Ezekiel 27; Ezekiel 28; Ezekiel 29; 1 Peter 3

1 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

2 "Human, sing a funeral song for the city of Tyre.

3 Speak to Tyre, which has ports for the Mediterranean Sea and is a place for trade for the people of many lands along the seacoast. 'This is what the Lord God says: Tyre, you have said, "I am like a beautiful ship."

4 You were at home on the high seas. Your builders made your beauty perfect.

5 They made all your boards of fir trees from Mount Hermon. to make a ship's mast for you.

6 They made your oars from oak trees from Bashan. They made your deck from cypress trees from the coast of Cyprus and set ivory into it.

7 Your sail of linen with designs sewed on it came from Egypt and became like a flag for you. Your cloth shades over the deck were blue and purple and came from the island of Cyprus.

8 Men from Sidon and Arvad used oars to row you. Tyre, your skilled men were the sailors on your deck.

9 Workers of Byblos were with you, putting caulkn in your ship's seams. All the ships of the sea and their sailors came alongside to trade with you.

10 "'Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put were warriors in your navy and hung their shields and helmets on your sides. They made you look beautiful.

11 Men of Arvad and Cilicia guarded your city walls all around. were in your watchtowers and hung their shields around your walls. They made your beauty perfect.

12 "'People of Tarshish became traders for you because of your great wealth. They traded your goods for silver, iron, tin, and lead.

13 "'People of Greece, Tubal, and Meshech became merchants for you. They traded your goods for slaves and items of bronze.

14 "'People of Beth Togarmah traded your goods for work horses, war horses, and mules.

15 "'People of Rhodes became merchants for you, selling your goods on many coastlands. They brought back ivory tusks and valuable black wood as your payment.

16 "'People of Aram became traders for you, because you had so many good things to sell. They traded your goods for turquoise, purple cloth, cloth with designs sewed on, fine linen, coral, and rubies.

17 "'People of Judah and Israel became merchants for you. They traded your goods for wheat from Minnith, and for honey, olive oil, and balm.

18

19 "'People of Damascus became traders for you because you have many good things and great wealth. They traded your goods for wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar, and barrels of wine from Izal. They received wrought iron, cassia, and sugar cane in payment for your good things.

20 "'People of Dedan became merchants for you, trading saddle blankets for riding.

21 "'People of Arabia and all the rulers of Kedar became traders for you. They received lambs, male sheep, and goats in payment for you.

22 "'The merchants of Sheba and Raamah became merchants for you. They traded your goods for all the best spices, valuable gems, and gold.

23 "'People of Haran, Canneh, Eden, and the traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad became merchants for you.

24 They were paid with the best clothes, blue cloth, cloth with designs sewed on, carpets of many colors, and tightly wound ropes.

25 "'Trading ships carried the things you sold. You were like a ship full of heavy cargo in the middle of the sea.

26 The men who rowed you brought you out into the high seas, but the east wind broke you to pieces in the middle of the sea.

27 Your wealth, your trade, your goods, your seamen, your sailors, your workers, your traders, your warriors, and everyone else on board sank into the sea on the day your ship was wrecked.

28 The people on the shore shake with fear when your sailors cry out.

29 All the men who row leave their ships; the seamen and the sailors of other ships stand on the shore.

30 They cry loudly about you; they cry very much. They throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes to show they are sad.

31 They shave their heads for you, and they put on rough cloth to show they are upset. They cry and sob for you; they cry loudly.

32 And in their loud crying they sing a funeral song for you: "No one was ever destroyed like Tyre, surrounded by the sea."

33 When the goods you traded went out over the seas, you met the needs of many nations. With your great wealth and goods, you made kings of the earth rich.

34 But now you are broken by the sea and have sunk to the bottom. Your goods and all the people on board have gone down with you.

35 All those who live along the shore are shocked by what happened to you. Their kings are terribly afraid, and their faces show their fear.

36 The traders among the nations hiss at you. You have come to a terrible end, and you are gone forever.'"

1 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

2 "Human, say to the ruler of Tyre: 'This is what the Lord God says: Because you are proud, you say, "I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the middle of the seas." You think you are as wise as a god, but you are a human, not a god.

3 You think you are wiser than Daniel. You think you can find out all secrets.

4 Through your wisdom and understanding you have made yourself rich. You have gained gold and silver and have saved it in your storerooms.

5 Through your great skill in trading, you have made your riches grow. You are too proud because of your riches.

6 "'So this is what the Lord God says: You think you are wise like a god,

7 but I will bring foreign people against you, the cruelest nation. They will pull out their swords and destroy all that your wisdom has built, and they will dishonor your greatness.

8 They will kill you; you will die a terrible death like those who are killed at sea.

9 While they are killing you, you will not be able to say anymore, "I am a god." You will be only a human, not a god, when your murderers kill you.

10 You will die like an unclean person; foreigners will kill you. I have spoken, says the Lord God.'"

11 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

12 "Human, sing a funeral song for the king of Tyre. Say to him: 'This is what the Lord God says: You were an example of what was perfect, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You had a wonderful life, as if you were in Eden, the garden of God. Every valuable gem was on you: ruby, topaz, and emerald, yellow quartz, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and chrysolite. Your jewelry was made of gold. It was prepared on the day you were created.

14 I appointed a living creature to guard you. I put you on the holy mountain of God. You walked among the gems that shined like fire.

15 Your life was right and good from the day you were created, until evil was found in you.

16 Because you traded with countries far away, you learned to be cruel, and you sinned. So I threw you down in disgrace from the mountain of God. And the living creature who guarded you forced you out from among the gems that shined like fire.

