Ezekiel 27

Ezekiel 26 Ezekiel 28

Ezekiel 27 New Living Translation (NLT)

The End of Tyre’s Glory

27 Then this message came to me from the Lord: ²“Son of man, sing a funeral song for Tyre, ³that mighty gateway to the sea, the trading center of the world. Give Tyre this message from the Sovereign Lord:

“You boasted, O Tyre,
    ‘My beauty is perfect!’
⁴You extended your boundaries into the sea.
    Your builders made your beauty perfect.
⁵You were like a great ship
    built of the finest cypress from Senir.^[a]
They took a cedar from Lebanon
    to make a mast for you.
⁶They carved your oars
    from the oaks of Bashan.
Your deck of pine from the coasts of Cyprus^[b]
    was inlaid with ivory.
⁷Your sails were made of Egypt’s finest linen,
    and they flew as a banner above you.
You stood beneath blue and purple awnings
    made bright with dyes from the coasts of Elishah.
⁸Your oarsmen came from Sidon and Arvad;
    your helmsmen were skilled men from Tyre itself.
⁹Wise old craftsmen from Gebal did the caulking.
    Ships from every land came with goods to barter for your trade.

¹⁰“Men from distant Persia, Lydia, and Libya^[c] served in your great army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls, giving you great honor. ¹¹Men from Arvad and Helech stood on your walls. Your towers were manned by men from Gammad. Their shields hung on your walls, completing your beauty.

¹²“Tarshish sent merchants to buy your wares in exchange for silver, iron, tin, and lead. ¹³Merchants from Greece,^[d] Tubal, and Meshech brought slaves and articles of bronze to trade with you.

¹⁴“From Beth-togarmah came riding horses, chariot horses, and mules, all in exchange for your goods. ¹⁵Merchants came to you from Dedan.^[e] Numerous coastlands were your captive markets; they brought payment in ivory tusks and ebony wood.

¹⁶“Syria^[f] sent merchants to buy your rich variety of goods. They traded turquoise, purple dyes, embroidery, fine linen, and jewelry of coral and rubies. ¹⁷Judah and Israel traded for your wares, offering wheat from Minnith, figs,^[g] honey, olive oil, and balm.

¹⁸“Damascus sent merchants to buy your rich variety of goods, bringing wine from Helbon and white wool from Zahar. ¹⁹Greeks from Uzal^[h] came to trade for your merchandise. Wrought iron, cassia, and fragrant calamus were bartered for your wares.

²⁰“Dedan sent merchants to trade their expensive saddle blankets with you. ²¹The Arabians and the princes of Kedar sent merchants to trade lambs and rams and male goats in exchange for your goods. ²²The merchants of Sheba and Raamah came with all kinds of spices, jewels, and gold in exchange for your wares.

²³“Haran, Canneh, Eden, Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad came with their merchandise, too. ²⁴They brought choice fabrics to trade—blue cloth, embroidery, and multicolored carpets rolled up and bound with cords. ²⁵The ships of Tarshish were your ocean caravans. Your island warehouse was filled to the brim!

The Destruction of Tyre

²⁶“But look! Your oarsmen
    have taken you into stormy seas!
A mighty eastern gale
    has wrecked you in the heart of the sea!
²⁷Everything is lost—
    your riches and wares,
your sailors and pilots,
    your ship builders, merchants, and warriors.
On the day of your ruin,
    everyone on board sinks into the depths of the sea.
²⁸Your cities by the sea tremble
    as your pilots cry out in terror.
²⁹All the oarsmen abandon their ships;
    the sailors and pilots stand on the shore.
³⁰They cry aloud over you
    and weep bitterly.
They throw dust on their heads
    and roll in ashes.
³¹They shave their heads in grief for you
    and dress themselves in burlap.
They weep for you with bitter anguish
    and deep mourning.
³²As they wail and mourn over you,
    they sing this sad funeral song:
‘Was there ever such a city as Tyre,
    now silent at the bottom of the sea?
³³The merchandise you traded
    satisfied the desires of many nations.
Kings at the ends of the earth
    were enriched by your trade.
³⁴Now you are a wrecked ship,
    broken at the bottom of the sea.
All your merchandise and crew
    have gone down with you.
³⁵All who live along the coastlands
    are appalled at your terrible fate.
Their kings are filled with horror
    and look on with twisted faces.
³⁶The merchants among the nations
    shake their heads at the sight of you,^[i]
for you have come to a horrible end
    and will exist no more.’”

Footnotes:

27:5 Or Hermon.
27:6 Hebrew Kittim.
27:10 Hebrew Paras, Lud, and Put.
27:13 Hebrew Javan.
27:15 Greek version reads Rhodes.
27:16 Hebrew Aram; some manuscripts read Edom.
27:17 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
27:19 Hebrew Vedan and Javan from Uzal. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
27:36 Hebrew hiss at you.