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A Lament for Doomed Tyre

27 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] “And you, son of man,[c] raise a lament against Tyre. And you must say to Tyre, the one who sits at the entrance of the sea as the merchant of the peoples to the many coastlands, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh:

Tyre, you yourself said[d]
    “I am perfect in beauty!”[e]
In the heart of the seas are your boundaries;
    your builders perfected your beauty.
They built with pine trees from Senir
    all of your boards for you;
they took cedars from Lebanon
    to make a sailing mast for you.[f]
They made your oars
    with oaks from Bashan;
your deck they made with inlaid ivory,
    with cypress trees from the coastlands of Cyprus.[g]
Your sail was fine linen with colorful weaving from Egypt
    to serve as a banner for you;[h]
blue and purple cloth from the coastlands of Cyprus[i]
    was your awning.
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvan
    were your rowers;
your skilled men,[j] O Tyre, were from your own people,[k]
    and they were your seamen.
The elders of Gebal and its skilled men[l] were among you[m]
    as the repairers of the seam of your boat;
all of the ships of the sea and their mariners were among you[n]
    to barter your wares.
10 Persia and Lud and Put
    were among your soldiers;[o]
small shield and helmet hung among you[p]
    and gave to you your adornment.
11 The people[q] of Arvan and Helech
    were on your walls all around,
and Gammadites
    were in your towers.
They hung their quivers[r] on your walls all around;
    they perfected your beauty.

12 “‘Tarshish was your trader; from the abundance of all of their wealth, with silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your merchandise. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders; in exchange for people[s] and an object of bronze they gave you your wares. 14 From Beth Togarmah they exchanged horses and war horses and mules for your wares. 15 The people[t] of Dedan were trading with you, many coastlands composed the region of your influence;[u] they brought back horns of ivory and ebony as your payment. 16 Edom[v] was trading with you because of the abundance of your products, trading with malachite, purple wool yarn and colorful weaving, and fine white fabric and black corals and rubies; all these they exchange for your merchandise. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were trading with you with wheat from Minnith and millet and honey and olive oil and balm; all these they gave for your wares. 18 Damascus was trading with you because of[w] the abundance of your products, because of the abundance of all of your wealth, trading with the wine of Helbon and white wool. 19 Vedan and Javan from Uzal, they exchanged wrought iron, cinnamon,[x] and reed spice for your merchandise; all this was for your wares. 20 Dedan was trading with you, with garments of woven material for riding. 21 Arabia and all of the leaders of Kedar were your customers;[y] with young rams and adult rams and goats they were trading with them with you. 22 The traders of Sheba and Raamah were trading with you, with the finest of every spice and with every precious stone and gold; they exchanged all these for your merchandise. 23 Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Assyria, and Kilmad were trading with you. 24 They were trading with you in finery, in mantles of blue cloth and colorful embroidered work and with rugs of variegated cloth in twisted cords and knotted tightly; these were among your merchandise.[z] 25 The ships of Tarshish were carrying for you your wares, and you were filled, and you became very heavy in the heart of the seas.

26 “‘Into many waters
    the rowers brought you;
but the east wind[aa] wrecked you
    in the heart of the seas.
27 Your wealth and your merchandise, your wares,
    your mariners, and your seamen,
your shipwrights[ab] and the barterers of your wares
    and all of your soldiers[ac] who are in you,
along[ad] with all of your crew who are in the midst of you,
    they will fall in the heart of the seas on the day of your downfall.
28 At the sound of the shout[ae] of your seamen,
    the pasturelands will shake.
29 And they will go down from their ships,
    all of those holding an oar,
mariners, all of the seamen of the sea
    will stand on the land,
30 and they will lament[af] over you with their voice,
    and they will cry out[ag] bitterly,
and they will throw[ah] dust on their heads,
    and they will roll[ai] in the dust.
31 They will shave themselves bald for your sake,[aj]
    and they will dress[ak] themselves in sackcloth,
and they will weep[al] over you with a bitterness of soul[am]
    and with bitter wailing.
32 And they will raise[an] over you with their wailing a lament,
    and they will chant[ao] a lament over you:
‘Who is like Tyre,
    like this destruction in the midst of the sea?’
33 When your merchandise went out from the seas,
    you satisfied many peoples with the abundance of your wealth,
and by your wares
    you made rich the kings of the world.
34 Now you are broken by seas
    in the depths of waters;
your wares and all of your crew
    in the midst of you have sunk.
35 All of the inhabitants of the coastlands
    are appalled over you,
and their kings shudder[ap] in horror;
    they distort their faces![aq]
36 The traders among the peoples hiss over you;
    you have become a horror,
    and you shall be no more forever!’”[ar]

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 27:1 Literally “was”
  2. Ezekiel 27:1 Literally “to say”
  3. Ezekiel 27:2 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  4. Ezekiel 27:3 Literally “you you said”
  5. Ezekiel 27:3 Literally “of beauty”
  6. Ezekiel 27:5 Literally “on you”
  7. Ezekiel 27:6 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  8. Ezekiel 27:7 Literally “to be for you as a banner”
  9. Ezekiel 27:7 Or “Elishah”
  10. Ezekiel 27:8 Literally “wise men”
  11. Ezekiel 27:8 Literally “in you”
  12. Ezekiel 27:9 Literally “wise men”
  13. Ezekiel 27:9 Literally “in you”
  14. Ezekiel 27:9 Literally “in you”
  15. Ezekiel 27:10 Literally “in your army as the men of war your”
  16. Ezekiel 27:10 Literally “in you”
  17. Ezekiel 27:11 Or “children,” or “sons”
  18. Ezekiel 27:11 Or “shields” (cf. NJPS; NIV)
  19. Ezekiel 27:13 Or “for a human person/soul”
  20. Ezekiel 27:15 Or “children”
  21. Ezekiel 27:15 Literally “hand”
  22. Ezekiel 27:16 Reading Edom for Aram
  23. Ezekiel 27:18 Literally “for”
  24. Ezekiel 27:19 Or “cassia”
  25. Ezekiel 27:21 Literally “traders of your hand”
  26. Ezekiel 27:24 Literally “in your trading/marketplace” (cf. NET)
  27. Ezekiel 27:26 Literally “the wind of the east”
  28. Ezekiel 27:27 Literally “the repairers/strengtheners of your seams”
  29. Ezekiel 27:27 Literally “the men of your war”
  30. Ezekiel 27:27 Hebrew “and”
  31. Ezekiel 27:28 Or “cry”
  32. Ezekiel 27:30 Hebrew “lamented”
  33. Ezekiel 27:30 Hebrew “cried out”
  34. Ezekiel 27:30 Hebrew “threw”
  35. Ezekiel 27:30 Hebrew “rolled”
  36. Ezekiel 27:31 Literally “And they made bald for you with baldness”
  37. Ezekiel 27:31 Hebrew “dressed”
  38. Ezekiel 27:31 Hebrew “wept”
  39. Ezekiel 27:31 Or “of their inner self”
  40. Ezekiel 27:32 Hebrew “raised”
  41. Ezekiel 27:32 Hebrew “chanted”
  42. Ezekiel 27:35 Literally “they have bristling hair”
  43. Ezekiel 27:35 Literally “they are distorted as to faces”
  44. Ezekiel 27:36 Literally “there is not you until eternity/endless ages” (cf. NRSV)

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