togarmah(J) exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your merchandise. 15 Men of Dedan[c](K) were also your merchants; many coasts and islands were your regular markets. They brought back ivory tusks(L) and ebony as your payment. 16 Aram[d] was your trading partner because of your numerous products. They exchanged turquoise,[e] purple and embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral,[f] and rubies[g] for your merchandise. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants. They exchanged wheat from Minnith,(M) meal,[h] honey, oil, and balm, for your goods. 18 Damascus was also your trading partner because of your numerous products and your abundant wealth of every kind, trading in wine from Helbon and white wool.[i] 19 Vedan[j] and Javan from Uzal[k](N) dealt in your merchandise; wrought iron, cassia,(O) and aromatic cane were exchanged for your goods. 20 Dedan(P) was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your business partners, trading with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of Sheba(Q) and Raamah traded with you. For your merchandise they exchanged the best of all spices and all kinds of precious stones as well as gold.(R) 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden,(S) the merchants of Sheba, Asshur,(T) and Chilmad traded with you. 24 They were your merchants in choice garments, cloaks of blue and embroidered materials, and multicolored carpets,[l] which were bound and secured with cords in your marketplace. 25 Ships of Tarshish(U) were the carriers for your goods.
“‘So you became full and heavily loaded[m]
in the heart of the sea.
26 Your rowers have brought you
onto the high seas,(V)
but the east wind has wrecked you
in the heart of the sea.
27 Your wealth, merchandise, and goods,
your sailors and captains,
those who repair your leaks,
those who barter for your goods,
and all the warriors on board,
with all the other people within you,
sink into the heart of the sea
on the day of your downfall.
28 “‘The countryside shakes
at the sound of your sailors’ cries.(W)
29 All the oarsmen
disembark from their ships.
The sailors and all the captains of the sea
stand on the shore.
30 Because of you, they raise their voices
and cry out bitterly.
They throw dust on their heads;(X)
they roll in ashes.
31 They shave their heads because of you
and wrap themselves in sackcloth.
They weep over you
with deep anguish and bitter mourning.
32 “‘In their wailing they lament for you,(Y)
mourning over you:
“Who was like Tyre,
silenced[n] in the middle of the sea?
33 When your merchandise was unloaded from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples.
You enriched the kings of the earth
with your abundant wealth and goods.
34 Now you are wrecked by the sea
in the depths of the waters;
your goods and the people within you
have gone down.
35 All the inhabitants of the coasts and islands
are appalled(Z) at you.
Their kings shudder with fear;
their faces are contorted.
36 Those who trade among the peoples
scoff[o](AA) at you;
you have become an object of horror
and will never exist again.”’” (AB)
Footnotes
- 27:11 Or quivers; Hb obscure
- 27:13 Lit souls of men
- 27:15 LXX reads Rhodes
- 27:16 Some Hb mss, Aq, Syr read Edom
- 27:16 Hb obscure
- 27:16 Hb obscure
- 27:16 Hb obscure
- 27:17 Or resin; Hb obscure
- 27:18 Or and wool from Zahar
- 27:19 Or Dan
- 27:19 Hb obscure
- 27:24 Hb obscure
- 27:25 Or and very glorious
- 27:32 Hb obscure
- 27:36 Lit hiss
Ezekiel 27
International Standard Version
A Message Condemning Tyre
27 This message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of Man, compose a mourning song for Tyre. 3 Tell Tyre, who lives at the gateway to the Mediterranean[a] Sea, who serves as the international merchant to many coastal districts: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“Tyre, you’ve been claiming,
“I am beauty perfected.’
4 You’ve set your national boundary in international waters.
Your builders made you downright beautiful!”’”[b]
Tyre’s Luxurious Sailing Vessels
5 ‘They brought in a ship
made with pine planking from Senir,
configured with a mast carved from a cedar from Lebanon,
6 equipped with oars
made from oaks from Bashan,
with ivory-inlaid cypress wood[c] decking
imported from the coastlands of Cypress,
7 with sails made with embroidered Egyptian linen,
festooned with blue banners,
and with your sun shades made
with purple cloth from Cypress.
8 Your sailors were conscripted
from Sidon and Arvad,
and your officers served aboard
as pilots.
9 The wise men and elders from Gebal accompanied you,
serving as ship’s carpenters.
All the maritime navies and their seaman also accompanied you
to assist you in doing business internationally.”
Tyre’s International Makeup
10 “Soldiers from Persia,[d] Lud,[e] and Libya,[f]
served in your army.
They were your mighty soldiers.
Their helmets and shields adorned your barracks walls,
and they won battle decorations for you.
