Daily Bread

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) 2} “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,’ ³ 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. ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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) 6} and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

⁷ “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. ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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:

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)

A Lament Over Tyre

27 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, take up a lament^(AS) concerning Tyre. ³ Say to Tyre,^(AT) situated at the gateway to the sea,^(AU) merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

¹² “‘Tarshish^(BN) did business with you because of your great wealth of goods;^(BO) they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.

¹³ “‘Greece,^(BP) Tubal and Meshek^(BQ) did business with you; they traded human beings^(BR) and articles of bronze for your wares.

¹⁴ “‘Men of Beth Togarmah^(BS) exchanged chariot horses, cavalry horses and mules for your merchandise.

¹⁵ “‘The men of Rhodes^[f](BT) traded with you, and many coastlands^(BU) were your customers; they paid you with ivory^(BV) tusks and ebony.

¹⁶ “‘Aram^[g](BW) did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise,^(BX) purple fabric, embroidered work, fine linen,^(BY) coral^(BZ) and rubies for your merchandise.

¹⁷ “‘Judah and Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat^(CA) from Minnith^(CB) and confections,^[h] honey, olive oil and balm^(CC) for your wares.^(CD)

¹⁸ “‘Damascus^(CE) did business with you because of your many products and great wealth of goods.^(CF) They offered wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar ¹⁹ and casks of wine from Izal^(CG) in exchange for your wares: wrought iron, cassia^(CH) and calamus.

²⁰ “‘Dedan^(CI) traded in saddle blankets with you.

²¹ “‘Arabia^(CJ) and all the princes of Kedar^(CK) were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats.

²² “‘The merchants of Sheba^(CL) and Raamah traded with you; for your merchandise they exchanged the finest of all kinds of spices^(CM) and precious stones, and gold.^(CN)

²³ “‘Harran,^(CO) Kanneh and Eden^(CP) and merchants of Sheba, Ashur^(CQ) and Kilmad traded with you. ²⁴ In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.

A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre

28 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man^(DN), say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

⁶ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

¹¹ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹² “Son of man, take up a lament^(EF) concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

A Prophecy Against Sidon

²⁰ The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ “Son of man, set your face against^(EX) Sidon;^(EY) prophesy against her ²² and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

²⁴ “‘No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns.^(FD) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

²⁵ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather^(FE) the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered,^(FF) I will be proved holy^(FG) through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.^{(FH) 26} They will live there in safety^(FI) and will build houses and plant^(FJ) vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment^(FK) on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.^(FL)’”