- Ezekiel
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27
1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, sing a funeral song for Tyre. 3 Tell Tyre, the city that stands at the gateway to the sea, supplying goods to many overseas nations, that this is what the Lord God says:
Tyre, you say to yourself, ‘I'm so beautiful!’ 4 Your borders extend far across the sea. Your builders put you together perfectly like a beautiful ship. 5 They built you with pine timber from Mount Hermon.* “Hermon,” literally, “Senir,” another name for this mountain. They used a cedar from Lebanon to make your mast. 6 They made your oars with oaks from Bashan. They had wood from the island of Cyprus brought to make your deck and inlaid it with ivory. 7 They made your sail with the best linen from Egypt—this was your flag that everyone recognized. They used cloth dyed blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah to make your awnings.
8 Men from Sidon and Arvad did the rowing in your ship. You had your own skilled sailors from Tyre. 9 Expert craftsmen from Gebal were onboard to repair any leaks. All the other ships at sea came to trade with you and their sailors bartered for your goods. 10 Men from Persia, Lydia, and Put were soldiers in your army. They lived among you, hanging up their shields and helmets with you, making you famous. 11 Men of Arvad and Helech defended all your city walls, while those from Gammad protected your towers. They hung their shields all around your walls. They made you so successful. 12 Tarshish traded with you because you had so much of everything. They paid for your goods with silver, iron, tin, and lead. 13 Greece,† “Greece”: literally, “Javan.” Tubal, and Meshech traded with you. They bought your goods, paying with slaves and objects made of bronze. 14 People from Beth-togarmah traded horses, war horses, and mules for your goods. 15 People from Dedan traded with you. You had marketplaces in many coastal areas where the people bartered with you using ivory tusks and ebony wood. 16 The Arameans traded with you because you had so much merchandise. They provided turquoise, purple cloth, embroidery, fine linen, coral, and red jasper‡ “Red jasper”: one possible candidate for a red precious stone. Rubies were apparently not known at this time. in exchange for your goods. 17 Judah and the country of Israel traded with you, paying you with wheat from Minnith, pastries§ “Pastries”: the word is only ever used here and its meaning is uncertain. and honey, olive oil and balm in return for your goods. 18 Because you had many different products, in fact so much of everything, Damascus traded with you using wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar. 19 Vedan and Javan from Izal bought your goods using wrought iron, cassia, and sweet calamus. 20 Dedan traded with you, providing riding blankets. 21 Arabia and all the leaders of Kedar traded with you, supplying lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you, exchanging gold, the very best spices, and precious stones for your goods. 23 Haran, Canneh, and Eden traded with you, as did Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad. 24 In your marketplaces they traded with you, providing the finest blue clothing, embroidery, carpets made with different colored threads, and strong ropes of twisted strands.
25 Trade ships from Tarshish transported your goods. You were like a ship sailing the sea, filled with heavy cargo. 26 Your rowers took you a long way out on the water, but the east wind broke you apart in there in the open ocean. 27 You've lost everything! You wealth, your goods, your cargo, your crew of sailors, officers, and repairmen, your traders and all the soldiers you had, along with everyone else on board, fall into the depths of the sea on the day of your shipwreck. 28 The land around shakes when your sailors scream. 29 All the rowers abandon their ships. The sailors and all the ships' officers stand on the shore. 30 They shout out for you and burst out crying. They mourn for you by throwing dust on their heads and rolling in ashes. 31 They shave their heads for you and clothe themselves in sackcloth. They weep for you, crying out in agony and heartfelt mourning 32 As they weep and wail over you, they sing a funeral song for you: ‘Who could compare to Tyre, now destroyed out in the sea? 33 You made many people happy when they received your goods from far across the sea. You made the kings of the earth rich with all your valuable goods and products. 34 Now you have been shipwrecked by the sea, sunk in deep water, and your cargo and your people have gone down with you. 35 Everyone living on the coastlands is shocked at what happened to you. Their kings are horrified; their faces twisted with fear. 36 The traders of the nations hiss at you in derision; disaster has brought you down and you're finished forever.”

- Ezekiel
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- 27
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*27:5 “Hermon,” literally, “Senir,” another name for this mountain.

†27:13 “Greece”: literally, “Javan.”

‡27:16 “Red jasper”: one possible candidate for a red precious stone. Rubies were apparently not known at this time.

§27:17 “Pastries”: the word is only ever used here and its meaning is uncertain.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher