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26 At the beginning of the month in the eleventh year since King Yoyakin (Jehoiachin) had been taken captive, Yahweh gave me a message:[ref] 2 “Humanity’s child, because Tsor (Tyre) has said against Yerushalem, ‘Nice one! Yerushalem’s gates are broken. It’s going my way—I can take advantage because it’s been destroyed.’

3 Therefore the master Yahweh says this: ‘Listen, I’m opposed to you, Tsor, and I’ll raise up many nations against you just like the sea raises its waves. 4 They’ll destroy Tsor’s walls and tear down its towers, then I’ll sweep its dust away and make it like a bare rock. 5 It’ll become a place in the middle of the sea for people to spread their nets out to dry them, since I’ve declared it and it’ll become plunder for the nations. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration. 6 Its young women who’re in the countryside will be slaughtered by the swords, and then they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

7 Yes, this is what Yahweh says: Listen, I’m bringing the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, king of kings from the north, against Tsor, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a large army. 8 He’ll kill your daughters in the countryside. He’ll set up a siege program and build a ramp against your walls and raise up shields against you. 9 He’ll use his battering rams to smash down your walls, and he’ll tear down your towers with his axes. 10 They’ll have so many horses that their dust will cover you. Your walls will shake with the noise of their horsemen, wagons, and chariots. When he rides through your gates, he’ll pick his way over the stones like men do when entering a city whose walls have been broken down. 11 The hooves of his horses will trample all of your streets. He’ll slaughter your people with the sword and your mighty stone pillars will be knocked to the ground. 12 They’ll tear down your walls and destroy your nice homes—plundering your riches and looting your merchandise. Then they’ll throw your building stones, wood, and rubble into the ocean. 13 I’ll stop the sound of your songs and the music from your harps won’t be heard anymore. 14 I’ll make you back into a bare rock—you’ll become a place where nets are spread out to dry. You’ll never be built again, because I, master Yahweh have spoken. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.

15 The master Yahweh says this to Tsor, ‘Won’t the islands shake with the sound of your downfall, and with the groans of the wounded when the terrible slaughter is happening in you? 16 Then all the leaders of the coastal kingdoms will step down from their thrones and remove their robes and take off their embroidered clothes. Instead, they’ll clothe themselves with trembling, they’ll sit on the ground and tremble every moment, and they’ll be appalled because of you. 17 Then they’ll sing this song of mourning for you: and say to you,

How you, who were inhabited by sailors, have been destroyed.

The famous city that was so strong, it’s now gone from the sea.

The ones living in her once spread a terror about themselves upon everyone who lived nearby.

18 Now the coastal kingdoms tremble on the day of your downfall.

The islands in the sea are terrified by your passing.’

19 Yes, the master Yahweh says this: When I make you a desolate city, like the other cities that are not inhabited, when I raise up the deeps against you, and when the great waters cover you, 20 then I’ll take you down to the pit that people of ancient times went down to, because I’ll make you live in the lowest realms of the earth as in ruins of ancient times. Because of that, you won’t come back and be splendid in the land of the living. 21 I’ll send disaster onto you, and you won’t exist anymore. Then people will look for you, but you’ll never be found again. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.”[ref]

27 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 2 “Now you, humanity’s child, begin a funeral song about Tsor (Tyre), 3 and tell Tsor (which is on a coastal island—merchants to peoples on many other islands) that the master Yahweh says this to you:

Tsor, you’ve said, ‘My beauty has reached perfection.’

4 Your borders are surrounded by the ocean.

Your builders have perfected your beauty.[fn]

5 They made all your planks with cypress from Mt. Hermon (Senir).

They got a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

6 They made your oars from the oak trees in Bashan.

They made your decks out of cypress wood from Cyprus, and overlaid them with ivory.

7 Your sails were made from colourful linen from Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim) that served as your banner.

The colors of blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah are used for the awning on your boat.

8 Those who were living in Tsidon and Arvad were your rowers.

The wise men of Tsor were within you—they were your pilots.

9 Experienced craftsmen from Geval sealed your seams.

All the ships and their sailors among you were carrying your merchandise for trade.

10 Warriors from Persia, Lydia, and Libya were in your army.

They hung their shields and helmets within you.

They displayed your splendour.

11 The men of Arvad and Helek in your army were on your walls surrounding you,

and the people from Gammad were in your towers.

They hung up their shields on your walls all around you.

They completed your beauty.

12 “Tarshish was a trading partner with you because of your abundant wealth of goods. They traded silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares. 13 Yavan, Tubal, and Meshech traded slaves as well as bronze items for your merchandise. 14 Beyt-Togarmah provided horses, stallions, and mules in exchange for your products. 15 The men of Dedan (Rhodes Island) were your traders on many coasts. You sent the merchandise and they sent back ivory tusks and ebony wood as payment. 16 Syria (Heb. Aram) was a dealer in your many products—they provided emeralds, purple dye, coloured cloth, fine fabric, pearls, and rubies for your merchandise. 17 Yehudah and Yisrael were trading with you. They provided wheat from Minnit, cakes, honey, oil, and balsam for your merchandise. 18 Damascus was a trader of all your products, of all your enormous wealth, and of the wine from Helbon and the wool from Zahar.[fn] 19 Dan and Yavan from Uzal provided you with merchandise of wrought iron, cinnamon, and fragrant calamus seeds which became merchandise for you. 20 Dedan was your dealer in woven saddle blankets. 21 Arabia and all the leaders of Kedar were traders with you—they provided you with lambs, rams and goats. 22 Traders from Sheba and Ramah came to sell you the best of every spice and all kinds of precious gems—they traded gold for your goods. 23 Haran, Kanneh, and Eden were traders with you, along with Sheba, Ashur, and Kilmad. 24 Those were your traders in fancy robes of violet cloths with woven colours, and in blankets of multicoloured, embroidered, and well-woven cloth in your marketplaces. 25 The ships of Tarshish were the transporters of your merchandise.

