A Lament for Tyre

27 The word of the Lord came to me: “Now you, (A)son of man, (B)raise a lamentation over Tyre, and say to Tyre, who dwells at (C)the entrances to the sea, (D)merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:

“O Tyre, you have said,
    ‘I am (E)perfect in beauty.’
Your borders are (F)in the heart of the seas;
    your builders made perfect your beauty.
They made all your planks
    of fir trees from (G)Senir;
they took (H)a cedar from Lebanon
    to make a mast for you.
Of (I)oaks of Bashan
    they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines
    from (J)the coasts of Cyprus,
    inlaid with ivory.
(K)Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
    was your sail,
    serving as your banner;
blue and purple from (L)the coasts of Elishah
    was your awning.
The inhabitants of Sidon and (M)Arvad
    were your rowers;
your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you;
    they were (N)your pilots.
The elders of (O)Gebal and her skilled men were in you,
    (P)caulking your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you
    to barter for your wares.

10 (Q)“Persia and (R)Lud and (S)Put were in your army as your men of war. (T)They hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendor. 11 Men of (U)Arvad and Helech were on your walls all around, and men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they made (V)perfect your beauty.

12 (W)“Tarshish did (X)business with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your (Y)wares. 13 (Z)Javan, (AA)Tubal, and (AB)Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 From (AC)Beth-togarmah they exchanged horses, war horses, and mules (AD)for your wares. 15 The men of (AE)Dedan[a] traded with you. Many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony. 16 Syria (AF)did business with you because of your abundant goods; they exchanged for your wares (AG)emeralds, (AH)purple, (AI)embroidered work, (AJ)fine linen, coral, and (AK)ruby. 17 Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise (AL)wheat of (AM)Minnith, meal,[b] honey, oil, and (AN)balm. 18 (AO)Damascus did business with you for your abundant goods, because of your great wealth of every kind; wine of Helbon and (AP)wool of Sahar 19 and casks of wine[c] from Uzal they exchanged for your wares; wrought iron, (AQ)cassia, and (AR)calamus were bartered for your merchandise. 20 Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of (AS)Kedar were your favored dealers (AT)in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you. 22 The traders of (AU)Sheba and (AV)Raamah traded with you; they exchanged (AW)for your wares (AX)the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold. 23 (AY)Haran, Canneh, (AZ)Eden, traders of Sheba, (BA)Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. 24 In your market these traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of (BB)blue and (BC)embroidered work, and in carpets of colored material, bound with cords and made secure. 25 (BD)The ships of (BE)Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden (BF)in the heart of the seas.

26 “Your rowers have brought you out
    into the high seas.
(BG)The east wind has wrecked you
    in the heart of the seas.
27 Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,
    your mariners and (BH)your pilots,
(BI)your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
    and all your men of war who are in you,
with all your crew
    that is in your midst,
sink into the heart of the seas
    (BJ)on the day of your fall.
28 At the sound of the cry of your pilots
    (BK)the countryside shakes,
29 and down from their ships
    (BL)come all who handle the oar.
The mariners and all the pilots of the sea
    stand on the land
30 (BM)and shout aloud over you
    and cry out bitterly.
(BN)They cast dust on their heads
    (BO)and wallow in ashes;
31 they (BP)make themselves bald for you
    and put sackcloth on their waist,
and they weep over you in bitterness of soul,
    with bitter mourning.
32 In their wailing they (BQ)raise a lamentation for you
    and lament over you:
(BR)‘Who is like Tyre,
    like one destroyed in the midst of the sea?
33 When your wares came from the seas,
    (BS)you satisfied many peoples;
with your abundant wealth and merchandise
    (BT)you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now (BU)you are wrecked by the seas,
    in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your crew in your midst
    have sunk with you.
35 (BV)All the inhabitants of the coastlands
    are appalled at you,
and (BW)the hair of their kings bristles with horror;
    their faces are convulsed.
36 (BX)The merchants among the peoples (BY)hiss at you;
    (BZ)you have come to a dreadful end
    and shall be no more forever.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 27:15 Hebrew; Septuagint Rhodes
  2. Ezekiel 27:17 The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown
  3. Ezekiel 27:19 Probable reading; Hebrew wool of Sahar 19and Dan and Javan

The Sinking of Tyre

27 The word of the Lord came to me: “Now, son of man, lament for Tyre.(A) Say to Tyre, who is located at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples(B) to many coasts and islands: This is what the Lord God says:

Tyre, you declared,
‘I am perfect in beauty.’
Your realm was in the heart of the sea;
your builders perfected your beauty.
They constructed all your planking
with pine trees from Senir.[a](C)
They took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
They made your oars of oaks from Bashan.
They made your deck of cypress wood
from the coasts of Cyprus,(D)
inlaid with ivory.
Your sail was made of
fine embroidered linen from Egypt,
and served as your banner.
Your awning was of blue and purple fabric
from the coasts of Elishah.
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad(E)
were your rowers.
Your wise men were within you, Tyre;
they were your captains.
The elders of Gebal and its wise men(F)
were within you, repairing your leaks.

