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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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Tyre, the ship of state

27 The Lord’s word came to me: You, human one, sing a lament for Tyre. Say this about Tyre, who sits enthroned at the entrance to the sea, the people’s agent for trade throughout the coastlands. The Lord God proclaims:

Tyre, you say,
“I’m perfectly beautiful!”
    But your territory is in the depths of the sea,
    and it’s your builders who made you beautiful.
For you they made your deck of cypress from Senir.
    To make your mast, they took cedar from Lebanon.
For your oars, they used the oaks of Bashan.
    They made your hull, inlaid with ivory, of boxwood from the coasts of Cyprus.
Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail;
    it became your emblem.
    Your awning was made of blue and purple cloth from the coasts of Elishah.

The princes of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen. Your own wise men were in you as your helmsmen. The elders and wise men of Gebal were in you, patching up your leaks. Every seagoing ship and its sailors came to do business with you. 10 Paras, Lud, and Put were the warriors in your army. By hanging their shields and helmets on you, they made you radiant. 11 The men of Arvad and Helech were stationed on your walls all around; the men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their weapons on your walls all around. They were the ones who completed your beauty.

12 Tarshish was your procurer of great wealth. For your wares, they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your agents in human trafficking. They gave you bronze vessels for these wares of yours. 14 Beth-togarmah traded horses, warhorses, and mules for your wares. 15 Islanders from Rhodes[a] were your agents. By contract they procured ebony and ivory for you from many coastlands. 16 Aram was your agent for many products. They traded turquoise, purple cloth, colorful brocades, linen, coral, and rubies for your wares. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your agents, trading the finest wheat,[b] millet,[c] honey, oil, and balm for your wares. 18 For many of your finished products, Damascus traded out of its great wealth the wine of Helbon and white wool. 19 Vedan and Javan from the region of Uzal traded with you. They exchanged wrought iron, cinnamon, and spices for your wares. 20 Dedan was your agent for saddle blankets. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar traded for you. They procured lambs, rams, and goats for you. 22 They were your agents in Sheba and Raamah. For your wares they exchanged the finest spices, every kind of precious stone, and gold. 23 Haran, Canneh, and Eden were your agents,[d] and also Assyria and Chilmad. 24 They procured fine finished goods for you, garments of purple and brocade, and plush carpets rolled up and securely tied with ropes, among your acquisitions. 25 The ships of Tarshish carried your goods.

You were filled to capacity and heavily laden in the middle of the sea.
26 Your oarsmen brought you out onto the high seas;
    an east wind sank you into the sea’s depths.
27 Your goods, your wares, your wealth,
    your sailors, your helmsmen, those patching your leaks,
    your merchants, all your warriors in you,
    and all the company that is with you—
        they also sank into the sea’s depth
        on the day of your demise.
28 At your helmsmen’s cries for help,
    the troubled waters seethe.
29 Those entrusted with the oars desert their posts.
    All sailors and helmsmen seek footing on the shore.
30 Loudly they cry,
    bitterly they wail,
    and they put dust on their heads
    and cover themselves with ashes.
31 They cut off all their hair
    and put on mourning clothes.
In despair they weep for you,
    and bitterly perform the mourning rites.
32 In their lamentation they raise a lament for you;
    they sing lamentions over you:
        “Who was like Tyre, silenced in the middle of the sea?”

33 When your wares came out from the seas,
    you satisfied many people.
Your abundant wealth and merchandise
    enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are shattered by the seas;
    your cargoes, as well as everyone in your company,
    are sunk into the water’s depths.
35 Now the inhabitants of the coastlands
    shudder on account of you.
And as for their kings, their hair stands on end;
    their faces betray their horror.
36 The merchants for the peoples hiss because of you.
    You have become a terror;
        from now on you are nothing.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 27:15 Heb Dedan
  2. Ezekiel 27:17 Or wheat from Minnith
  3. Ezekiel 27:17 Heb uncertain
  4. Ezekiel 27:23 LXX; MT adds Sheba.