Ezekiel 27

¹ The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

² ‘Son of man, raise the dirge over Tyre.

³ Say to Tyre, that city standing at the edge of the sea, doing business with the nations in innumerable islands, “The Lord Yahweh says this: Tyre, you used to say: I am a ship perfect in beauty.

⁴ Your frontiers stretched far out to sea; those who built you made you perfect in beauty.

⁵ Cypress from Senir[*a] they used for all your planking. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast. From the tallest

⁶ oaks of Bashan they made your oars. They built you a deck of cedar inlaid with ivory from the Kittim[*b] isles.

⁷ Embroidered linen of Egypt was used for your sail and for your flag. Purple and scarlet from the Elishah islands formed your deck-tent.

⁸ Men from Sidon and from Arvad[*c] were your oarsmen. Your sages, Tyre, were aboard serving as sailors.

⁹ The elders and craftsmen of Gebal[*d] were there to caulk your seams. All the ships of the sea and the sailors in them visited you to trade with you.

¹⁰ Men of Persia and Lud and Put served in your army and were your warriors. They hung up shield and helmet in you. They brought you glory.

¹¹ The sons of Arvad and their army manned your walls all round and kept watch from your bastions. They hung their shields all round your walls and helped make your beauty perfect.

¹² Tarshish was your client, profiting from your abundant wealth. People paid you in silver and iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.

¹³ Javan, Tubal and Meshech[*e] traded with you. For your merchandise they bartered men and bronze implements.

¹⁴ The people of Beth-togarmah[*f] traded you horses, chargers, mules.

¹⁵ The sons of Dedan traded with you; many shores were your clients; you were paid in ivory tusks and ebony.

¹⁶ Edom was your client, because of the variety and quantity of your goods; she exchanged carbuncles, purple, embroideries, fine linen, coral and rubies against your goods.

¹⁷ Judah and the land of Israel also traded with you, supplying you with corn from Minnith, wax, honey, tallow and balm.

¹⁸ Damascus was your client, because of the plentifulness of your goods and the immensity of your wealth, furnishing you with wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar.

¹⁹ Dan and Javan, from Uzal onwards, supplied you with wrought iron, cassia and calamus in exchange for your goods.

²⁰ Dedan traded with you in horse-cloths.

²¹ Arabia and even the sheikhs of Kedar were all your clients; they paid in lambs, rams and he-goats.

²² The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they supplied you with the best quality spices, precious stones and gold against your goods.

²³ Haran, Canneh and Eden, traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad[*g] traded with you.

²⁴ They traded rich clothes, embroidered and purple cloaks, multi-coloured materials and strong plaited cords in your markets.

²⁵ The ships of Tarshish crossed the seas for your trade. Then you were rich and glorious surrounded by the seas.

²⁶ Out to the open sea your oarsmen rowed you. The east wind has shattered you, surrounded by the seas.

²⁷ Your riches, your goods, your cargo, your crew, your sailors, your caulkers, your commercial agents, all the soldiers you carry with you, the whole host who are aboard: all will sink surrounded by the seas on the day of your shipwreck.

²⁸ When they hear the cries of your sailors the coasts will tremble.

²⁹ Then the oarsmen will all desert their ships. The sailors and seafaring people will stay ashore.

³⁰ They will raise their voices for you, and weep bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads, and roll in ashes;

³¹ they will shave their heads for you, and put sackcloth round their waists. They will raise a bitter dirge over you, in their despair;

³² they will raise a dirge and mourn for you, they will bewail you: Who could compare with haughty Tyre surrounded by the seas?

³³ When you unloaded your goods to satisfy so many peoples, you made the kings of the earth rich with your excess of wealth and goods.

³⁴ Now you are shattered by the waves, surrounded by the seas. Your cargo and all your crew have foundered with you.

³⁵ All those who live in the distant islands have been horrified at your fate. Their kings have been panic-stricken, their faces quite cast down.

³⁶ The traders of the nations have whistled at your fate, since you have become an object of dread, gone for ever.”‘