Beginning
Prophecies against Foreign Nations[a]
Chapter 25
Against Ammon. 1 The following word of the Lord was addressed to me: 2 Son of man, turn toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3 Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God: Because you raised shouts of joy over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it suffered devastation, and over the house of Judah when it went into exile, 4 therefore I am handing you over to the people of the East[b] to be their possession. They will establish their camps among you and pitch their tents in your midst. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and the towns of Ammon into a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
6 For thus says the Lord: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and taken malicious delight in the fall of the land of Israel, 7 I therefore have stretched out my hand against you, and I will hand you over as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from other peoples and obliterate you as a country. I intend to completely destroy you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
Against Moab. 8 Thus says the Lord God: Because Moab said that the house of Judah is like all other nations, 9 therefore, I will lay open the flank of Moab, beginning with the towns on its frontier—Beth-jesimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim—the jewels of the country. 10 I will give both Moab and Ammon to the people of the East as their possession. As a result, Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. 11 Moreover, I will render judgment upon Moab, so that they will know that I am the Lord.
12 Against Edom. Thus says the Lord God: Since Edom has acted with vengeance against the house of Judah and has committed a grievous offense in taking vengeance upon them, 13 the Lord God has made this decision: I will stretch forth my hand against Edom and remove from it both people and animals. I will lay it waste from Teman as far as Dedan, and they will all fall by the sword. 14 I will wreak my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will treat Edom according to my anger and my fury. Thus they will know my vengeance, declares the Lord God.
15 Against Philistia. Thus says the Lord God: Inasmuch as the Philistines have engaged in endless hostilities with vengeance, and with malice in their hearts took revenge in destruction, 16 therefore, thus says the Lord God: I will stretch forth my hand against the Philistines, cut off the Cherethites, and destroy those remaining along the seacoast. 17 I will execute great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Therefore, they will know that I am the Lord when I exact my vengeance on them.
Chapter 26
Against Tyre.[c][d] 1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, Tyre has said in regard to Jerusalem:
Aha! The gateway to the nations has been shattered;
she has opened her doors to me.
Now that she lies in ruins,
her wealth will be mine.
3 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Behold, I am against you, O Tyre,
and as the sea raises up its waves,
I will raise up many nations against you.
4 They will destroy your walls, O Tyre,
and demolish your towers.
I will scrape away your soil
and reduce you to a bare rock.
5 You shall become a drying ground for nets
in the midst of the sea.
Thus I have decreed, says the Lord God,
you will become the prey of the nations,
6 and your towns on the mainland will be destroyed.
Thus, everyone will know that I am the Lord.
7 For thus says the Lord God: From the north I will bring against Tyre King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a large and powerful army.
8 He will put to the sword
the inhabitants of your neighboring towns.
He will construct siege-works against you,
surround you with a siege-ramp,
and raise his shields against you.
9 He will direct the power of his battering rams
against your walls
and demolish your towers with his axes.
10 His horses shall be so great in number
that you will be covered with their dust.
Your very walls will shake
from the noise of cavalry, wheels, and chariots
when he enters your gates,
like those entering a city
whose walls have been breached.
11 All of your streets will be trampled
by the hoofs of his horses.
He will put your people to the sword
and throw your massive pillars to the ground.
12 Your riches will be plundered,
and your merchandise will be looted.
They will tear down your walls,
and your fine houses will be destroyed.
Your stones and timber and even your rubble,
they will cast into the sea.
13 I will silence the music of your songs;
the sound of your lyres will no longer be heard.
14 I will make Tyre a bare rock,
a place where nets are spread to dry.
You shall never again be rebuilt,
for I, the Lord, have spoken,
says the Lord God.
15 Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Will not the islands quake at the noise of your fall, amid the groaning of your wounded and the slaughter taking place in your midst? 16 Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones, remove their robes, and take off their embroidered garments. Their bodies having been overcome with incessant trembling, they will sit on the ground, totally appalled at you. 17 Then they will raise a lament over you:
How you have perished, swept from the sea,
O greatly renowned city!
You were once mighty on the sea,
you and your inhabitants,
who used to spread terror
on all the mainland.
18 Now the coastlands tremble
on the day of your fall;
the islands of the sea
are appalled at your passing.
