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27 Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, “You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; and tell Tyre, ‘You who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, the Lord Yahweh says:

“You, Tyre, have said,
    ‘I am perfect in beauty.’
Your borders are in the heart of the seas.
    Your builders have perfected your beauty.
They have made all your planks of cypress trees from Senir.
    They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
They have made your oars of the oaks of Bashan.
    They have made your benches of ivory inlaid in cypress wood from the islands of Kittim.
Your sail was of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt,
    that it might be to you for a banner.
    Blue and purple from the islands of Elishah was your awning.
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers.
    Your wise men, Tyre, were in you.
    They were your pilots.
The old men of Gebal
    and its wise men were your repairers of ship seams in you.
All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you
    to deal in your merchandise.

10 “‘“Persia, Lud, and Put were in your army,
    your men of war.
They hung the shield and helmet in you.
    They showed your beauty.
11 The men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around,
    and valiant men were in your towers.
They hung their shields on your walls all around.
    They have perfected your beauty.

12 “‘“Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches. They traded for your wares with silver, iron, tin, and lead.

13 “‘“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They traded the persons of men and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.

14 “‘“They of the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, war horses, and mules.

15 “‘“The men of Dedan traded with you. Many islands were the market of your hand. They brought you horns of ivory and ebony in exchange.

16 “‘“Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks. They traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies.

17 “‘“Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded wheat of Minnith, confections, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise.

18 “‘“Damascus was your merchant for the multitude of your handiworks, by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool.

19 “‘“Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares: bright iron, cassia, and calamus were among your merchandise.

20 “‘“Dedan was your trafficker in precious cloths for riding.

21 “‘“Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar were the merchants of your hand; in lambs, rams, and goats. In these, they were your merchants.

22 “‘“The traders of Sheba and Raamah were your traders. They traded for your wares with the chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.

23 “‘“Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad, were your traders. 24 These were your traders in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in chests of rich clothing, bound with cords and made of cedar, among your merchandise.

25 “‘“The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise.
    You were replenished
    and made very glorious in the heart of the seas.
26 Your rowers have brought you into great waters.
    The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.
27 Your riches,
    your wares,
    your merchandise,
your mariners,
    your pilots,
    your repairers of ship seams,
the dealers in your merchandise,
    and all your men of war, who are in you,
with all your company which is among you,
    will fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your ruin.
28 At the sound of the cry of your pilots,
    the pasture lands will shake.
29 All who handle the oars,
    the mariners and all the pilots of the sea,
    will come down from their ships.
They will stand on the land,
30     and will cause their voice to be heard over you,
    and will cry bitterly.
They will cast up dust on their heads.
    They will wallow in the ashes.
31 They will make themselves bald for you,
    and clothe themselves with sackcloth.
They will weep for you in bitterness of soul,
    with bitter mourning.
32 In their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you,
    and lament over you, saying,
‘Who is there like Tyre,
    like her who is brought to silence in the middle of the sea?’
33 When your wares went out of the seas,
    you filled many peoples.
You enriched the kings of the earth
    with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise.
34 In the time that you were broken by the seas,
    in the depths of the waters,
your merchandise
    and all your company fell within you.
35 All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at you,
    and their kings are horribly afraid.
    They are troubled in their face.
36 The merchants among the peoples hiss at you.
    You have become a terror,
    and you will be no more.”’”

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Lamentation over Tyre

27 The word of the Lord came to me: Now you, mortal, raise a lamentation over Tyre,(A) and say to Tyre, which sits 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.”(B)
Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
    your builders made perfect your beauty.(C)
They made all your planks
    of fir trees from Senir;
they took a cedar from Lebanon
    to make a mast for you.(D)
From oaks of Bashan
    they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines[a]
    from the coasts of Cyprus,
    inlaid with ivory.(E)
Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
    was your sail,
    serving as your ensign;
blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
    was your awning.
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad
    were your rowers;
skilled men of Zemer[b] were within you;
    they were your pilots.(F)
The elders of Gebal and its artisans were within you,
    caulking your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their sailors were within you,
    to barter for your wares.(G)
10 Paras[c] and Lud and Put
    were in your army,
    your mighty warriors;
they hung shield and helmet in you;
    they gave you splendor.(H)
11 Men of Arvad and Helech[d]
    were on your walls all around;
    men of Gamad were at your towers.
They hung their quivers all around your walls;
    they made perfect your beauty.(I)

12 Tarshish did business with you out of the abundance of your great wealth; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares.(J) 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.(K) 14 Beth-togarmah exchanged for your wares horses, war horses, and mules.(L) 15 The Rhodians[e] traded with you; many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony.(M) 16 Edom[f] did business with you because of your abundant goods; they exchanged for your wares turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies.(N) 17 Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise wheat from Minnith, millet,[g] honey, oil, and balm.(O) 18 Damascus traded with you for your abundant goods—because of your great wealth of every kind—wine of Helbon and wool of Zahar.(P) 19 Vedan and Javan from Uzal[h] entered into trade for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane 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 did business with you.(Q) 22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold.(R) 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you.(S) 24 These traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of colored material, bound with cords and made secure; in these they traded with you.[i] 25 The ships of Tarshish traveled for you in your trade.

So you were filled and heavily laden
    in the heart of the seas.(T)
26 Your rowers have brought you
    into the high seas.
The east wind has wrecked you
    in the heart of the seas.(U)
27 Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,
    your sailors and your pilots,
your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
    and all your warriors within you,
with all the company
    that is with you,
sink into the heart of the seas
    on the day of your ruin.(V)
28 At the sound of the cry of your pilots
    the pasturelands shake,(W)
29 and down from their ships
    come all who handle the oar.
The sailors and all the pilots of the sea
    stand on the shore(X)
30 and wail aloud over you
    and cry bitterly.
They throw dust on their heads
    and wallow in ashes;(Y)
31 they make themselves bald for you
    and put on sackcloth,
and they weep over you in bitterness of soul,
    with bitter mourning.(Z)
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?(AA)
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.(AB)
34 Now you are wrecked by the seas,
    in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your crew
    have sunk with you.(AC)
35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands
    are appalled at you,
and their kings are horribly afraid;
    their faces are convulsed.(AD)
36 The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
    you have come to a dreadful end
    and shall be no more forever.”(AE)

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Footnotes

  1. 27.6 Or boxwood
  2. 27.8 Cn: Heb your skilled men, O Tyre
  3. 27.10 Or Persia
  4. 27.11 Or and your army
  5. 27.15 Gk: Heb The Dedanites
  6. 27.16 Heb mss Syr Aquila: MT Aram
  7. 27.17 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  8. 27.19 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  9. 27.24 Cn: Heb in your market
  10. 27.32 Tg Vg: Heb silenced