Old/New Testament
A Song of Sadness About Tyre
27 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2 “Son of man, sing a song of sadness about Tyre. 3 It is located at the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. It does business with nations on many coasts. Say to it, ‘The Lord and King says,
“ ‘ “Tyre, you say,
‘I am perfect and beautiful.’
4 You were like a ship that ruled over the high seas.
Your builders made you perfect and beautiful.
5 They cut all your lumber
from juniper trees on Mount Hermon.
They used a cedar tree from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
6 They made your oars
out of oak trees from Bashan.
They made your deck out of cypress wood
from the coasts of Cyprus.
They decorated it with ivory.
7 Your sail was made out of beautiful Egyptian linen.
It served as your banner.
Your shades were made out of blue and purple cloth.
They were from the coasts of Elishah.
8 Men from Sidon and Arvad manned your oars.
Tyre, your sailors were skillful.
9 Very skilled workers from Byblos were on board.
They kept you waterproof.
All the ships on the sea and their sailors
came up beside you.
They brought their goods to trade for yours.
10 “ ‘ “Men from Persia, Lydia and Put
served as soldiers in your army, city of Tyre.
They hung their shields and helmets on your walls.
That brought glory to you.
11 Men from Arvad and Helek
guarded your walls on every side.
Men from Gammad
were in your towers.
They hung their shields around your walls.
They made you perfect and beautiful.
12 “ ‘ “Tarshish did business with you because you had so much wealth. They traded silver, iron, tin and lead for your goods.
13 “ ‘ “Greece, Tubal and Meshek did business with you. They traded human beings and bronze objects for your products.
14 “ ‘ “Men from Beth Togarmah traded chariot horses, war horses and mules for your goods.
15 “ ‘ “Men from Rhodes did business with you. Many lands along the coast bought goods from you. They paid you with ivory tusks and ebony wood.
16 “ ‘ “Aram did business with you because you had so many products for sale. They traded turquoise, purple cloth and needlework for your goods. They also traded fine linen, coral and rubies for them.
17 “ ‘ “Judah and Israel did business with you. They traded wheat from Minnith, sweets, honey, olive oil and lotion for your products.
18 “ ‘ “Damascus did business with you. That’s because you had so many products and so much wealth. They traded to you wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar. 19 They also traded to you casks of wine from Izal. You traded to them wrought iron, cassia and calamus.
20 “ ‘ “Dedan traded saddle blankets to you.
21 “ ‘ “Arabia and all the princes of Kedar bought goods from you. They traded you lambs, rams and goats for them.
22 “ ‘ “Traders from Sheba and Raamah did business with you. They traded the finest spices, jewels and gold for your goods.
23 “ ‘ “Harran, Kanneh and Eden did business with you. So did traders from Sheba, Ashur and Kilmad. 24 In your market they traded beautiful clothes, blue cloth, and needlework to you. They also traded colorful rugs that had twisted cords and tight knots.
25 “ ‘ “The ships of Tarshish
carry your products.
You are like a ship filled with a heavy load
as you sail the sea.
26 The sailors who man your oars take you
out to the high seas.
But the east wind will break you in pieces
far out at sea.
27 You will be wrecked on that day.
Your wealth, goods and products
will sink deep into the sea.
So will your sailors, officers, carpenters,
traders and all your soldiers.
Anyone else on board will sink too.
28 The lands along the coast will shake
when your sailors cry out.
29 All those who man the oars
will desert their ships.
The sailors and all the officers
will stand on the shore.
30 They will raise their voices.
They will cry bitterly over you.
They will sprinkle dust on their heads.
They will roll in ashes.
31 They will shave their heads because of you.
And they will put on the clothes of sadness.
They will weep over you.
Their spirits will be greatly troubled.
They will be very sad.
32 As they weep and mourn over you,
they will sing a song of sadness about you.
They will say, ‘Who was ever like Tyre?
It was destroyed in the sea.’
33 Your goods went out on the seas.
You supplied many nations with what they needed.
You had so much wealth and so many products.
You made the kings of the earth rich.
34 Now the sea has torn you apart.
You have sunk deep down into it.
Your products and all your people
have gone down with you.
35 All those who live in the lands along the coast
are shocked because of what has happened to you.
Their kings tremble with fear.
Their faces are twisted in horror.
36 The traders among the nations laugh at you.
You have come to a horrible end.
And you will be gone forever.” ’ ”
A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre
28 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2 “Son of man, speak to Ethbaal. He is the ruler of Tyre. Tell him, ‘The Lord and King says,
“ ‘ “In your proud heart
you say, ‘I am a god.
