¹⁷ Yes, after seventy years the Lord will revive Tyre. But she will be no different than she was before. She will again be a prostitute to all kingdoms around the world.

¹⁰ “Men from distant Persia, Lydia, and Libya^[b] served in your great army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls, giving you great honor. ¹¹ Men from Arvad and Helech stood on your walls. Your towers were manned by men from Gammad. Their shields hung on your walls, completing your beauty.

¹² “Tarshish sent merchants to buy your wares in exchange for silver, iron, tin, and lead. ¹³ Merchants from Greece,^[c] Tubal, and Meshech brought slaves and articles of bronze to trade with you.

¹⁴ “From Beth-togarmah came riding horses, chariot horses, and mules, all in exchange for your goods. ¹⁵ Merchants came to you from Dedan.^[d] Numerous coastlands were your captive markets; they brought payment in ivory tusks and ebony wood.

¹⁶ “Syria^[e] sent merchants to buy your rich variety of goods. They traded turquoise, purple dyes, embroidery, fine linen, and jewelry of coral and rubies. ¹⁷ Judah and Israel traded for your wares, offering wheat from Minnith, figs,^[f] honey, olive oil, and balm.

¹⁸ “Damascus sent merchants to buy your rich variety of goods, bringing wine from Helbon and white wool from Zahar. ¹⁹ Greeks from Uzal^[g] came to trade for your merchandise. Wrought iron, cassia, and fragrant calamus were bartered for your wares.

²⁰ “Dedan sent merchants to trade their expensive saddle blankets with you. ²¹ The Arabians and the princes of Kedar sent merchants to trade lambs and rams and male goats in exchange for your goods. ²² The merchants of Sheba and Raamah came with all kinds of spices, jewels, and gold in exchange for your wares.

²³ “Haran, Canneh, Eden, Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad came with their merchandise, too. ²⁴ They brought choice fabrics to trade—blue cloth, embroidery, and multicolored carpets rolled up and bound with cords. ²⁵ The ships of Tarshish were your ocean caravans. Your island warehouse was filled to the brim!

The Destruction of Tyre

⁹ And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. ¹⁰ They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out,

¹¹ The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. ¹² She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble. ¹³ She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies—that is, human slaves.

The Great Prostitute

17 One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. ² The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.”

³ So the angel took me in the Spirit^[a] into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. ⁴ The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. ⁵ A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.”

² Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.

⁸ In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money.

³ He must not be a heavy drinker^[a] or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.