Ezekiel 27; Ezekiel 28; Ezekiel 29

1 A message came to me from the Lord. He said,

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

3 It is located at the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. It does business with nations on many coasts. Say to it, 'The LORD and King says, " ' "Tyre, you say, 'I am perfect and beautiful.'

4 You were like a ship that ruled over the high seas. Your builders made you perfect and beautiful.

5 They cut all of your lumber from pine trees on Mount Hermon. They used a cedar tree from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

6 They made your oars out of oak trees from Bashan. They made your deck out of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus. They decorated it with ivory.

7 Your sail was made out of beautiful, Egyptian linen. It served as your banner. Your shades were made out of blue and purple cloth. They were from the coasts of Elishah.

8 Men from Sidon and Arvad manned your oars. Tyre, your sailors were skillful.

9 Very skilled workers from Byblos were on board. They kept you waterproof. All of the ships on the sea and their sailors came up beside you. They brought their goods to trade for yours.

10 " ' "City of Tyre, men from Persia, Lydia and Put served as soldiers in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls. That brought glory to you.

11 Men from Arvad and Cilicia guarded your walls on every side. Men from Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields around your walls. They made you perfect and beautiful.

12 " ' "Tarshish did business with you because you had so much wealth. They traded silver, iron, tin and lead for your goods.

13 " ' "Greece, Tubal and Meshech did business with you. They traded slaves and bronze articles for your products.

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

15 " ' "Men from Rhodes did business with you. Many lands along the coast bought goods from you. They paid you with ivory tusks and ebony wood.

16 " ' "Aram did business with you because you had so many products for sale. They traded turquoise, purple cloth and needlework for your goods. They also traded fine linen, coral and rubies for them.

17 " ' "Judah and Israel did business with you. They traded wheat from Minnith, sweets, honey, olive oil and lotion for your products.

18 " ' "Damascus traded wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar to you. They did business with you because you had so many products and so much wealth.

19 " ' "Danites and Greeks from Uzal bought goods from you. They traded wrought iron, cassia and cane for your products.

20 " ' "Dedan traded saddle blankets to you.

21 " ' "Arabia and all of the princes of Kedar bought goods from you. They traded you lambs, rams and goats for them.

22 " ' "Traders from Sheba and Raamah did business with you. They traded the finest spices, jewels and gold for your goods.

23 " ' "Haran, Canneh and Eden did business with you. So did traders from Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad.

24 In your market place they traded beautiful clothes, blue cloth, and needlework to you. They also traded colorful rugs that had twisted cords and tight knots.

25 " ' "The ships of Tarshish carry your products. You are like a ship filled with a heavy load in the middle of the sea.

26 The sailors who man your oars take you out to the high seas. But the east wind will break you in pieces in the middle of the sea.

27 You will be wrecked on that day. Your wealth, goods and products will sink deep into the sea. So will your sailors, officers, carpenters, traders and all of your soldiers. Anyone else on board will sink too.

28 The lands along the coast will shake when your officers cry out.

29 All those who man the oars will desert their ships. The sailors and all of the officers will stand on the shore.

30 They will raise their voices. They will cry bitterly over you. They will sprinkle dust on their heads. They will roll in ashes.

31 They will shave their heads because of you. And they will put on black clothes. They will sob over you. Their spirits will be greatly troubled. They will be very sad.

32 As they sob and cry over you, they will sing a song of sadness about you. They will say, 'Who was ever like Tyre? It was destroyed in the sea.'

33 Your goods went out on the seas. You supplied many nations with what they needed. You had so much wealth and so many products. You made the kings of the earth rich.

34 Now the sea has torn you apart. You have sunk deep down into it. Your products and all of your people have gone down with you.

35 All those who live in the lands along the coast are shocked because of what has happened to you. Their kings tremble with fear. Their faces are twisted in horror.

36 The traders among the nations hiss at you. You have come to a horrible end. And you will be gone forever." ' "

1 A message came to me from the Lord. He said,

2 "Son of man, speak to Ethbaal. He is the ruler of Tyre. Tell him, 'The LORD and King says, " ' "In your proud heart you say, 'I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the Mediterranean Sea.' But you are only a man. You are not a god. In spite of that, you think you are as wise as a god.

3 Are you wiser than Daniel? Isn't even one secret hidden from you?

4 You are wise and understanding. So you have become very wealthy. You have piled up gold and silver among your treasures.

5 You have used your great skill in trading to increase your wealth. You are very rich. So your heart has become proud." ' "

6 The LORD and King says, "You think you are wise. In fact, you claim to be as wise as a god.

7 So I am going to bring strangers against you. They will not show you any pity at all. They will use their swords against your beauty and wisdom. They will strike down your shining glory.

8 They will bring you down to the grave. You will die a horrible death in the middle of the sea.

9 Then will you say, 'I am a god'? Will you say that to those who kill you? You will be only a man to those who kill you. You will not be a god to them.

10 You will die just like those who have not been circumcised. Strangers will kill you. I have spoken," announces the LORD and King.