All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came to[b] you to barter for your goods.
10 Men of Persia, Lud, and Put(G)
were in your army, serving as your warriors.
They hung shields and helmets in you;
they gave you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helech
were stationed on your walls all around,
and Gammadites were in your towers.
They hung their shields[c] all around your walls;
they perfected your beauty.

12 “Tarshish(H) was your trading partner because of your great wealth of every kind. They exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech(I) were your merchants. They exchanged slaves[d] and bronze utensils for your goods. 14 Those from Beth-togarmah(J) exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your merchandise. 15 Men of Dedan[e](K) were also your merchants; many coasts and islands were your regular markets. They brought back ivory tusks(L) and ebony as your payment. 16 Aram[f][g] was your trading partner because of your numerous products. They exchanged turquoise,[h] purple and embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral,[i] and rubies[j] for your merchandise. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants. They exchanged wheat from Minnith,(M) meal,[k] honey, oil, and balm, for your goods. 18 Damascus was also your trading partner because of your numerous products and your great wealth of every kind, trading in wine from Helbon and white wool.[l] 19 Vedan[m] and Javan from Uzal[n](N) dealt in your merchandise; wrought iron, cassia,(O) and aromatic cane were exchanged for your goods. 20 Dedan(P) was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your business[o] partners, trading with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of Sheba(Q) and Raamah traded with you. They exchanged gold, the best of all spices, and all kinds of precious stones for your merchandise.(R) 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden,(S) the merchants of Sheba, Asshur,(T) and Chilmad traded with you. 24 They were your merchants in choice garments, cloaks of blue and embroidered materials, and multicolored carpets,[p] which were bound and secured with cords in your marketplace. 25 Ships of Tarshish(U) were the carriers for your goods.

So you became full and heavily loaded[q]
in the heart of the sea.
26 Your rowers have brought you
onto the high seas,(V)
but the east wind has shattered you
in the heart of the sea.
27 Your wealth, merchandise, and goods,
your sailors and captains,
those who repair your leaks,
those who barter for your goods,
and all the warriors within you,
with all the other people on board,[r]
sink into the heart of the sea
on the day of your downfall.

28 The countryside shakes
at the sound of your sailors’ cries.(W)
29 All those who handle an oar
disembark from their ships.
The sailors and all the captains of the sea
stand on the shore.
30 They raise their voices over you
and cry out bitterly.
They throw dust on their heads;(X)
they roll in ashes.
31 They shave their heads because of you
and wrap themselves in sackcloth.
They weep over you
with deep anguish and bitter mourning.

32 In their wailing they lament for you,(Y)
mourning over you:
Who was like Tyre,
silenced[s] in the middle of the sea?
33 When your merchandise was unloaded from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples.
You enriched the kings of the earth
with your abundant wealth and goods.
34 Now you are shattered by the sea
in the depths of the waters;
your goods and the people within you
have gone down.
35 All the inhabitants of the coasts and islands
are appalled(Z) at you.
Their kings shudder with fear;
their faces are contorted.
36 Those who trade among the peoples
mock[t](AA) you;
you have become an object of horror
and will never exist again.”(AB)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 27:5 = Mount Hermon
  2. Ezekiel 27:9 Lit sailors were with
  3. Ezekiel 27:11 Or quivers; Hb obscure
  4. Ezekiel 27:13 Lit souls of men
  5. Ezekiel 27:15 LXX reads Rhodes
  6. Ezekiel 27:16 Some Hb mss, Aq, Syr read Edom
  7. Ezekiel 27:16 = Syria
  8. Ezekiel 27:16 Hb obscure
  9. Ezekiel 27:16 Hb obscure
  10. Ezekiel 27:16 Hb obscure
  11. Ezekiel 27:17 Or resin; Hb obscure
  12. Ezekiel 27:18 Or and wool from Zahar
  13. Ezekiel 27:19 Or Dan
  14. Ezekiel 27:19 Hb obscure
  15. Ezekiel 27:21 Lit trading
  16. Ezekiel 27:24 Hb obscure
  17. Ezekiel 27:25 Or and very glorious
  18. Ezekiel 27:27 Lit with all your assembly among you
  19. Ezekiel 27:32 Hb obscure
  20. Ezekiel 27:36 Lit hiss