Ezekiel 27

A sad song about Tyre

1The LORD spoke to me. 2‘Son of man, you must sing this sad song for Tyre. Tyre is like a gate to the sea. From there, men go to sell things to many peoples. 3Say to Tyre’s people: This is what the LORD God says:

You say that the beauty of Tyre is complete.

4You ruled the great seas. Men made you a beautiful city like a boat on the sea.

5They used wood from the pine trees of Senir.

They took the trunk of a cedar of Lebanon. From it they made a tall round stick to stand in the centre of the boat.

6They made flat sticks (oars) from oaks of Bashan. They used them to push you through the water.

They made your deck with ivory and wood from the coasts of Cyprus.

7They made your sail out of the best white cloth from Egypt. They made it pretty with many colours.

The beautiful sail told people who you were.

Over your deck they put tents of blue and purple cloth.

It came from Elishah’s country by the sea.

8Men from Sidon and Arvad pushed you through the water.

Your men from Tyre told them how to do this. And they told them where to go.

9Men from Gebal went with you. They had made boats for many years.

Sailors from many ships bought and sold things in your shops.

10You had men from Persia, Lydia and Put (Libya) in your army.

They hung their arms in the houses where your soldiers lived.

They fought and won your fights for you.

They brought you honour.

11Men from Arvad and Helech stood on your walls.

And men from Gammad kept your tall buildings safe.

They hung their arms on your walls. They made you beautiful.

12You had many different things to sell. So men from Tarshish came to buy from you. They brought silver and other metals to pay for those things.

13Men from Greece, Tubal and Meshech came. They paid you with slaves and metals.

14Men from Beth Togarmah came. They sold you horses to use for war or for work.

15Men from Rhodes and other countries by the sea came to you. They paid you with ivory and hard black wood.

16People from Aram came because you had so many things to sell. They brought you coloured stones of great value. And they brought the best cloth with pretty colours on it.

17People from Judah and Israel came to buy things from you. They paid you with food grains from Minnith and sweet cakes.

18Men from Damascus came to buy your things. They came because you had many different things to sell. They sold you wine from Helbon and white wool.

19Men from Dan and Greeks from Uzal came and they bought your things. They paid you with iron and plants to make food taste good (spices).

20People from Dedan sold you blankets for your horses.

21Men from Arabia and the leaders of Kedar all came to buy your things. They bought and sold young sheep, male sheep and goats.

22Men from Sheba and Raamah came to buy and to sell many valuable things. These were pretty stones, gold and things to make food taste good (spices).

23Men from many towns came to you to buy and sell things. They came from Haran, Canneh and Eden. Other men came from Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad. 24They came to the centre of your town. There they bought and sold beautiful clothes, good blue cotton cloth and strong carpets.

25You were like a ship from Tarshish.

You carried the things that you wanted to buy and sell.

You sailed on the sea. You were full of heavy things.

26Men took sticks that they had made from wood (oars). With them they pushed your boats. The boats went over the deep sea.

But the east wind there will break you into small pieces.

27All your valuable things and all the people in the boat

will fall into the deep sea.

The men who buy and sell will fall.

The soldiers and the sailors in the ship will all fall.

They will fall into the sea when the boat breaks.

28The land by the sea will shake.

It will move when people hear your sailors cry out.

29The men who push the boat will jump out of the ship. They push the boat with sticks that they made from wood (oars).

Sailors and people by the sea 30will stand there and cry. They will make a loud noise.

They will put dirt on their heads and on their clothes.

31They will cut the hair from their heads and they will wear old clothes.

They will do this because God is punishing you.

They will be very sorry and they will cry about you.

32They will sing a sad song about you while they walk up and down.

“Nobody ever destroyed a city as God has destroyed Tyre.

Tyre was a city with sea all round it.”

33You gave good things to many nations.

You had valuable things and you sold them to kings.

You made all the kings in the world become rich men.

34Now the sea has broken you up.

You are under its waters.

All your things and your people are under the sea.

35The people who live by the sea are afraid.

They are afraid because they have seen you fall.

Their kings shake because they are afraid.

Their faces have become long and sad.

36Men from other nations who buy and sell are afraid.

They are afraid that they too will fall.

God has destroyed your city. You will never return.’