19 For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a ruined city, like other deserted cities, when I raise the deep over you and its mighty waters cover you, 20 then I will thrust you down with those who have descended into the pit, to the people of past ages, and I will force you to live in the netherworld, in the ruins of primeval times, with those who have gone down into the pit, so that you will never again be inhabited or take your place in the land of the living. 21 I will bring you to a horrible end, and you will be no more. People will search for you, but you will never be found again.
Chapter 27
Lamentation over Tyre. 1 This word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, raise lament over Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre which is enthroned at the entrance to the sea and serves as the center of trade between the nations and many coastlands: Thus says the Lord God:
O Tyre, you often used to declare,
“I am a ship perfect in beauty.”
4 Your frontiers bordered the high seas,
and your builders perfected your beauty.
5 They used cypress from Senir[e]
to construct all your planks;
they took cedar of Lebanon
to make a mast above you.
6 From oaks of Bashan,
they made your oars;
they constructed your deck with cypress[f]
from the coasts of Kittim.
7 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt
was used for your sail
and also for your flag.
Purple and scarlet from the coasts of Elishah[g]
served as your awnings.
8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad
served as your oarsmen.
Skilled men of Zemer were aboard
to act as your sailors.
9 The elders and craftsmen were available
to caulk your seams.
All the ships of the sea with their sailors
came to you to trade for your wares.
10 Men from Persia and Lud and Put[h]
served as warriors in your army.
They proudly displayed on your walls
their shields and helmets to bring you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helech
guarded your walls on every side,
while the men of Gamad manned your towers.
They hung their shields all around your walls,
thereby perfecting your beauty.
12 [i]Tarshish[j] traded with you because of the vast abundance of your wealth, exchanging silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares. 13 [k]Javan, Tubal, and Meshech also traded with you, exchanging slaves and articles of bronze for your merchandise.
14 Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, steeds, and mules for your wares. 15 The Rhodians dealt with you; many islands engaged in trade with you and paid you with ivory tusks and ebony. 16 Edom traded with you because of the large variety of your products; for your wares they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. 17 Judah and the land of Israel also traded with you, exchanging for your goods wheat, figs, honey, oil, and balm.
18 Damascus traded with you because of your great wealth, offering to you wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar. 19 [l]Danites and Javanites traded wrought iron, cassia, and aromatic cane from Uzal for your wares, 20 while Dedan traded with you for saddle blankets.
21 Arabia and all the sheikhs of Kedar were your customers, paying you with lambs, rams, and goats. 22 Merchants from Sheba and Raamah traded with you, offering in exchange the finest spices, every kind of precious stones, and gold.
23 Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you,[m] 24 offering in return rich garments, embroidered purple cloaks, and materials of many colors bound with cords that were firmly woven.
25 The ships of Tarshish were employed
as carriers for your wares.
Therefore, you were filled and heavily laden
as you sailed the high seas.
26 Your oarsmen rowed through deep waters
on their journey home.
But the east wind[n] wrecked you
when you were far out at sea.
27 Your riches, your goods, your cargo,
your sailors and your crew,
your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
and all their warriors and passengers
sank into the depths of the sea
on the day of your shipwreck.
28 The coasts will begin to quake
upon hearing the cries of your sailors.
29 Then those who handle the oars
will begin to desert their ships.
The sailors and all the seafaring people
will remain ashore.
30 They will mourn aloud over you
and weep bitterly.
They will throw dust on their heads
and roll in ashes.
31 They will shave their heads for you
and put on sackcloth.
For you, they will weep in anguish
and with heartfelt bitterness.
32 In their mourning, they will raise a dirge
and lament over you:
Who was ever destroyed like Tyre
in the midst of the sea?
33 When your goods were unloaded,
you satisfied a multitude of peoples.
You enriched the kings of the earth
with your abundant wealth and merchandise.
34 Now you have been demolished by the sea
in the watery depths.
Your merchandise and all your crew
have gone down with you.
35 All who dwell on the coastlands
are aghast at your fate.
Their kings are horrified;
their faces are convulsed.
36 The merchants among the nations
now hiss at you.
Destruction has overwhelmed you,
and you will be no more.
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