I sit on the throne of a god
in the Mediterranean Sea.’
But you are only a human being. You are not a god.
In spite of that, you think you are as wise as a god.
3 Are you wiser than Daniel?
Isn’t even one secret hidden from you?
4 You are wise and understanding.
So you have become very wealthy.
You have piled up gold and silver
among your treasures.
5 You have used your great skill in trading
to increase your wealth.
You are very rich.
So your heart has become proud.” ’ ”
6 The Lord and King says,
“You think you are wise.
In fact, you claim to be as wise as a god.
7 So I am going to bring outsiders against you.
They will not show you any pity at all.
They will use their swords against your beauty and wisdom.
They will strike down your shining glory.
8 They will bring you down to the grave.
You will die a horrible death
in the middle of the sea.
9 Then will you say, ‘I am a god’?
Will you say that to those who kill you?
You will be only a human being to those who kill you.
You will not be a god to them.
10 You will die just like those who have not been circumcised.
Outsiders will kill you.
I have spoken,” announces the Lord and King.
11 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 12 “Son of man, sing a song of sadness about the king of Tyre. Tell him, ‘The Lord and King says,
“ ‘ “You were the model of perfection.
You were full of wisdom.
You were perfect and beautiful.
13 You were in Eden.
It was my garden.
All kinds of jewels decorated you.
Here is a list of them:
carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
topaz, onyx and jasper,
lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made out of gold.
On the day you were created,
they were prepared.
14 I appointed you to be like a guardian angel.
I anointed you for that purpose.
You were on my holy mountain.
You walked among the gleaming jewels.
15 Your conduct was without blame
from the day you were created.
But soon you began to sin.
16 You traded with many nations.
You harmed people everywhere.
And you sinned.
So I sent you away from my mountain in shame.
Guardian angel, I drove you away
from among the gleaming jewels.
17 You thought you were so handsome
that it made your heart proud.
You thought you were so glorious
that it spoiled your wisdom.
So I threw you down to the earth.
I made an example out of you in front of kings.
18 Your many sins and dishonest trade
made your holy places impure.
So I made you go up in flames.
I turned you into nothing but ashes on the ground.
I let everyone see it.
19 All the nations that knew you
are shocked because of what happened to you.
You have come to a horrible end.
And you will be gone forever.” ’ ”
A Prophecy Against Sidon
20 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 21 “Son of man, turn your attention to the city of Sidon. Prophesy against it. 22 Say, ‘The Lord and King says,
“ ‘ “Sidon, I am against your people.
Among you I will display my glory.
I will punish your people.
Among you I will prove that I am holy.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
23 I will send a plague on you.
I will make blood flow in your streets.
Those who are killed will fall inside you.
Swords will strike your people on every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
24 “ ‘ “The people of Israel will no longer have neighbors who hate them. Those neighbors will not be like sharp and painful thorns anymore. Then Israel will know that I am the Lord and King.” ’ ”
25 The Lord and King says, “I will gather the people of Israel together from the nations where they have been scattered. That will prove that I am holy. I will let the nations see it. Then Israel will live in their own land. I gave it to my servant Jacob. 26 My people will live there in safety. They will build houses. They will plant vineyards. They will live in safety. I will punish all their neighbors who told lies about them. Then Israel will know that I am the Lord their God.”
A Prophecy Against Egypt
29 It was the tenth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the 12th day of the tenth month, a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2 “Son of man, turn your attention to Pharaoh Hophra. He is king of Egypt. Prophesy against him and the whole land of Egypt. 3 Tell him, ‘The Lord and King says,
“ ‘ “Pharaoh Hophra, I am against you.
King of Egypt, you are like a huge monster
lying among your streams.
You say, ‘The Nile River belongs to me.
I made it for myself.’
4 But I will put hooks in your jaws.
I will make the fish in your streams
stick to your scales.
I will pull you out from among your streams.
All the fish will stick to your scales.
5 I will leave you out in the desert.
All the fish in your streams
will be there with you.
You will fall down in an open field.
You will not be picked up.
I will feed you to the wild animals
and to the birds in the sky.
6 Then everyone who lives in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.
“ ‘ “You have been like a walking stick made out of a papyrus stem. The people of Israel tried to lean on you. 7 They took hold of you. But you broke under their weight. You tore open their shoulders. The people of Israel leaned on you. But you snapped in two. And their backs were broken.” ’ ”
8 So the Lord and King says, “I will send Nebuchadnezzar’s sword against you. He will kill people and animals alike. 9 Egypt will become a dry and empty desert. Then your people will know that I am the Lord.
