The Fall of Tyre’s Ruler

28 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Your[a] heart is proud, and you have said, “I am a god;(A) I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.” Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god. Yes, you are wiser than Daniel;(B) no secret is hidden from you! By your wisdom and understanding you have acquired wealth for yourself. You have acquired gold and silver for your treasuries.(C) By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, but your heart has become proud because of your wealth.

“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

Because you regard your heart as that of a god,
I am about to bring strangers against you,
ruthless men from the nations.
They will draw their swords
against your magnificent wisdom
and will pierce your splendor.(D)
They will bring you down to the Pit,(E)
and you will die a violent death
in the heart of the sea.
Will you still say, “I am a god,”
in the presence of those who slay[b] you?
Yet you will be only a man, not a god,
in the hands of those who kill you.
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised(F)
at the hands of strangers.(G)
For I have spoken.

This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”

A Lament for Tyre’s King

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

You were the seal[c] of perfection,[d]
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.(I)
13 You were in Eden,(J) the garden of God.
Every kind of precious stone covered you:
carnelian, topaz, and diamond,[e]
beryl, onyx, and jasper,
lapis lazuli, turquoise[f] and emerald.[g]
Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold;(K)
they were prepared on the day you were created.
14 You were an anointed guardian cherub,(L)
for[h] 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,[i]
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud because of your beauty;(M)
For the sake of your splendor
you corrupted your wisdom.
So I threw you down to the ground;[j]
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.(N)
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.’”(O)

A Prophecy against Sidon

20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 “Son of man, face Sidon(P) and prophesy against it. 22 You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

Look! I am against you, Sidon,(Q)
and I will display my glory within you.
They will know that I am the Lord
when I execute judgments against her(R)
and demonstrate my holiness through her.
23 I will send a plague against her(S)
and bloodshed in her streets;
the slain will fall within her,
while the sword is against her[k] on every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.

24 “‘The house of Israel will no longer be hurt by[l] prickly briers or painful thorns(T) from all their neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.

25 “‘This is what the Lord God says: When I gather the house of Israel(U) from the peoples where they are scattered, I will demonstrate my holiness through them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live there securely,(V) build houses, and plant vineyards.(W) They will live securely when I execute judgments(X) against all their neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”

A Prophecy of Egypt’s Ruin

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, face Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all of Egypt.(Y) Speak to him and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

Look, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great monster[m](Z) lying in the middle of his Nile,
who says, “My Nile is my own;
I made it for myself.”
I will put hooks in your jaws(AA)
and make the fish of your streams
cling to your scales.
I will haul you up
from the middle of your Nile,
and all the fish of your streams
will cling to your scales.
I will leave you in the desert,(AB)
you and all the fish of your streams.
You will fall on the open ground
and will not be taken away
or gathered for burial.(AC)
I have given you
to the wild creatures of the earth
and the birds of the sky as food.(AD)

“‘Then all the inhabitants of Egypt
will know that I am the Lord,
for they[n] have been a staff made of reed
to the house of Israel.

When Israel grasped you by the hand,
you splintered,(AE) tearing all their shoulders;
when they leaned on you,
you shattered and made all their hips unsteady.[o]

“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I am going to bring a sword(AF) against you and cut off both people and animals from you. The land of Egypt will be a desolate ruin.(AG) Then they will know that I am the Lord. Because you[p] said, “The Nile is my own; I made it,” 10 therefore, I am against you and your Nile. I will turn the land of Egypt into ruins, a desolate waste from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. 11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal foot will pass through it.(AH) It will be uninhabited for forty years. 12 I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among[q] desolate lands, and its cities will be a desolation among[r] ruined cities(AI) for forty years. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.(AJ)

13 “‘For this is what the Lord God says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were dispersed.(AK) 14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. There they will be a lowly kingdom. 15 Egypt will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small they cannot rule over the nations. 16 It will never again be an object of trust(AL) for the house of Israel, drawing attention to their iniquity of turning to the Egyptians. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.’”

Babylon Receives Egypt as Compensation

17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his army labor strenuously against Tyre.(AM) Every head was made bald and every shoulder chafed, but he and his army received no compensation from Tyre for the labor he expended against it. 19 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I am going to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,(AN) and he will carry off its wealth, seizing its spoil and taking its plunder. This will be his army’s compensation. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt as the pay he labored for, since they worked for me.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. 21 “In that day I will cause a horn to sprout(AO) for the house of Israel, and I will enable you to speak out(AP) among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. 28:2 Lit Because your
  2. 28:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read of the one who kills
  3. 28:12 Or sealer
  4. 28:12 Hb obscure
  5. 28:13 Hb obscure
  6. 28:13 Or malachite, or garnet
  7. 28:13 Or beryl
  8. 28:14 Or With an anointed guardian cherub
  9. 28:16 Or and the guardian cherub banished you
  10. 28:17 Or earth
  11. 28:23 Or within her by the sword
  12. 28:24 Lit longer have
  13. 29:3 Or crocodile
  14. 29:6 LXX, Syr, Vg read you
  15. 29:7 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads and you caused their hips to stand
  16. 29:9 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads he
  17. 29:12 Or Egypt the most desolate of
  18. 29:12 Or be the most desolate of

