Proclamation Against the King of Tyre

28 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Because your heart is (A)lifted[a] up,
And (B)you say, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of gods,
(C)In the midst of the seas,’
(D)Yet you are a man, and not a god,
Though you set your heart as the heart of a god
(Behold, (E)you are wiser than Daniel!
There is no secret that can be hidden from you!
With your wisdom and your understanding
You have gained (F)riches for yourself,
And gathered gold and silver into your treasuries;
(G)By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches,
And your heart is lifted up because of your riches),”

‘Therefore thus says the Lord God:

“Because you have set your heart as the heart of a god,
Behold, therefore, I will bring (H)strangers against you,
(I)The most terrible of the nations;
And they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom,
And defile your splendor.
They shall throw you down into the (J)Pit,
And you shall die the death of the slain
In the midst of the seas.

“Will you still (K)say before him who slays you,
‘I am a god’?
But you shall be a man, and not a god,
In the hand of him who slays you.
10 You shall die the death of (L)the uncircumcised
By the hand of aliens;
For I have spoken,” says the Lord God.’ ”

Lamentation for the King of Tyre

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, (M)take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

(N)“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in (O)Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of (P)your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

14 “You were the anointed (Q)cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on (R)the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till (S)iniquity was found in you.

16 “By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, (T)O covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones.

17 “Your (U)heart was [b]lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.

18 “You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;
(V)You have become a horror,
And shall be no (W)more forever.” ’ ”

Proclamation Against Sidon

20 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 “Son of man, (X)set your face (Y)toward Sidon, and prophesy against her, 22 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

(Z)“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon;
I will be glorified in your midst;
And (AA)they shall know that I am the Lord,
When I execute judgments in her and am (AB)hallowed in her.
23 (AC)For I will send pestilence upon her,
And blood in her streets;
The wounded shall be judged in her midst
By the sword against her on every side;
Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

24 “And there shall no longer be a pricking brier or (AD)a painful thorn for the house of Israel from among all who are around them, who (AE)despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.”

Israel’s Future Blessing

25 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “When I have (AF)gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am (AG)hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. 26 And they will (AH)dwell [c]safely there, (AI)build houses, and (AJ)plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.” ’ ”

Proclamation Against Egypt

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, (AK)set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and (AL)against all Egypt. Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

(AM)“Behold, I am against you,
O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
O great (AN)monster who lies in the midst of his rivers,
(AO)Who has said, ‘My [d]River is my own;
I have made it for myself.’
But (AP)I will put hooks in your jaws,
And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales;
I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,
And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.
I will leave you in the wilderness,
You and all the fish of your rivers;
You shall fall on the [e]open (AQ)field;
(AR)You shall not be picked up or [f]gathered.
(AS)I have given you as food
To the beasts of the field
And to the birds of the heavens.

“Then all the inhabitants of Egypt
Shall know that I am the Lord,
Because they have been a (AT)staff of reed to the house of Israel.
(AU)When they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore all their [g]shoulders;
When they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their backs quiver.”

‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will bring (AV)a sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast. And the land of Egypt shall become (AW)desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the Lord, because he said, ‘The River is mine, and I have made it. 10 Indeed, therefore, I am against you and against your rivers, (AX)and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, (AY)from [h]Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. 11 (AZ)Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 (BA)I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and among the cities that are laid waste, her cities shall be desolate forty years; and I will (BB)scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.”

13 ‘Yet, thus says the Lord God: “At the (BC)end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. 14 I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a (BD)lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore. 16 No longer shall it be (BE)the confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.” ’ ”

Babylonia Will Plunder Egypt

17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, (BF)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made (BG)bald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will give the land of Egypt to (BH)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they (BI)worked for Me,’ says the Lord God.

21 ‘In that day (BJ)I will cause the [i]horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will (BK)open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 28:2 Proud
  2. Ezekiel 28:17 Proud
  3. Ezekiel 28:26 securely
  4. Ezekiel 29:3 The Nile
  5. Ezekiel 29:5 Lit. face of the field
  6. Ezekiel 29:5 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; some Heb. mss., Tg. buried
  7. Ezekiel 29:7 So with MT, Vg.; LXX, Syr. hand
  8. Ezekiel 29:10 Or the tower
  9. Ezekiel 29:21 Strength

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.