Tyre, the Door to the Seas
1The word of the LORD came to me again. He said,
2“Son of man, sing this sad song about Tyre.
3Say this about Tyre: “‘Tyre, you are the door to the seas. You are the merchant for many nations. You travel to many countries along the coast. This is what the Lord GOD says: Tyre, you think that you are so beautiful. You think you are perfectly beautiful!
4The Mediterranean Sea is the border around your city. Your builders made you perfectly beautiful, like the ships that sail from you.
5Your builders used cypress trees from the mountains of Senir to make your planks. They used cedar trees from Lebanon to make your mast.
6They used oak trees from Bashan to make your oars. They used pine trees from Cyprus to make the cabin on your deck. They decorated that shelter with ivory.
7For your sail they used colorful linen made in Egypt. That sail was your flag. The coverings over your cabin were blue and purple. They came from the island of Cyprus.
8Men from Sidon and Arvad rowed your boats for you. Tyre, your wise men were the pilots on your ships.
9The elders and wise men from Byblos were on board to help put caulking between the boards on your ship. All the ships of the sea and their sailors came to trade and do business with you.
10“‘Men from Persia, Lud, and Put were in your army. They were your men of war who hung their shields and helmets on your walls. They brought honor and glory to your city.
11Men from Arvad and Cilicia were guards standing on the wall around your city. Men from Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields on the walls around your city and made your beauty complete.
12“‘Tarshish was one of your best customers. They traded silver, iron, tin, and lead for all the wonderful things you sold.
13People in Greece, Turkey, and the area around the Black Sea traded with you. They traded slaves and bronze for the things you sold.
14People from the nation of Togarmah traded horses, war horses, and mules for the things you sold.
15The people of Rhodes traded with you. You sold your things in many places. People brought ivory tusks and ebony wood to pay you.
16Aram traded with you because you had so many good things. They traded emeralds, purple cloth, fine needlework, fine linen, coral, and rubies for the things you sold.
17“‘The people in Judah and Israel traded with you. They paid for the things you sold with the wheat, olives, early figs, honey, oil, and balm.
18Damascus was a good customer. They traded with you for the many wonderful things you had. They traded wine from Helbon and white wool for those things.
19Damascus traded wine from Uzal for the things you sold. They paid with wrought iron, cassia, and sugar cane.
20Dedan provided good business and traded with you for saddle blankets and riding horses.
21Arabia and all the leaders of Kedar traded lambs, rams, and goats for your goods.
22The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you. They traded all the best spices and every kind of precious stone and gold for your goods.
23Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad traded with you.
24They paid with the finest clothing, blue cloth, cloth with fine needlework, rugs of many colors, and the strongest ropes. These were the things they traded with you.
25The ships from Tarshish carried the things you sold. “‘Tyre, you are like one of those cargo ships. You are on the sea, loaded with many riches.
26Your oarsmen rowed you far out to sea. But a powerful east wind will destroy your ship at sea.
27All your wealth will spill into the sea. Your wealth—the things you buy and sell—will spill into the sea. Your whole crew—sailors, pilots, and the men who put caulking between the boards on your ship— will spill into the sea. The merchants and soldiers in your city will all sink into the sea. That will happen on the day that you are destroyed!
28“‘You send your merchants to faraway places. Those places will shake with fear when they hear your pilots’ cry!
29Your whole crew will jump ship. The sailors and pilots will jump ship and swim to the shore.
30They will be very sad about you. They will cry, throw dust on their heads, and roll in ashes.
31They will shave their heads for you. They will put on sackcloth. They will cry for you like someone crying for someone who died.
32“‘And in their loud crying they will sing this sad song about you: “‘No one is like Tyre! Tyre is destroyed, in the middle of the sea!
33Your merchants sailed across the seas. You satisfied many people with your great wealth and the things you sold. You made the kings of the earth rich!
34But now you are broken by the seas and by the deep waters. All the things you sell and all your people have fallen.
35All the people living on the coast are shocked about you. Their kings are terrified. Their faces show their shock.
36The merchants in other nations whistle about you. What happened to you will frighten people, because you were destroyed. You are gone forever.’”