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

Ezekiel 27

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, sing a funeral song about Tyre.

3 Tyre is the city at the entrance to the sea. It is the merchant to the nations. Say to Tyre, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: Tyre, you used to brag about your perfect beauty.

4 Your home is the sea. "'Your builders made your beauty perfect.

5 Your builders made all your boards from pine trees on Mount Hermon. They took cedar trees from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

6 They made your oars from oaks in Bashan. They made your deck from pine trees on the shores of Cyprus. It had ivory set in it.

7 Your sails were made out of fine embroidered linen from Egypt. They were like your flags. Your awnings were violet and purple. They came from the coasts of Elishah.

8 "'People from Sidon and Arvad used to row you. Your own skilled people were your sailors.

9 Master shipbuilders from Gebal went inside you to caulk your seams. All the ships on the sea and their sailors docked alongside you to trade with you.

10 People from Persia, Lud, and Put were soldiers in your army. They hung their shields and helmets inside you. Their victories made you look good.

11 "'People from Arvad and Helech were guards all around your walls. People from Gammad guarded your towers. They hung their shields all around your walls, making your beauty perfect.

12 "'People from Tarshish traded with you because you were so very rich. They exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise.

13 People from Greece, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you. They exchanged slaves and bronze items for your goods.

14 People from Beth Togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your merchandise.

15 People from Dedan traded goods with you. You traded with many people on the coasts, and they brought you ivory and ebony as payment.

16 "'People from Syria traded with you because you had so many products. They exchanged emeralds, purple cloth, richly woven cloth, linen, coral, and rubies for your merchandise.

17 Judah and Israel traded with you. They exchanged wheat from Minnith, baked goods, honey, olive oil, and balsam for your goods.

18 People from Damascus traded with you because you had so many products. They exchanged wine from Helbon and wool from Sahar.

19 "'Danites and Greeks from Uzal traded for your merchandise. They exchanged wrought iron, cassia, and sugar cane for your goods.

20 Dedan traded saddle blankets with you.

21 Arabia and all the officials of Kedar traded with you. They traded lambs, rams, and male goats.

22 The merchants from Sheba and Raamah traded with you. They traded the finest spices, precious stones, and gold for your merchandise.

23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants from Sheba, Assyria, and Kilmad traded with you.

24 In your marketplace they traded for beautiful clothes, purple robes, embroidered cloth, and many multicolored rugs with woven and twisted cords.

25 "'Ships from Tarshish carried your goods. You were like a ship filled with heavy cargo in the sea.

26 Your rowers took you out to the high seas, and an east wind wrecked you in the sea.

27 Your wealth, your merchandise, and the goods you sell, your mariners and your sailors, your caulkers and your merchants, your soldiers and everyone else on board sank into the sea when your ship was wrecked.

28 "'When your sailors cried out, people on the shore trembled.

29 All the rowers, the sailors, and all the mariners came down from their ships and stood on the shore.

30 They cried loudly and bitterly over you. They put dust on their heads and covered themselves with ashes.

31 They shaved their heads because of you and put on sackcloth. They cried over you with bitterness and with bitter mourning.

32 They sang a funeral song for you with loud crying: "Who is like Tyre, the city destroyed in the sea?"

33 Your merchandise was sent overseas. You filled many people with your great wealth and your goods. You made the kings of the earth rich.

34 Now you are wrecked in the sea, at the bottom of the sea. Your goods and your whole crew sank with you.

35 All those who live on the coasts are horrified because of you. Their kings are terribly afraid. Their faces show their fear.

36 The merchants among the nations laugh at you. You have come to a terrible end, and you will never exist again.'"

Ezekiel 28

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: In your arrogance you say, "I'm a god. I sit on God's throne in the sea." But you're only human and not a god, although you think you are a god.

3 You think that you are wiser than Daniel and that no secret can be hidden from you.

4 Because you are wise and understanding, you've made yourself rich. You saved gold and silver in your treasuries.

5 Because of your great skill in trading, you've made yourself very wealthy. You have become arrogant because of your wealth.

6 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: You think you are wise like God.

7 That is why I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless foreigners among the nations. They will draw their swords against your fine wisdom and dishonor your greatness.

8 They will throw you into a pit, and you will die a violent death in the sea.

9 You will no longer say that you are a god when you face those who kill you. You will be a human, not a god, in the hands of those who kill you.

10 You will die at the hands of foreigners like a godless person. I have spoken,'" declares the LORD.

11 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

12 "Son of man, sing a funeral song for the ruler of Tyre. Tell him, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: You were the perfect example, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You were in Eden, God's garden. You were covered with every kind of precious stone: red quartz, topaz, crystal, beryl, onyx, gray quartz, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your settings and your sockets were made of gold when you were created.

14 I appointed an angel to guard you. You were on God's holy mountain. You walked among fiery stones.

15 Your behavior was perfect from the time you were created, until evil was found in you.

16 You traded far and wide. You learned to be violent, and you sinned. So I threw you down from God's mountain in disgrace. The guardian angel forced you out from the fiery stones.

17 You became too proud because of your beauty. You wasted your wisdom because of your greatness. So I threw you to the ground and left you in front of the kings so that they could see you.

18 You dishonored your own holy places because of your many sins and dishonest trade. So I set fire to you to burn you up. I turned you into ashes on the ground in the presence of all who saw you.

