A Lament for Tyre’s King

11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, lament(A) for the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

You were the seal[a] of perfection,[b]
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.(B)
13 You were in Eden,(C) the garden of God.
Every kind of precious stone covered you:
carnelian, topaz, and diamond,[c]
beryl, onyx, and jasper,
lapis lazuli, turquoise[d] and emerald.[e]
Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold;(D)
they were prepared on the day you were created.
14 You were an anointed guardian cherub,(E)
for[f] I had appointed you.
You were on the holy mountain of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15 From the day you were created
you were blameless in your ways
until wickedness was found in you.
16 Through the abundance of your trade,
you were filled with violence, and you sinned.
So I expelled you in disgrace
from the mountain of God,
and banished you, guardian cherub,[g]
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud because of your beauty;(F)
For the sake of your splendor
you corrupted your wisdom.
So I threw you down to the ground;[h]
I made you a spectacle before kings.
18 You profaned your sanctuaries
by the magnitude of your iniquities
in your dishonest trade.
So I made fire come from within you,
and it consumed you.(G)
I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of everyone watching you.
19 All those who know you among the peoples
are appalled at you.
You have become an object of horror
and will never exist again.’”(H)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 28:12 Or sealer
  2. 28:12 Hb obscure
  3. 28:13 Hb obscure
  4. 28:13 Or malachite, or garnet
  5. 28:13 Or beryl
  6. 28:14 Or With an anointed guardian cherub
  7. 28:16 Or and the guardian cherub banished you
  8. 28:17 Or earth

11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament(A) concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘You were the seal of perfection,
    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.(B)
13 You were in Eden,(C)
    the garden of God;(D)
every precious stone(E) adorned you:
    carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
    topaz, onyx and jasper,
    lapis lazuli, turquoise(F) and beryl.[a]
Your settings and mountings[b] were made of gold;
    on the day you were created they were prepared.(G)
14 You were anointed(H) as a guardian cherub,(I)
    for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
    you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways
    from the day you were created
    till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade
    you were filled with violence,(J)
    and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
    and I expelled you, guardian cherub,(K)
    from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud(L)
    on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
    because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
    I made a spectacle of you before kings.(M)
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade
    you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire(N) come out from you,
    and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes(O) on the ground
    in the sight of all who were watching.(P)
19 All the nations who knew you
    are appalled(Q) at you;
you have come to a horrible end
    and will be no more.(R)’”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 28:13 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  2. Ezekiel 28:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.