Beginning
Prophecy Against Ammon
25 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, look toward the people of Ammon and prophesy against them. 3 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God. This is what the Lord God says: You were glad when my Temple was dishonored. You were glad when the land of Israel was ruined. And you were glad when the people of Judah were taken away as captives. 4 So I am going to give you to the people of the East to be theirs. They will set up their camps among you. They will make their homes among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 And I will make the city of Rabbah a pasture for camels. And the land of Ammon will become a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6 This is what the Lord God says: You clapped your hands and stamped your feet. You are happy about all the insults you have made against the land of Israel. 7 So I will use my power against you. I will give you to the nations as if you were valuables taken in war. I will wipe you out of the lands so you will no longer be a nation. I will destroy you. And you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Prophecy Against Moab and Edom
8 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Moab and Edom say, “The people of Judah are like all the other nations.” 9 So I am going to take away the cities that protect Moab’s borders. They are the best cities in that land. They are Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim. 10 Then I will give Moab, along with the Ammonites, to the people of the East. They will take over these people. Then along with the Ammonites, Moab will not be a nation anymore. 11 So I will punish the people of Moab. And they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Prophecy Against Edom
12 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Edom took revenge on the people of Judah. And the Edomites became guilty because of it. 13 So this is what the Lord God says: I will use my power against Edom. I will kill every man and animal in Edom. And I will destroy Edom all the way from Teman to Dedan. The Edomites will die in battle. 14 I will take revenge on Edom through my people Israel. So the Israelites will do to Edom what my hot anger demands. Then the Edomites will know my revenge, says the Lord God.’”
Prophecy Against Philistia
15 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘The Philistines have taken revenge with hateful hearts. Because of their strong hatred, they have tried to destroy Judah. 16 So this is what the Lord God says: I will use my power against the Philistines. I will remove the Kerethites. I will destroy those people still alive on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. 17 I will punish them in my anger until they have had enough. They will know that I am the Lord when I punish them.’”
Prophecy Against Tyre
26 It was the eleventh year, on the first day of the month of our captivity. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, the city of Tyre has spoken against Jerusalem: ‘The city that traded with the nations is destroyed. Now we can be the trading center. The city Jerusalem is ruined. Now we can make money.’ 3 So this is what the Lord God says: I am against you, Tyre. I will bring many nations against you. They will come like the sea beating its waves on your island shores. 4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers. I will also scrape away her ruins. I will make Tyre a bare rock. 5 Tyre will be an island where fishermen dry their nets. I have spoken, says the Lord God. The nations will steal valuable things from Tyre. 6 Also, her villages on the shore across from the island will be destroyed by war. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
Nebuchadnezzar to Attack Tyre
7 “This is what the Lord God says: I will bring a king from the north against Tyre. He is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the greatest king. He will bring horses, chariots, horsemen and a great army. 8 He will fight a battle and destroy your villages on the shore across from the island. He will set up devices to attack you. He will build a road of earth to the top of the walls. He will raise his shields against you. 9 He will bring logs to pound through your city walls. And he will break down your towers with his iron bars. 10 His horses will be so many that they will cover you with their dust. Your walls will shake at the noise of horsemen, wagons and chariots. The king of Babylon will enter your city gates. He will enter as men enter a city where the walls are broken through. 11 The hooves of his horses will run over your streets. He will kill your people with the sword. Your strong pillars will fall down to the ground. 12 Also, his men will take away your riches. They will steal the things you sell. They will break down your walls and destroy your nice houses. They will throw your stones, wood and trash into the sea. 13 So I will stop your songs. The music of your harps will not be heard anymore. 14 I will make you a bare rock. You will be a place for drying fishing nets. You will not be built again. This is because I, the Lord, have spoken, says the Lord God.
15 “This is what the Lord God says to Tyre: The people who live along the seacoast will shake with fear when they hear your defeat. Those of you who are injured and dying will groan. 16 Then all the leaders of the seacoast will go down from their thrones. They will take off their beautiful needlework clothes. They will clothe themselves with fear. They will sit on the ground. They will shake with fear all the time. They will be shocked when they see you. 17 They will begin singing a funeral song about you. They will say to you:
‘Tyre, you famous city, you have been destroyed!
Once seamen lived in you.
You and your people
had great power on the seas.
All the people around you
were afraid of you.
18 Now the people who live by the coast
will shake with fear on the day you fall.
The islands of the sea
will be afraid because you have been defeated.’