So you were filled up—heavily laden with cargo there in the heart of the seas.

26 Your rowers have brought you into vast seas.

The east wind has wrecked you in the middle of them.

27 Your wealth, merchandise, and trade goods,

your sailors, pilots, and ship-builders,

your traders of merchandise and all the men of war who are in you, and all your crew—

they will sink into the depths of the sea at the time of your destruction.

28 The surroundings will shake

when they hear your pilot’s cry of distress.

29 All the oarsmen will come down off their ships.

Mariners and all the pilots on the sea will stand on the land,

30 then they’ll raise their voices towards you and will wail bitterly.

They’ll throw dust up onto their heads. They’ll roll around to get covered in ashes.

31 They’ll shave their heads bald for you and dress in rough sackcloth,[fn]

and they’ll weep bitterly over you and they will cry out with loud moans.

32 They will wail loudly for you and sing funeral songs about you.

Who is like the city of Tsor, which has now been brought to silence in the middle of the sea?

33 When your merchandise went ashore from the sea, it pleased many peoples.

You enriched kings across the world with your great wealth and merchandise.

34 But when you were shattered by the seas, by deep waters,

your merchandise and all your crew sank.

35 All the inhabitants of the coastal kingdoms were appalled at you,

and their kings shuddered in horror—their faces trembled.

36 The merchants of the people hiss at you.

You’ve become a horror, and you won’t exist anymore.”

28 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 2 “Humanity’s child, tell Tsor’s ruler that the master Yahweh says this: Your heart is proud and you’ve said, “I’m a god. I’ll sit in the seat of gods in the vital centre of the oceans.” Even though you’re a man and not a god, you tell yourself that you’re a god.

3 Listen you king of Tsor, are you wiser than Daniyel was? Are there any secrets that you don’t already know? 4 You’ve used your wisdom and skill to make yourself wealthy, and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. 5 By great wisdom and by your trading, you’ve multiplied your wealth, but now you’ve become arrogant because of your wealth.

6 Therefore, the master Yahweh says this: Because you’ve convinced yourself that you’re invincible like a god, 7 then I’ll bring foreigners against you—terrifying warriors from other nations. They’ll bring their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they’ll defile your splendour. 8 They’ll send you down to the pit, and you’ll die violently like those who die at sea. 9 Will you really say, “I’m a god” to the face of one who’s about to kill you? You’re a man and not God, and you’ll be at the mercy of the one who runs you through. 10 You’ll die like an ungodly person killed by foreigners, because I’ve declared it. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.’ ”

11 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 12 “Humanity’s child, sing out a mourning song for the king of Tsor (Tyre) and tell him that the master Yahweh says this:

You were the model of perfection,

full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You were in Eden—God’s garden.

Every precious stone covered you:

ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite,

onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl.

Your settings and mountings were made from gold.

They were prepared on the very day that you were created.

14 I placed you on God’s sacred mountain of God

like the winged creatures that I appointed to guard mankind.

You were among the fiery stones where you walked around.

15 You had integrity in your ways from the day you were created

until injustice was found within you.

16 Through your great trade you were filled with violence, and so you sinned.

Then I threw you out of God’s mountain, like someone who was defiled,

and I destroyed you, guardian winged creature,

and drove you from among the fiery stones.

17 Your heart was arrogant due to your beauty.

You ruined your wisdom because of your splendour.

I threw you down to the earth.

I put you in front of kings so they can see you.

18 Because of all your disobedience and your dishonest trade,

you’ve defiled your sacred places,

so I’ve made fire come out from you to consume you.

I’ll turn you into ashes on the earth

in the sight of everyone who looks at you.

19 Everyone who knew you among the peoples

will shudder to look at you now—

they will be horrified, and you won’t exist any longer.’ ”

20 Then Yahweh gave me another message:[ref]

21 “Humanity’s child, look towards Tsidon (Sidon) and prophesy against it. 22 Tell them that the master Yahweh says this: ‘Listen, I’m against you, Tsidon, because I intend to be praised by you so your people will know that I am Yahweh when I execute justice within you and demonstrate my holiness to you. 23 I’ll send a plague on you and blood in your streets, and people will fall dead all around you. When the sword comes against you from all around, then you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

24 Then there’ll no longer be pricking briars and painful thorns for the Israeli people from all those around her who despise her, so then they’ll know that I am the master Yahweh.’

25 The master Yahweh says that when I gather the Jewish people from the nations that they were scattered among, and when I am properly honoured by them so the nations may see, then they’ll make their homes in the land I gave to my servant Yakov (Jacob). 26 Then they’ll live securely within the land and build houses, plant vineyards, and live securely. When I execute justice on all the ones from all around who now despise them, then they’ll know that I am their God Yahweh.’ ”