11 Mercenaries from Arvad and Helech
stood guard duty on your walls,
while brave men manned your towers.
They hung their shields all around your walls—
just the right touch to perfect your interior decorating!”[g]
Tyre’s Trading Partners
12 ‘Tarshish was your business partner because of your phenomenal wealth. They traded silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise. 13 Greece, Tubal,[h] and Meshech[i] bartered with you, exchanging slaves and bronze vessels for your wares. 14 Beth-togarmah traded horses, war horses, and mules in exchange for what you had to sell. 15 Men from the low country south of Edom[j] and many of the coastlands were your markets for ivory tusks and ebony that they brought to trade with you.
16 “Aram was one of your customers because you had so much merchandise. They paid by trading turquoise, purple yarn, embroidered goods, Egyptian linen,[k] coral, and rubies. 17 The territories of Judah and Israel were your clients, too. They traded wheat from their distribution centers,[l] baked goods, honey, oil, and ointments for your merchandise.
18 “Because you have so much to sell and are so rich, Damascus has been your trading partner, exchanging wine from Helbon, unbleached wool, 19 and casks of wine from Izal[m] for your wrought iron, cassia wood, and aromatic reeds.
20 “Dedan traded with you, exchanging riding blankets. 21 Arabia, including all the princes of Kedar, came to you, shopping for lambs, rams, and goats. 22 Traders from Sheba and Raamah paid for the best of what you had to offer with all types of spices, precious stones, and gold. 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden,[n] merchants from Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad did business with you, 24 trading garments made into the finest blue and embroidered mantels, and also multi-colored carpets, ropes, and other merchandise. 25 Ocean-going fleets[o] carried your merchandise.”
Tyre’s Coming Storm
“How filled you were!
How glorious you were,
at home in the heart of the sea!
26 But your rowers have brought you
into dangerous waters.
The east wind has broken you
in the heart of the ocean!
27 Your wealth, your products, your merchandise
your sailors, your pilots,
your tailors, your salesmen,
all your mercenaries with you—
your entire company with you—
will fall into the midst of the sea
on the day when you’re overthrown!
28 When your ships’ captains cry out,
the pasturelands along the coast will cry out!
29 Everyone who handles an oar will abandon ship,
they’ll head straight for dry land,
30 and they will cry so loud
you won’t be able to make yourself heard!
How bitterly they’ll cry!
They’ll throw dust on their heads
and wallow in ashes.
31 They’ll shave their heads bald because of you.
They’ll dress themselves in sackcloth
and weep for you with deep bitterness of heart,
with the most pitiful of mourning.
32 In the depth of their despair
they’ll compose a lament for you.
This is what they’ll say:
‘Who is like Tyre?
Who is so silent in the midst of the sea?’
33 Your merchandise went out over the oceans
to satisfy many nations;
with the abundance of your wealth
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 “But now it’s your time to be wrecked
at the bottom of the sea!
Your products and your workers have sunk,
and so have you!
35 Everyone who lives by the sea
is appalled at your destruction.
Their leaders are terrified—
their faces reflect their fears!
36 Traders circulate among the people, hissing at you.
What a horror you’ve become!
Now you will cease to exist
forever and ever!”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 27:3 The Heb. lacks Mediterranean
- Ezekiel 27:4 Or you perfectly beautiful
- Ezekiel 27:6 Lit. daughter of Assyria
- Ezekiel 27:10 I.e. modern Iran
- Ezekiel 27:10 I.e., fourth son of Shem, progenitor of the Lydians. The Heb. name Lud means strife.
- Ezekiel 27:10 Lit. Put; i.e. the third son of Ham (cf. Gen 10:6); the Heb. name means bow
- Ezekiel 27:11 Lit. your beauty
- Ezekiel 27:13 I.e. a son of Noah’s son Japheth; this people resided in what is now modern eastern Turkey
- Ezekiel 27:13 I.e. a son of Noah’s son Japheth; this people resided in what is now modern Armenia
- Ezekiel 27:15 Lit. The descendants of Dedan; i.e., a son of Cush (cf. Gen 10:7) or a grandson of Abraham through Keturah (Gen 25:3)
- Ezekiel 27:16 Lit. byssus; i.e. a white cotton cloth
- Ezekiel 27:17 Lit. from Minnith; perhaps a site in Ammon, east of the Jordan River
- Ezekiel 27:19 Or Uzal, i.e., a city located in a wine growing region between Haran and the Tigris River
- Ezekiel 27:23 These cities are thought to have been located in ancient Mesopotamia
- Ezekiel 27:25 Lit. Ships of Tarshish; i.e., a class of vessel capable of travelling the oceans
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