“You said, ‘The Nile River belongs to me. I made it for myself.’ 10 So I am against you and your streams. I will destroy the land of Egypt. I will turn it into a dry and empty desert from Migdol all the way to Aswan. I will destroy everything as far as the border of Cush. 11 No people or animals will travel through Egypt. No one will even live there for 40 years. 12 Egypt will be more empty than any other land. Its destroyed cities will lie empty for 40 years. I will scatter the people of Egypt among the nations. I will send them to other countries.”
13 But here is what the Lord and King says. “At the end of 40 years I will gather the Egyptians together. I will bring them back from the nations where they were scattered. 14 I will bring them back from where they were taken as prisoners. I will return them to Upper Egypt. That is where their families came from. There they will be an unimportant kingdom. 15 Egypt will be the least important kingdom of all. It will never place itself above the other nations again. I will make it very weak. Then it will never again rule over the nations. 16 The people of Israel will no longer trust in Egypt. Instead, Egypt will remind them of how they sinned when they turned to it for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord and King.”
17 It was the 27th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the first day of the first month, a message from the Lord came to me. Here is what the Lord said. 18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar drove his army in a hard military campaign. The campaign was against Tyre. Their helmets rubbed their heads bare. The heavy loads they carried made their shoulders raw. But he and his army did not gain anything from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19 So I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth. He will take away anything else they have. He will give it to his army. 20 I have given Egypt to him as a reward for his efforts. After all, he and his army attacked Egypt because I told them to,” announces the Lord and King.
21 “When Nebuchadnezzar wins the battle over Egypt, I will make the Israelites strong again. Ezekiel, I will open your mouth. And you will be able to speak to them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
3 Wives, follow the lead of your own husbands. Suppose some of them don’t believe God’s word. Then let them be won to Christ without words by seeing how their wives behave. 2 Let them see how pure you are. Let them see that your lives are full of respect for God. 3 Fancy hairstyles don’t make you beautiful. Wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes doesn’t make you beautiful. 4 Instead, your beauty comes from inside you. It is the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Beauty like this doesn’t fade away. God places great value on it. 5 This is how the holy women of the past used to make themselves beautiful. They put their hope in God. And they followed the lead of their own husbands. 6 Sarah was like that. She obeyed Abraham. She called him her master. Do you want to be like her? Then do what is right. And don’t give in to fear.
7 Husbands, consider the needs of your wives. They are weaker than you. So treat them with respect. Honor them as those who will share with you the gracious gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.
Suffering for Doing Good
8 Finally, I want all of you to agree with one another. Be understanding. Love one another. Be kind and tender. Be humble. 9 Don’t pay back evil with evil. Don’t pay back unkind words with unkind words. Instead, pay back evil with kind words. This is what you have been chosen to do. You will receive a blessing by doing this. 10 Scripture says,
“Suppose someone wants to love life
and see good days.
Then they must keep their tongues from speaking evil.
They must keep their lips from telling lies.
11 They must turn away from evil and do good.
They must look for peace and go after it.
12 The Lord’s eyes look on godly people, and he blesses them.
His ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord doesn’t bless those who do evil.” (Psalm 34:12–16)
13 Who is going to hurt you if you really want to do good? 14 But suppose you do suffer for doing what is right. Even then you will be blessed. Scripture says, “Don’t fear what others say they will do to hurt you. Don’t be afraid.” (Isaiah 8:12) 15 But make sure that in your hearts you honor Christ as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect. 16 Live so that you don’t have to feel you’ve done anything wrong. Some people may say evil things about your good conduct as believers in Christ. If they do, they will be put to shame for speaking like this about you. 17 God may want you to suffer for doing good. That’s better than suffering for doing evil. 18 Christ also suffered once for sins. The one who did what is right suffered for those who don’t do right. He suffered to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought him back to life. 19 After that, Christ went and made an announcement to the spirits in prison. 20 Long ago these spirits did not obey. That was when God was patient while Noah was building the ark. And only a few people went into the ark. In fact, there were only eight. Those eight people were saved through water. 21 The water of the flood is a picture. It is a picture of the baptism that now saves you too. This baptism has nothing to do with removing dirt from your body. Instead, it promises God that you will keep a clear sense of right and wrong. This baptism saves you by the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. 22 He has gone into heaven. He is at God’s right hand. Angels, authorities and powers are under his control.
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