A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre

28 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man(A), say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘In the pride of your heart
    you say, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne(B) of a god
    in the heart of the seas.”(C)
But you are a mere mortal and not a god,
    though you think you are as wise as a god.(D)
Are you wiser than Daniel[a]?(E)
    Is no secret hidden from you?
By your wisdom and understanding
    you have gained wealth for yourself
and amassed gold and silver
    in your treasuries.(F)
By your great skill in trading(G)
    you have increased your wealth,(H)
and because of your wealth
    your heart has grown proud.(I)

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Because you think you are wise,
    as wise as a god,
I am going to bring foreigners against you,
    the most ruthless of nations;(J)
they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom(K)
    and pierce your shining splendor.(L)
They will bring you down to the pit,(M)
    and you will die a violent death(N)
    in the heart of the seas.(O)
Will you then say, “I am a god,”
    in the presence of those who kill you?
You will be but a mortal, not a god,(P)
    in the hands of those who slay you.(Q)
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised(R)
    at the hands of foreigners.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament(S) 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.(T)
13 You were in Eden,(U)
    the garden of God;(V)
every precious stone(W) adorned you:
    carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
    topaz, onyx and jasper,
    lapis lazuli, turquoise(X) and beryl.[b]
Your settings and mountings[c] were made of gold;
    on the day you were created they were prepared.(Y)
14 You were anointed(Z) as a guardian cherub,(AA)
    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,(AB)
    and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
    and I expelled you, guardian cherub,(AC)
    from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud(AD)
    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.(AE)
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade
    you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire(AF) come out from you,
    and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes(AG) on the ground
    in the sight of all who were watching.(AH)
19 All the nations who knew you
    are appalled(AI) at you;
you have come to a horrible end
    and will be no more.(AJ)’”

A Prophecy Against Sidon

20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 “Son of man, set your face against(AK) Sidon;(AL) prophesy against her 22 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘I am against you, Sidon,
    and among you I will display my glory.(AM)
You will know that I am the Lord,
    when I inflict punishment(AN) on you
    and within you am proved to be holy.(AO)
23 I will send a plague upon you
    and make blood flow in your streets.
The slain will fall within you,
    with the sword against you on every side.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.(AP)

24 “‘No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns.(AQ) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

25 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather(AR) the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered,(AS) I will be proved holy(AT) through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.(AU) 26 They will live there in safety(AV) and will build houses and plant(AW) vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment(AX) on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.(AY)’”

A Prophecy Against Egypt

Judgment on Pharaoh

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the Lord came to me:(AZ) “Son of man, set your face against(BA) Pharaoh king of Egypt(BB) and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.(BC) Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘I am against you, Pharaoh(BD) king of Egypt,
    you great monster(BE) lying among your streams.
You say, “The Nile(BF) belongs to me;
    I made it for myself.”
But I will put hooks(BG) in your jaws
    and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.
I will pull you out from among your streams,
    with all the fish sticking to your scales.(BH)
I will leave you in the desert,
    you and all the fish of your streams.
You will fall on the open field
    and not be gathered(BI) or picked up.
I will give you as food
    to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky.(BJ)

Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.

“‘You have been a staff of reed(BK) for the people of Israel. When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered(BL) and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.[d](BM)

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast.(BN) Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“‘Because you said, “The Nile(BO) is mine; I made it,(BP) 10 therefore I am against you(BQ) and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt(BR) a ruin and a desolate waste(BS) from Migdol(BT) to Aswan,(BU) as far as the border of Cush.[e](BV) 11 The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.(BW) 12 I will make the land of Egypt desolate(BX) among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.(BY)

13 “‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. 14 I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt,(BZ) the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly(CA) kingdom.(CB) 15 It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations.(CC) I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. 16 Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence(CD) for the people of Israel but will be a reminder(CE) of their sin in turning to her for help.(CF) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(CG)’”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Reward

17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:(CH) 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar(CI) king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare(CJ) and every shoulder made raw.(CK) Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king(CL) of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder(CM) the land as pay for his army.(CN) 20 I have given him Egypt(CO) as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CP)

21 “On that day I will make a horn[f](CQ) grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth(CR) among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(CS)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 28:3 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature
  2. Ezekiel 28:13 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  3. Ezekiel 28:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  4. Ezekiel 29:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint and Vulgate); Hebrew and you caused their backs to stand
  5. Ezekiel 29:10 That is, the upper Nile region
  6. Ezekiel 29:21 Horn here symbolizes strength.