19 “This is what the Lord God says: I will make you an empty city. You will be like the cities that have no people living in them. I will bring the deep ocean waters over you. The Mediterranean Sea will cover you. 20 At that time I will send you down to the place of the dead. You will join the people who died long ago. I will make you live with the dead below the earth among old ruined places. You will not come back from there. People will never live in you again. 21 Other people will be afraid of what happened to you. It will be the end of you. People will look for you. But they will never find you again, says the Lord God.”
A Funeral Song for Tyre
27 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, sing a funeral song for the city of Tyre. 3 Speak to Tyre that is at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. For the people of many lands along the seacoast, Tyre is a place for trade. ‘This is what the Lord God says:
Tyre, you have said,
“I am like a beautiful ship.”
4 You were at home on the high seas.
Your builders have made your beauty perfect.
5 Your builders made all your boards
of fir trees from Mount Hermon.
They have taken a cedar tree from Lebanon.
They took it to make a ship’s mast for you.
6 They made your oars
from oak trees in Bashan.
They made your deck
from cypress trees from the coast of Cyprus.
Your deck has ivory set into it.
7 Your sail of linen with designs sewed on it came from Egypt.
Your sail became like a flag for you.
Your cloth shades over the deck were blue and purple.
They came from the island of Cyprus.
8 Men from Sidon and Arvad used oars to row you.
Tyre, your skilled men were the sailors on your deck.
9 Workers of Byblos were on board ship with you.
They put caulk[a] in your ship’s seams.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came alongside to trade with you.
10 “‘Men of Persia, Lydia and Put
were soldiers in your army.
They hung their shields and helmets on your walls.
Their victories made you famous.
11 Men of Arvad and Celicia
guarded your city walls all around.
Men of Gammad
were in your watchtowers.
They hung their shields around your walls.
They made your beauty perfect.
12 “‘Tarshish traded with you for many kinds of things. They paid for them with silver, iron, tin and lead.
13 “‘People of Greece, Tubal and Meshech traded with you. They traded slaves and bronze things for the things you sell.
14 “‘People of Beth Togarmah traded work horses, war horses and mules for the things you sell.
15 “‘People of Rhodes traded with you. You sold your things on many coastlands. They paid you with ivory tusks and valuable black wood.
16 “‘Aram traded with you because you had so many good things to sell. They traded turquoise, purple cloth and cloth with designs sewed on. They also traded fine linen, coral and rubies for the things you sell.
17 “‘Judah and Israel traded with you. They paid for the things you sell with wheat from Minnith. They also paid with honey, olive oil and balm.
18 “‘Damascus traded with you because you have many good things. They paid for them with wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar.
19 “‘The Greeks from Uzal traded for the things you sold. They paid with wrought iron, cassia and sugar cane for your good things.
20 “‘Dedan traded saddle blankets to you.
21 “‘Arabia and all the rulers of Kedar traded with you. They traded lambs, male sheep and goats to you.
22 “‘The traders of Sheba and Raamah traded with you. They paid with all the best spices, valuable gems and gold.
23 “‘Haran, Canneh, Eden and the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad traded with you. 24 They paid with the best clothes, blue cloth and cloth with designs sewed on. They traded carpets of many colors and tightly wound ropes.
25 “‘Trading ships
carried the things you sold.
You were like a ship full of heavy cargo
in the middle of the sea.
26 The men who rowed you
brought you out into the high seas.
But the east wind has broken you to pieces
in the middle of the sea.
27 Your wealth, your trade and the things you sell will sink.
Your seamen, your sailors and your workers will sink.
Your traders, your soldiers,
and everyone else on board
will sink into the sea.
This will happen on the day your ship is wrecked.
28 The people on the shore will shake with fear
when your sailors cry out.
29 All the men who row
will leave their ships.
The seamen and the sailors of other ships
will stand on the shore.
30 They will cry loudly about you.
They will cry very much.
They will throw dust on their heads.
They will roll in ashes to show they are sad.
31 They will shave their heads for you.
And they will put on rough cloth to show they are upset.
They will cry very much for you.
They will cry loudly.
32 And in their loud crying
they will sing a funeral song for you.
“No one was ever destroyed like Tyre,
surrounded by the sea.”
33 The things you traded went out over the seas.
You met the needs of many nations.
With your great wealth and things you sold,
you made kings of the earth rich.
34 But now you are broken by the sea.
You have sunk to the bottom.
The things you sell and all your people
have gone down with you.
35 All those who live along the shore
are shocked by what happened to you.
Their kings are terribly afraid.
Their faces show their fear.
36 The traders among the nations hiss at you.
You have come to a terrible end.
And you are gone forever.’”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.