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A Lament for Doomed Tyre

27 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] “And you, son of man,[c] raise a lament against Tyre. And you must say to Tyre, the one who sits at the entrance of the sea as the merchant of the peoples to the many coastlands, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh:

Tyre, you yourself said[d]
    “I am perfect in beauty!”[e]
In the heart of the seas are your boundaries;
    your builders perfected your beauty.
They built with pine trees from Senir
    all of your boards for you;
they took cedars from Lebanon
    to make a sailing mast for you.[f]
They made your oars
    with oaks from Bashan;
your deck they made with inlaid ivory,
    with cypress trees from the coastlands of Cyprus.[g]
Your sail was fine linen with colorful weaving from Egypt
    to serve as a banner for you;[h]
blue and purple cloth from the coastlands of Cyprus[i]
    was your awning.
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvan
    were your rowers;
your skilled men,[j] O Tyre, were from your own people,[k]
    and they were your seamen.
The elders of Gebal and its skilled men[l] were among you[m]
    as the repairers of the seam of your boat;
all of the ships of the sea and their mariners were among you[n]
    to barter your wares.
10 Persia and Lud and Put
    were among your soldiers;[o]
small shield and helmet hung among you[p]
    and gave to you your adornment.
11 The people[q] of Arvan and Helech
    were on your walls all around,
and Gammadites
    were in your towers.
They hung their quivers[r] on your walls all around;
    they perfected your beauty.

12 “‘Tarshish was your trader; from the abundance of all of their wealth, with silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your merchandise. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders; in exchange for people[s] and an object of bronze they gave you your wares. 14 From Beth Togarmah they exchanged horses and war horses and mules for your wares. 15 The people[t] of Dedan were trading with you, many coastlands composed the region of your influence;[u] they brought back horns of ivory and ebony as your payment. 16 Edom[v] was trading with you because of the abundance of your products, trading with malachite, purple wool yarn and colorful weaving, and fine white fabric and black corals and rubies; all these they exchange for your merchandise. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were trading with you with wheat from Minnith and millet and honey and olive oil and balm; all these they gave for your wares. 18 Damascus was trading with you because of[w] the abundance of your products, because of the abundance of all of your wealth, trading with the wine of Helbon and white wool. 19 Vedan and Javan from Uzal, they exchanged wrought iron, cinnamon,[x] and reed spice for your merchandise; all this was for your wares. 20 Dedan was trading with you, with garments of woven material for riding. 21 Arabia and all of the leaders of Kedar were your customers;[y] with young rams and adult rams and goats they were trading with them with you. 22 The traders of Sheba and Raamah were trading with you, with the finest of every spice and with every precious stone and gold; they exchanged all these for your merchandise. 23 Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Assyria, and Kilmad were trading with you. 24 They were trading with you in finery, in mantles of blue cloth and colorful embroidered work and with rugs of variegated cloth in twisted cords and knotted tightly; these were among your merchandise.[z] 25 The ships of Tarshish were carrying for you your wares, and you were filled, and you became very heavy in the heart of the seas.

26 “‘Into many waters
    the rowers brought you;
but the east wind[aa] wrecked you
    in the heart of the seas.
27 Your wealth and your merchandise, your wares,
    your mariners, and your seamen,
your shipwrights[ab] and the barterers of your wares
    and all of your soldiers[ac] who are in you,
along[ad] with all of your crew who are in the midst of you,
    they will fall in the heart of the seas on the day of your downfall.
28 At the sound of the shout[ae] of your seamen,
    the pasturelands will shake.
29 And they will go down from their ships,
    all of those holding an oar,
mariners, all of the seamen of the sea
    will stand on the land,
30 and they will lament[af] over you with their voice,
    and they will cry out[ag] bitterly,
and they will throw[ah] dust on their heads,
    and they will roll[ai] in the dust.
31 They will shave themselves bald for your sake,[aj]
    and they will dress[ak] themselves in sackcloth,
and they will weep[al] over you with a bitterness of soul[am]
    and with bitter wailing.
32 And they will raise[an] over you with their wailing a lament,
    and they will chant[ao] a lament over you:
‘Who is like Tyre,
    like this destruction in the midst of the sea?’
33 When your merchandise went out from the seas,
    you satisfied many peoples with the abundance of your wealth,
and by your wares
    you made rich the kings of the world.
34 Now you are broken by seas
    in the depths of waters;
your wares and all of your crew
    in the midst of you have sunk.
35 All of the inhabitants of the coastlands
    are appalled over you,
and their kings shudder[ap] in horror;
    they distort their faces![aq]
36 The traders among the peoples hiss over you;
    you have become a horror,
    and you shall be no more forever!’”[ar]

