Eze 26 | EE | STEP | The LORD spoke to me on the first day of the month. It was the eleventh year.

Ezekiel 26

The LORD speaks against Tyre

1 The LORD spoke to me on the first day of the month. It was the eleventh year.

2 ‘Tyre’s people have said: “Good! Now we have broken down the walls of Jerusalem. Its doors are open to us. Tyre will become a rich city because we have destroyed Jerusalem.” 3 So this is what the LORD God says: “I am against you, Tyre, I will bring many nations to attack you. They will be as strong as the waves of the sea. 4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and they will pull down its strong buildings. I will pull away all the stones that they used to build it. 5 There, men will dry the things that they use to catch fish. They will dry them on the rock where Tyre was before. That is what I say”, says the LORD God. 6 “Armies with swords will destroy all the towns near the city. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”’ ^{▼▼26:6 Tyre was a city in Phoenicia, which was to the north of Samaria. It was on the Mediterranean Sea. Tyre was both on the coast and on an island. Tyre was very wealthy.}

7 Now this is what the LORD God says: ‘I will bring Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon against Tyre. He will come from the north. He is a great king with men on horses, chariots (war cars) and a great army. 8 He will attack and destroy all your towns and villages on the land near the sea. He will build hills to attack your walls. 9 He will hit your walls with very heavy long sticks. And he will destroy your high buildings. 10 He will have many horses. Their feet will cause dirt to cover you. He will break through your walls and he will bring in his horses and chariots (war cars). The noise that they make will cause your walls to shake. 11 While his horses go along your streets, his soldiers will kill people. They will kill them with their swords. They will break down all your tall buildings. 12 They will take away all your food and the things that you sell. They will break down your beautiful buildings. They will throw into the sea all the wood and stone that made them. 13 Nobody will sing your songs any longer. Nobody will hear your music any longer. 14 I will cause you to become just a rock in the sea. Men will dry there the things that they use to catch fish. They will never build you again. That is what I say’, says the LORD God.

15 This is what the LORD God says to Tyre. ‘All the people who live by the sea will hear. They will hear that I have made you fall. Then they will be very afraid. They will hear the cries of people who are hurting. 16 Then the princes of those towns will take off their beautiful clothes. They will sit in the dirt and they will be sad and afraid. Their bodies will shake because they are so afraid. 17 Then they will make a sad song about you:

“Great city of men of the sea, I have completely destroyed you.

You and your people were the strong men of the sea.

You made everyone else afraid of you. ^{▼▼26:17 Many small states along the coast and on the islands depended on Tyre.}

18 Now people on the land are afraid on the day that you fall.

The islands in the sea are afraid because I have made you fall.”’

19 This is what the LORD God says. ‘I will make you like an empty city. And the sea will cover you with its great waters. 20 Then I will make you fall into the earth. You will go to be with men who have died. You will not return. Nobody will ever live in you again. 21 I will completely destroy you. People will look for you but they will never find you, says the LORD God.’