Judgment on Tyre

26 Now in the eleventh year, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, because (A)Tyre has said in regard to Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The (B)gateway of the peoples is broken; it has [a](C)opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste,’ therefore this is what the Lord [b]God says: ‘Behold, I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring up (D)many nations against you, as the (E)sea brings up its waves. They will (F)destroy the walls of Tyre and tear down her towers; and I will sweep her debris away from her and make her a bare rock. She will become a dry place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ declares the Lord God; ‘and she will become (G)plunder for the nations. Also her (H)daughters who are [c]on the mainland will be killed by the sword, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”

For the Lord God says this: “Behold, I am going to bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, (I)king of kings, with horses, (J)chariots, cavalry, and [d]a great army. He will kill your daughters [e]on the mainland with the sword; and he will make (K)siege walls against you, pile up an (L)assault ramp against you, and raise up a large shield against you. And he will direct the blow of his battering rams against your walls, and he will tear down your towers with his [f]axes. 10 Because of the multitude of his (M)horses, the dust raised by them will cover you; your walls will (N)shake from the noise of cavalry, [g]wagons, and chariots when he (O)enters your gates as warriors enter a city that is breached. 11 With the hoofs of his (P)horses he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your strong [h]pillars will (Q)go down to the ground. 12 Also they will take your riches as spoils and plunder your (R)merchandise, (S)tear down your walls and destroy your (T)delightful houses, and [i]throw your stones, your timbers, and your debris (U)into the water. 13 So I will put an end to the sound of your (V)songs, and the sound of your (W)harps will no longer be heard. 14 I will turn you into a bare rock; you will become a dry place for the spreading of nets. You will not be (X)rebuilt, for I the (Y)Lord have spoken,” declares the Lord God.

15 The Lord God says this to Tyre: “Will the (Z)coastlands not (AA)shake from the sound of your downfall when the wounded groan, when the slaughter takes place in your midst? 16 Then all the princes of the sea will (AB)descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their colorfully woven garments. They will (AC)clothe themselves with [j]trembling; they will sit on the ground, (AD)tremble again and again, and be appalled at you. 17 And they will take up a (AE)song of mourning over you and say to you,

(AF)How you have perished, you inhabited one,
From the seas, you famous city,
Which was (AG)mighty on the sea,
She and her inhabitants,
Who imposed [k]her terror
On all her inhabitants!
18 Now the (AH)coastlands will tremble
On the day of your downfall;
Yes, the coastlands which are by the sea
Will be horrified at your (AI)passing.’”

19 For this is what the Lord God says: “When I make you a desolate city, like the cities which are not inhabited, when I (AJ)bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you, 20 then I will bring you down with those who (AK)go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you remain in the (AL)lower parts of the earth, like the ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not [l]be inhabited; but I will put (AM)glory in the land of the living. 21 I will [m]cause you (AN)sudden terrors and you will no longer exist; though you will be sought, (AO)you will never be found again,” declares the Lord God.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 26:2 Lit turned
  2. Ezekiel 26:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  3. Ezekiel 26:6 Lit in the field
  4. Ezekiel 26:7 Lit an assembly, even many people
  5. Ezekiel 26:8 Lit in the field
  6. Ezekiel 26:9 Or crowbars
  7. Ezekiel 26:10 Lit wheel
  8. Ezekiel 26:11 Or memorial stones (in Tyre’s temple)
  9. Ezekiel 26:12 Lit put
  10. Ezekiel 26:16 Lit tremblings
  11. Ezekiel 26:17 Lit their
  12. Ezekiel 26:20 Another reading is return
  13. Ezekiel 26:21 Lit give

A Prophecy Against Tyre

26 In the eleventh month of the twelfth[a] year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:(A) “Son of man, because Tyre(B) has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha!(C) The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,’ therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea(D) casting up its waves. They will destroy(E) the walls of Tyre(F) and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. Out in the sea(G) she will become a place to spread fishnets,(H) for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. She will become plunder(I) for the nations,(J) and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar[b](K) king of Babylon, king of kings,(L) with horses and chariots,(M) with horsemen and a great army. He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works(N) against you, build a ramp(O) up to your walls and raise his shields against you. He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.(P) 10 His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots(Q) when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. 11 The hooves(R) of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars(S) will fall to the ground.(T) 12 They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.(U) 13 I will put an end(V) to your noisy songs,(W) and the music of your harps(X) will be heard no more.(Y) 14 I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt,(Z) for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands(AA) tremble(AB) at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan(AC) and the slaughter takes place in you? 16 Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered(AD) garments. Clothed(AE) with terror, they will sit on the ground,(AF) trembling(AG) every moment, appalled(AH) at you. 17 Then they will take up a lament(AI) concerning you and say to you:

“‘How you are destroyed, city of renown,
    peopled by men of the sea!
You were a power on the seas,
    you and your citizens;
you put your terror
    on all who lived there.(AJ)
18 Now the coastlands tremble(AK)
    on the day of your fall;
the islands in the sea
    are terrified at your collapse.’(AL)

19 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths(AM) over you and its vast waters cover you,(AN) 20 then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit,(AO) to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place[c] in the land of the living.(AP) 21 I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more.(AQ) You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 26:1 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have month of the twelfth.
  2. Ezekiel 26:7 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Ezekiel and Jeremiah
  3. Ezekiel 26:20 Septuagint; Hebrew return, and I will give glory