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Lamentation over Tyre

27 The word of the Lord came to me: “Now you, son of man, raise a lamentation over Tyre, and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:

“O Tyre, you have said,
    ‘I am perfect in beauty.’
Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
    your builders made perfect your beauty.
They made all your planks
    of fir trees from Senir;
they took a cedar from Lebanon
    to make a mast for you.
Of oaks of Bashan
    they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines
    from the coasts of Cyprus,
    inlaid with ivory.
Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
    was your sail,
    serving as your ensign;
blue and purple from the coasts of Eli′shah
    was your awning.
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad
    were your rowers;
skilled men of Zemer[a] were in you,
    they were your pilots.
The elders of Gebal and her skilled men were in you,
    caulking your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you,
    to barter for your wares.

10 “Persia and Lud and Put were in your army as your men of war; they hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendor. 11 The men of Arvad and Helech[b] were upon your walls round about, and men of Gamad were in your towers; they hung their shields upon your walls round about; they made perfect your beauty.

12 “Tarshish trafficked with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged the persons of men and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 Beth-togar′mah exchanged for your wares horses, war horses, and mules. 15 The men of Rhodes[c] traded with you; many coastlands were your own special markets, they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony. 16 Edom[d] trafficked with you because of your abundant goods; they exchanged for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and agate. 17 Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise wheat, olives and early figs,[e] honey, oil, and balm. 18 Damascus trafficked with you for your abundant goods, because of your great wealth of every kind; wine of Helbon, and white wool, 19 and wine[f] from Uzal they exchanged for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were bartered for your merchandise. 20 Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored dealers in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they trafficked with you. 22 The traders of Sheba and Ra′amah traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the best of all kinds of spices, and all precious stones, and gold. 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden,[g] Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. 24 These traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of colored stuff, bound with cords and made secure; in these they traded with you.[h] 25 The ships of Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise.[i]

“So you were filled and heavily laden
    in the heart of the seas.
26 Your rowers have brought you out
    into the high seas.
The east wind has wrecked you
    in the heart of the seas.
27 Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,
    your mariners and your pilots,
your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
    and all your men of war who are in you,
with all your company
    that is in your midst,
sink into the heart of the seas
    on the day of your ruin.
28 At the sound of the cry of your pilots
    the countryside shakes,
29 and down from their ships
    come all that handle the oar.
The mariners and all the pilots of the sea
    stand on the shore
30 and wail aloud over you,
    and cry bitterly.
They cast dust on their heads
    and wallow in ashes;
31 they make themselves bald for you,
    and gird themselves with sackcloth,
and they weep over you in bitterness of soul,
    with bitter mourning.
32 In their wailing they raise a lamentation for you,
    and lament over you:
‘Who was ever destroyed[j] like Tyre
    in the midst of the sea?
33 When your wares came from the seas,
    you satisfied many peoples;
with your abundant wealth and merchandise
    you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are wrecked by the seas,
    in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your crew
    have sunk with you.
35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands
    are appalled at you;
and their kings are horribly afraid,
    their faces are convulsed.
36 The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
    you have come to a dreadful end
    and shall be no more for ever.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 27:8 Compare Gen 10.18: Heb your skilled men, O Tyre
  2. Ezekiel 27:11 Or and your army
  3. Ezekiel 27:15 Gk: Heb Dedan
  4. Ezekiel 27:16 Another reading is Aram
  5. Ezekiel 27:17 Cn: Heb wheat of minnith and pannag
  6. Ezekiel 27:19 Gk: Heb Vedan and Javan
  7. Ezekiel 27:23 Cn: Heb Eden the traders of Sheba
  8. Ezekiel 27:24 Cn: Heb in your market
  9. Ezekiel 27:25 Cn: Heb your travelers your merchandise
  10. Ezekiel 27:32 Tg Vg: Heb like silence

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