19 All the nations who knew you are horrified because of you. You have come to a terrible end, and you will never exist again.'"

20 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

21 "Son of man, turn to Sidon and prophesy against it.

22 Tell it, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm against you, Sidon. I will show my greatness through you. Then people will know that I am the LORD, because I will punish you and show you how holy I am.

23 I will send a plague against you and make blood flow in your streets. Your people will fall dead. People with swords will attack you from every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

24 The nation of Israel will no longer be hurt by prickly thorns or sharp briars from everyone around them. Then they will know that I am the Almighty LORD.

25 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they were scattered, I will show that I am holy as the nations watch. The people of Israel will live in their own land, the land I gave to my servant Jacob.

26 They will live there in safety. They will build homes and plant vineyards. They will live in safety when I punish all the surrounding people who treat them with scorn. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.'"

Ezekiel 29

1 On the twelfth day of the tenth month in the tenth year, the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, turn to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

3 Tell him, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt. You are like a monster crocodile lying in the Nile River. You say, "The Nile River is mine. I made it for myself."

4 "'I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish in the Nile River stick to your scales. I will pull you out of your river with all the fish in the Nile sticking to your scales.

5 I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish from the Nile. You will fall in an open field. No one will pick you up or bury you. I will feed you to wild animals and birds.

6 Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the LORD. Egypt, you have become like a [broken] walking stick to the nation of Israel.

7 When Israel grabbed you, you splintered and tore up their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke, and they wrenched their backs.

8 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I am going to attack you with a sword. I will kill people and animals.

9 Egypt will become a wasteland and a pile of rubble. Then you will know that I am the LORD. You said, "The Nile River is mine. I made it."

10 That is why I'm against you and the Nile River. I will turn Egypt into a pile of rubble. It will become a wasteland, from Migdol to Syene, all the way to the border of Sudan.

11 No human or animal will walk through it, and no one will live there for 40 years.

12 I will make Egypt the most desolate country in the world. For 40 years Egypt's cities will lie in ruins. They will be ruined more than any other city. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and force them into other countries.

13 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: After 40 years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they have been scattered.

14 I will bring back the Egyptian captives and return them to Pathros, the land they came from. There they will be a weak kingdom.

15 They will be the weakest kingdom, and they will never rule the nations again. I will make them so weak that they will never rule the nations again.

16 The nation of Israel will never trust Egypt again. The people of Israel will remember how wrong they were whenever they turned to Egypt [for help]. Then they will know that I am the Almighty LORD.'"

17 On the first day of the first month in the twenty-seventh year, the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

18 "Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his army fight hard against Tyre. Every soldier's head was worn bald, and every soldier's shoulder was rubbed raw. Yet, he and his army got no reward for their hard-fought battle against Tyre.

19 This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm going to give Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth, take its prized possessions, and loot it. That will be the pay for his army.

20 I have given him Egypt as pay for what he has done. Nebuchadnezzar and his army worked for me, declares the Almighty LORD.

21 "On that day I will make the people of Israel strong again, and I will give you, Ezekiel, something to say among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

1 Peter 3

1 Wives, in a similar way, place yourselves under your husbands' authority. Some husbands may not obey God's word. Their wives could win these men [for Christ] by the way they live without saying anything.

2 Their husbands would see how pure and reverent their lives are.

3 Wives must not let their beauty be something external. Beauty doesn't come from hairstyles, gold jewelry, or clothes.

4 Rather, beauty is something internal that can't be destroyed. Beauty expresses itself in a gentle and quiet attitude which God considers precious.

5 After all, this is how holy women who had confidence in God expressed their beauty in the past. They placed themselves under their husbands' authority

6 as Sarah did. Sarah obeyed Abraham and spoke to him respectfully. You became Sarah's daughters by not letting anything make you afraid to do good.

7 Husbands, in a similar way, live with your wives with understanding since they are weaker than you are. Honor your wives as those who share God's life-giving kindness so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.

8 Finally, everyone must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble.

9 Don't pay people back with evil for the evil they do to you, or ridicule those who ridicule you. Instead, bless them, because you were called to inherit a blessing.

10 "People who want to live a full life and enjoy good days must keep their tongues from saying evil things, and their lips from speaking deceitful things.

11 They must turn away from evil and do good. They must seek peace and pursue it.

12 The Lord's eyes are on those who do what he approves. His ears hear their prayer. The Lord confronts those who do evil."

13 Who will harm you if you are devoted to doing what is good?

14 But even if you suffer for doing what God approves, you are blessed. Don't be afraid of those who want to harm you. Don't get upset.

15 But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence [in God] when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect.

16 Keep your conscience clear. Then those who treat the good Christian life you live with contempt will feel ashamed that they have ridiculed you.

17 After all, if it is God's will, it's better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong.

18 This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit.

19 In it he also went to proclaim his victory to the spirits kept in prison.

20 They are like those who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah when God waited patiently while Noah built the ship. In this ship a few people--eight in all--were saved by water.

21 Baptism, which is like that water, now saves you. Baptism doesn't save by removing dirt from the body. Rather, baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience. It saves you through Jesus Christ, who came back from death to life.

22 Christ has gone to heaven where he has the highest position that God gives. Angels, rulers, and powers have been placed under his authority.