11 A message came to me from the Lord. He said,

12 "Son of man, sing a song of sadness about the king of Tyre. Tell him, 'The LORD and King says, " ' "You were the model of perfection. You were full of wisdom. You were perfect and beautiful.

13 You were in Eden. It was my garden. All kinds of jewels decorated you. Here is a list of them. ruby, topaz and emerald chrysolite, onyx and jasper sapphire, turquoise and beryl Your settings and mountings were made out of gold. On the day you were created, they were prepared.

14 I appointed you to be like a guardian cherub. I anointed you for that purpose. You were on my holy mountain. You walked among the gleaming jewels.

15 Your conduct was without blame from the day you were created. But soon you began to sin.

16 You traded with many nations. You harmed people everywhere. And you sinned. So I sent you away from my mountain in shame. Guardian cherub, I drove you away from among the gleaming jewels.

17 You thought you were so handsome that it made your heart proud. You thought you were so glorious that it spoiled your wisdom. So I threw you down to the earth. I made an example out of you in front of kings.

18 Your many sins and dishonest trade polluted your temple. So I made you go up in flames. I turned you into nothing but ashes on the ground. I let everyone see it.

19 All of the nations that knew you are shocked because of what happened to you. You have come to a horrible end. And you will be gone forever." ' "

20 A message came to me from the Lord. He said,

21 "Son of man, turn your attention to the city of Sidon. Prophesy against it.

22 Say, 'The LORD and King says, " ' "Sidon, I am against your people. I will gain glory for myself inside your city walls. I will punish your people. I will show that I am holy among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

23 I will send a plague on them. I will make blood flow in your streets. Those who are killed will fall inside you. Swords will strike your people on every side. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

24 " ' "The people of Israel will no longer have neighbors who hate them. Those neighbors will not be like sharp and painful thorns anymore. Then Israel will know that I am the LORD and King." ' "

25 The LORD and King says, "I will gather the people of Israel together from the nations where they have been scattered. I will show that I am holy among them. I will let the nations see it. Then Israel will live in their own land. I gave it to my servant Jacob.

26 My people will live there in safety. They will build houses. They will plant vineyards. They will live in safety. I will punish all of their neighbors who told lies about them. Then Israel will know that I am the LORD their God."

1 It was the tenth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the 12th day of the tenth month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said,

2 "Son of man, turn your attention to Pharaoh Hophra. He is king of Egypt. Prophesy against him and the whole land of Egypt.

3 Tell him, 'The LORD and King says, " ' "Pharaoh Hophra, I am against you. King of Egypt, you are like a huge monster lying among your streams. You say, 'The Nile River belongs to me. I made it for myself.'

4 But I will put hooks in your jaws. I will make the fish in your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you out from among your streams. All of the fish will stick to your scales.

5 I will leave you out in the desert. All of the fish in your streams will be there with you. You will fall down in an open field. You will not be picked up. I will feed you to the wild animals and to the birds of the air.

6 Then everyone who lives in Egypt will know that I am the Lord. " ' "You have been like a walking stick made out of a papyrus stem. The people of Israel tried to lean on you.

7 They took hold of you. But you broke under their weight. You tore their shoulders open. They leaned on you. But you snapped in two. And their backs were broken." ' "

8 So the LORD and King says, "I will send Nebuchadnezzar's sword against you. He will kill your people and their animals.

9 Egypt will become a dry and empty desert. Then your people will know that I am the Lord. "You said, 'The Nile River belongs to me. I made it for myself.'

10 So I am against you and your streams. I will destroy the land of Egypt. I will turn it into a dry and empty desert from Migdol all the way to Aswan. I will destroy everything as far as the border of Cush.

11 "No people or animals will travel through Egypt. No one will even live there for 40 years.

12 Egypt will be more empty than any other land. Its destroyed cities will lie empty for 40 years. I will scatter the people of Egypt among the nations. I will send them to other countries."

13 But the LORD and King says, "At the end of 40 years I will gather the Egyptians together from the nations where they were scattered.

14 I will bring them back from where they were taken as prisoners. I will return them to Upper Egypt. That is where they came from. There they will be an unimportant kingdom.

15 "Egypt will be the least important kingdom of all. It will never place itself above the other nations again. I will make it very weak. Then it will never again rule over the nations.

16 The people of Israel will no longer trust in Egypt. Instead, Egypt will remind them of how they sinned when they turned to it for help. Then they will know that I am the LORD and King."

17 It was the 27th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the first day of the first month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said,

18 "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, drove his army in a hard military campaign against Tyre. Their helmets rubbed their heads bare. The heavy loads they carried made their shoulders raw. But he and his army did not gain anything from the campaign he led against Tyre.

19 "So I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. He will carry off its wealth. He will take away anything else you have. He will give it to his army.

20 I have given Egypt to him as a reward for his efforts. After all, he and his army attacked Egypt because I told them to," announces the LORD and King.

21 "When Nebuchadnezzar wins the battle over Egypt, I will make the people of Israel strong again. Ezekiel, I will open your mouth. And you will be able to speak to them. Then they will know that I am the Lord."