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 27:1 Literally “was”
  2. Ezekiel 27:1 Literally “to say”
  3. Ezekiel 27:2 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  4. Ezekiel 27:3 Literally “you you said”
  5. Ezekiel 27:3 Literally “of beauty”
  6. Ezekiel 27:5 Literally “on you”
  7. Ezekiel 27:6 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  8. Ezekiel 27:7 Literally “to be for you as a banner”
  9. Ezekiel 27:7 Or “Elishah”
  10. Ezekiel 27:8 Literally “wise men”
  11. Ezekiel 27:8 Literally “in you”
  12. Ezekiel 27:9 Literally “wise men”
  13. Ezekiel 27:9 Literally “in you”
  14. Ezekiel 27:9 Literally “in you”
  15. Ezekiel 27:10 Literally “in your army as the men of war your”
  16. Ezekiel 27:10 Literally “in you”
  17. Ezekiel 27:11 Or “children,” or “sons”
  18. Ezekiel 27:11 Or “shields” (cf. NJPS; NIV)
  19. Ezekiel 27:13 Or “for a human person/soul”
  20. Ezekiel 27:15 Or “children”
  21. Ezekiel 27:15 Literally “hand”
  22. Ezekiel 27:16 Reading Edom for Aram
  23. Ezekiel 27:18 Literally “for”
  24. Ezekiel 27:19 Or “cassia”
  25. Ezekiel 27:21 Literally “traders of your hand”
  26. Ezekiel 27:24 Literally “in your trading/marketplace” (cf. NET)
  27. Ezekiel 27:26 Literally “the wind of the east”
  28. Ezekiel 27:27 Literally “the repairers/strengtheners of your seams”
  29. Ezekiel 27:27 Literally “the men of your war”
  30. Ezekiel 27:27 Hebrew “and”
  31. Ezekiel 27:28 Or “cry”
  32. Ezekiel 27:30 Hebrew “lamented”
  33. Ezekiel 27:30 Hebrew “cried out”
  34. Ezekiel 27:30 Hebrew “threw”
  35. Ezekiel 27:30 Hebrew “rolled”
  36. Ezekiel 27:31 Literally “And they made bald for you with baldness”
  37. Ezekiel 27:31 Hebrew “dressed”
  38. Ezekiel 27:31 Hebrew “wept”
  39. Ezekiel 27:31 Or “of their inner self”
  40. Ezekiel 27:32 Hebrew “raised”
  41. Ezekiel 27:32 Hebrew “chanted”
  42. Ezekiel 27:35 Literally “they have bristling hair”
  43. Ezekiel 27:35 Literally “they are distorted as to faces”
  44. Ezekiel 27:36 Literally “there is not you until eternity/endless ages” (cf. NRSV)

Lamentation for Tyre

27 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, “Now, son of man, (A)take up a lamentation for Tyre, and say to Tyre, (B)‘You who [a]are situated at the entrance of the sea, (C)merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:

“O Tyre, you have said,
(D)‘I am perfect in beauty.’
Your borders are in the midst of the seas.
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
They [b]made all your planks of fir trees from (E)Senir;
They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast.
Of (F)oaks from Bashan they made your oars;
The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks
With ivory from (G)the coasts of [c]Cyprus.
Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail;
Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.

“Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen;
Your wise men, O Tyre, were in you;
They became your pilots.
Elders of (H)Gebal and its wise men
Were in you to caulk your seams;
All the ships of the sea
And their oarsmen were in you
To market your merchandise.

10 “Those from Persia, [d]Lydia, and [e]Libya
Were in your army as men of war;
They hung shield and helmet in you;
They gave splendor to you.
11 Men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around,
And the men of Gammad were in your towers;
They hung their shields on your walls all around;
They made (I)your beauty perfect.

12 (J)“Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods. 13 (K)Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered (L)human lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 Those from the house of (M)Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules. 15 The men of (N)Dedan were your traders; many isles were the market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment. 16 Syria was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat of (O)Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and (P)balm. 18 Damascus was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made, because of your many luxury items, with the wine of Helbon and with white wool. 19 Dan and Javan paid for your wares, [f]traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise. 20 (Q)Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of (R)Kedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of (S)Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold. 23 (T)Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of (U)Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad were your merchants. 24 These were your merchants in choice items—in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace.

25 “The (V)ships of Tarshish were carriers of your merchandise.
You were filled and very glorious (W)in the midst of the seas.
26 Your oarsmen brought you into many waters,
But (X)the east wind broke you in the midst of the seas.

27 “Your (Y)riches, wares, and merchandise,
Your mariners and pilots,
Your caulkers and merchandisers,
All your men of war who are in you,
And the entire company which is in your midst,
Will fall into the midst of the seas on the day of your ruin.
28 The (Z)common-land[g] will shake at the sound of the cry of your pilots.

29 “All (AA)who handle the oar,
The mariners,
All the pilots of the sea
Will come down from their ships and stand on the [h]shore.
30 They will make their voice heard because of you;
They will cry bitterly and (AB)cast dust on their heads;
They (AC)will roll about in ashes;
31 They will (AD)shave themselves completely bald because of you,
Gird themselves with sackcloth,
And weep for you
With bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
32 In their wailing for you
They will (AE)take up a lamentation,
And lament for you:
(AF)‘What city is like Tyre,
Destroyed in the midst of the sea?

33 ‘When(AG) your wares went out by sea,
You satisfied many people;
You enriched the kings of the earth
With your many luxury goods and your merchandise.
34 But (AH)you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters;
(AI)Your merchandise and the entire company will fall in your midst.
35 (AJ)All the inhabitants of the isles will be astonished at you;
Their kings will be greatly afraid,
And their countenance will be troubled.
36 The merchants among the peoples (AK)will hiss at you;
(AL)You will become a horror, and be no (AM)more forever.’ ” ’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 27:3 Lit. sit or dwell
  2. Ezekiel 27:5 built
  3. Ezekiel 27:6 Heb. Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus
  4. Ezekiel 27:10 Heb. Lud
  5. Ezekiel 27:10 Heb. Put
  6. Ezekiel 27:19 LXX, Syr. from Uzal
  7. Ezekiel 27:28 open lands or pasturelands
  8. Ezekiel 27:29 Lit. land