- EZEKIEL
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27
The trade with Tyre
1 Yahweh said this to me: 2 “You human, sing a funeral song about Tyre. 3 The city of Tyre is located on an island at the edge of the sea, and their merchants ◄traded/bought and sold goods► with people-groups who live along many seacoasts. This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say that you should tell them:
‘You people of Tyre said that your city was very beautiful.
4 You controlled what was bought and sold by people who lived along the sea.
Those who built your city caused it to become very beautiful.
5 You were like [SIM] a huge ship
that was built from the from pine/cypress trees on Hermon Mountain.
Then they took cedar wood from Lebanon to make a mast for the ship.
6 They carved your oars from oak trees from the Bashan region.
They made the deck from cypress/pine wood from Cyprus island,
and they covered the decks with ivory.
7 The sails for the ship were made from fine embroidered linen from Egypt,
and those sails were like flags that people could see far away.
For shade they hung pieces of blue and purple cloth
brought from people living on Cyprus island.
8 Men from Sidon and Arvad cities pulled the oars;
the men who steered the boat were skilled men from Tyre.
9 Experienced craftsmen from Byblos city on the coast ◄did the caulking/filled the spaces between the planks in the sides► of the ship.
Sailors from many countries came in their ships to buy and sell goods there.
10 Men from as far away as Persia, Lydia, and Libya were soldiers in your army.
They hung their shields and helmets on the walls of your city,
and that caused people to admire your city.
11 Men from Arvad and Helech cities were watchmen on the walls of your city;
men from Gammad town were in your towers.
They also hung their shields on your walls;
they also caused your city to be very beautiful.
12 Because of the many things that you had to trade, men from Tarshish in Spain sent merchants who brought silver, iron, tin, and lead to trade for things that you had.
13 Merchants from Greece, Tubal, and Meshech brought slaves and things made from bronze to trade for things that you had.
14 Men from Beth-Togarmah in Armenia brought work horses, war horses, and mules to trade for things that you had.
15 Merchants came to you from Rhodes island.
People from nations along the coast traded with you; they brought ◄ivory/elephant tusks► and valuable black ebony wood to trade for things that you had.
16 Because you had very many things to trade, people from Syria brought to you valuable turquoise stones, purple cloth, embroidered cloth, fine linen cloth, and jewelry made from coral and rubies to trade for your things.
17 Men from Judah and Israel brought wheat from Minnith city in Ammon, and figs, honey, olive oil, and ointment to trade for your things.
18 Because you had very many things to trade, men from Damascus brought wine from Helbon town and white wool from the Zahar area to trade for many things that you had.
19 Greek men from the Uzal area brought things made of iron, and cassia spice, and fragrant calamus seeds to trade for things that you had.
20 Merchants came from Dedan in southern Edom bringing saddle blankets to trade for things that you had.
21 Men from Arabia and all the rulers of the Kedar region sent merchants to trade lambs and rams and male goats for things that you had.
22 Merchants from Sheba and Raamah in Arabia brought many kinds of very good spices and jewels and gold to exchange for things that you had.
23 Men came from Haran, Canneh, Eden, Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad in Mesopotamia with their goods. 24 They brought pretty things to trade: Blue cloth, embroidered cloth, and rugs of many colors that were rolled up and tied with ropes.
25 Cargo ships from Tarshish carried all those things that you traded;
and the warehouses on your island were full of all those things.’ ”
The destruction of Tyre
26 “ ‘The men who row your boats took the ships full of cargo out on the stormy seas.
But the strong east wind wrecked those cargo boats.
27 Everything in the boats ◄was lost/sank to the bottom of the sea►—
all the valuable cargo [DOU] and many of [HYP] the sailors and ship pilots,
the ship workers and merchants and soldiers.
On the day that the ships were wrecked,
many of those on the ships sank to the bottom of the sea.
28 The people in cities along the coast trembled
when they heard your ship pilots cry out.
29 All the men who remained who pulled the oars left the ships;
the sailors and pilots go to the shore and stand on the beach.
30 They cry aloud because of what has happened to your wealth,
and they weep bitterly.
They throw dirt on their heads
and roll around in ashes.
31 They shave their heads to show that they are very sad because of what has happened to you,
and they put on rough sackcloth.
They weep for you very bitterly
and mourn for you.
32 While they wail and mourn because of what has happened to you,
they sing this sad funeral song:
“There was certainly never [RHQ] a city like Tyre
that now is silent,
covered by the waves of the sea.”
33 The goods that your merchants traded
were things that pleased the people of many countries.
Kings in very distant places became rich
from the wealth that they obtained from trading with you.
34 But now your city is like a ship [MET] that is wrecked in the sea,
and everything that was in it is broken, at the bottom of the sea.
All of your cargo and your sailors have sunk to the bottom of the sea along with the ships.
35 All the people who live along the seacoast are appalled/horrified
because of what has happened to you.
Their kings are very horrified,
causing their faces to be twisted as they watch.
36 The merchants of the other nations shake their heads
because it is difficult for them to believe what has happened;
your city has disappeared,
and it will not exist any more.’ ”

- EZEKIEL
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© 2008-2017 Ellis W. Deibler, Jr.