17 You became too proud because of your beauty. You ruined your wisdom because of your greatness. I threw you down to the ground. Your example taught a lesson to other kings.

18 You dishonored your places of worship through your many sins and dishonest trade. So I set on fire the place where you lived, and the fire burned you up. I turned you into ashes on the ground for all those watching to see.

19 All the nations who knew you are shocked about you. Your punishment was so terrible, and you are gone forever.'"

20 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

21 "Human, look toward the city of Sidon and prophesy against her.

22 Say: 'This is what the Lord God says: I am against you, Sidon, and I will show my glory among you. when I have punished Sidon; I will show my holiness by defeating her.

23 I will send diseases to Sidon, and blood will flow in her streets. Those who are wounded in Sidon will fall dead, attacked from all sides. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

24 "'No more will neighboring nations be like thorny branches or sharp stickers to hurt Israel. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.

25 "'This is what the Lord God says: I will gather the people of Israel from the nations where they are scattered. I will show my holiness when the nations see what I do for my people. Then they will live in their own land -- the land I gave to my servant Jacob.

26 They will live safely in the land and will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live in safety after I have punished all the nations around who hate them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.'"

1 It was the tenth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

2 "Human, look toward the king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and all Egypt.

3 Say: 'This is what the Lord God says: I am against you, king of Egypt. You are like a great crocodile that lies in the Nile River. You say, "The Nile is mine; I made it for myself."

4 But I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of the Nile stick to your sides. I will pull you up out of your rivers, with all the fish sticking to your sides.

5 I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish from your rivers. You will fall onto the ground; you will not be picked up or buried. I have given you to the wild animals and to the birds of the sky for food.

6 Then all the people who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord. "'Israel tried to lean on you for help, but you were like a crutch made out of a weak stalk of grass.

7 When their hands grabbed you, you splintered and tore open their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and made all their backs twist.

8 "'So this is what the Lord God says: I will cause an enemy to attack you and kill your people and animals.

9 Egypt will become an empty desert. Then they will know that I am the Lord. "'Because you said, "The Nile River is mine, and I have made it,"

10 I am against you and your rivers. I will destroy the land of Egypt and make it an empty desert from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south, all the way to the border of Cush.

11 No person or animal will walk through it, and no one will live in Egypt for forty years.

12 I will make the land of Egypt the most deserted country of all. Her cities will be the most deserted of all ruined cities for forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries.

13 "'This is what the Lord God says: After forty years I will gather Egypt from the nations where they have been scattered.

14 I will bring back the Egyptian captives and make them return to southern Egypt, to the land they came from. They will become a weak kingdom there.

15 It will be the weakest kingdom, and it will never again rule other nations. I will make it so weak it will never again rule over the nations.

16 The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt. Instead, Egypt's punishment will remind the Israelites of their sin in turning to Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.'"

17 It was the twenty-seventh year of our captivity, in the first month, on the first day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

18 "Human, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army fight hard against Tyre. Every soldier's head was rubbed bare, and every shoulder was rubbed raw. But Nebuchadnezzar and his army gained nothing from fighting Tyre.

19 So this is what the Lord God says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will take away Egypt's people and its wealth and its treasures as pay for his army.

20 I am giving Nebuchadnezzar the land of Egypt as a reward for working hard for me, says the Lord God.

21 "At that time I will make Israel grow strong again, and I will let you, Ezekiel, speak to them. Then they will know that I am the Lord."

1 In the same way, you wives should yield to your husbands. Then, if some husbands do not obey God's teaching, they will be persuaded to believe without anyone's saying a word to them. They will be persuaded by the way their wives live.

2 Your husbands will see the pure lives you live with your respect for God.

3 It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful.

4 No, your beauty should come from within you -- the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very precious to God.

5 In this same way the holy women who lived long ago and followed God made themselves beautiful, yielding to their own husbands.

6 Sarah obeyed Abraham, her husband, and called him her master. And you women are true children of Sarah if you always do what is right and are not afraid.

7 In the same way, you husbands should live with your wives in an understanding way, since they are weaker than you. But show them respect, because God gives them the same blessing he gives you -- the grace that gives true life. Do this so that nothing will stop your prayers.

8 Finally, all of you should be in agreement, understanding each other, loving each other as family, being kind and humble.

9 Do not do wrong to repay a wrong, and do not insult to repay an insult. But repay with a blessing, because you yourselves were called to do this so that you might receive a blessing.

10 The Scripture says, "A person must do these things to enjoy life and have many happy days. He must not say evil things, and he must not tell lies.

11 He must stop doing evil and do good. He must look for peace and work for it.

12 The Lord sees the good people and listens to their prayers. those who do evil."

13 If you are trying hard to do good, no one can really hurt you.

14 But even if you suffer for doing right, you are blessed. "Don't be afraid of what they fear; do not dread those things."

15 But respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have,

16 but answer in a gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed.

17 It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong if that is what God wants.

18 Christ himself suffered for sins once. He was not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God. His body was killed, but he was made alive in the spirit.

19 And in the spirit he went and preached to the spirits in prison

20 who refused to obey God long ago in the time of Noah. God was waiting patiently for them while Noah was building the boat. Only a few people -- eight in all -- were saved by water.

21 And that water is like baptism that now saves you -- not the washing of dirt from the body, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. And this is because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.

22 Now Jesus has gone into heaven and is at God's right side ruling over angels, authorities, and powers.