December 09, 2002 Copyright © by United States Conference of Catholic BishopsEzekiel
Chapter 27
- 1
- Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
- 2
- As for you, son of man, utter a lament over Tyre,
- 3
- and say to Tyre that is situated at the approaches of the sea, that brought the trade of the peoples to many a coastland: Thus says the Lord GOD: Tyre, you said, "I am a ship, perfect in beauty."
- 4
- In the midst of the sea your builders placed you, perfected your beauty.
- 5
- 1 With cypress from Senir they built for you all of your decks; Cedar from Lebanon they took to make you a mast;
- 6
- 2 From the highest oaks of Bashan they made your oars; Your bridge they made of cypress wood from the coasts of Kittim.
- 7
- 3 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt became your sail (to serve you as a banner). Purple and scarlet from the coasts of Elishah covered your cabin.
- 8
- 4 Citizens of Sidon and Arvad served as your oarsmen; Skilled men of Zemer were in you to be your mariners;
- 9
- The elders and experts of Gebal were in you to caulk your seams. Every ship and sailor on the sea came to you to carry trade.
- 10
- Persia and Lud and Put were in your army as warriors; shield and helmet they hung upon you, increasing your splendor.
- 11
- The men of Arvad were all about your walls, and the Gamadites were in your towers; they hung their bucklers all around on your walls, and made perfect your beauty.
- 12
- Tarshish traded with you, so great was your wealth, exchanging silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares.
- 13
- Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were also traders with you, exchanging slaves and articles of bronze for your goods.
- 14
- From Beth-togarmah horses, steeds, and mules were exchanged for your wares.
- 15
- The Rhodanites trafficked with you; many coastlands traded with you; ivory tusks and ebony wood they gave you for payment.
- 16
- Edom traded with you, so many were your products, exchanging garnets, purple, embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your wares.
- 17
- Judah and the land of Israel trafficked with you, exchanging Minnith wheat, figs, honey, oil, and balm for your goods.
- 18
- Damascus traded with you, so great was your wealth, exchanging Helbon wine and Zahar wool.
- 19
- Javan exchanged wrought iron, cassia, and aromatic cane from Uzal for your wares.
- 20
- Dedan traded with you for riding gear.
- 21
- The trade of Arabia and of all the sheikhs of Kedar belonged to you; they dealt in lambs, rams, and goats.
- 22
- The merchants of Sheba and Raamah also traded with you, exchanging for your wares the very choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold.
- 23
- Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad
- 24
- traded with you, marketing with you rich garments, violet mantles, embroidered cloth, varicolored carpets, and firmly woven cords.
- 25
- Ships of Tarshish journeyed for you in your merchandising. You were full and heavily laden in the heart of the sea.
- 26
- Through the deep waters your oarsmen brought you home, But the east wind smashed you in the heart of the sea.
- 27
- Your wealth, your goods, your wares, your sailors, and your crew, (the caulkers of your seams, those who traded for your goods, all your warriors who were in you, and all the great crowd within you) Sank into the heart of the sea on the day of your shipwreck.
- 28
- Hearing the shouts of your mariners, the shores begin to quake.
- 29
- Down from their ships come all who ply the oar; The sailors, all the mariners of the sea, stand on the shore,
- 30
- Making their voice heard on your behalf, shouting bitter cries, Strewing dust on their heads, rolling in the ashes.
- 31
- For you they shave their heads and put on sackcloth, For you they weep in anguish, with bitter lament.
- 32
- In their mourning they utter a lament over you; thus they wail over you: Who was ever destroyed like Tyre in the midst of the sea?
- 33
- With your goods which you drew from the seas you filled many peoples; With your great wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth.
- 34
- Now you are wrecked in the sea, in the watery depths; Your wares and all your crew have gone down with you.
- 35
- All who dwell on the coastlands are aghast over you, Their kings are terrified, their faces convulsed.
- 36
- The traders among the peoples now hiss at you; You have become a horror, and you shall be no more.
Table of Contents Previous Chapter Next Chapter Footnotes
1 [5] Senir: another name for Mount Hermon; cf Deut 3:9.
2 [6] Bashan: northern Transjordan, which, like Lebanon, was noted for its great forests. Kittim: probably Cyprus.
3 [7] Elishah: probably another term for Cyprus.
4 [8-9] Sidon . . . Arvad . . . Zemer . . . Gebal: Phoenician cities in Tyre's orbit of influence; the last-named is the classical Byblos.
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