The Word Am I

The Prophet Ezekiel

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- Chapter 27 -

1
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
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“You, therefore, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre.
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And you shall say to Tyre, which lives at the entrance to the sea, which is the marketplace of the peoples for the many islands: Thus says the Lord God: O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am of perfect beauty,
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for I have been positioned at the heart of the sea!’ Your neighbors, who built you, have filled up your beauty.
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They constructed you with spruce from Senir, with all the planks of the sea. They have taken cedars from Lebanon, so that they might make a mast for you.(a)
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They have formed your oars from the oaks of Bashan. And they have made your crossbeams from Indian ivory, and the pilothouse is from the islands of Italy.
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Colorful fine linen from Egypt was woven for you as a sail to be placed upon the mast; hyacinth and purple from the islands of Elishah were made into your covering.
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The inhabitants of Sidon and of Arwad were your rowers. Your wise ones, O Tyre, were your navigators.
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The elders of Gebal and its experts were considered as sailors making use of your diverse equipment. All the ships of the sea and their sailors were your merchants among the people.
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The Persians, and the Lydians, and the Libyans were your men of war in your army. They suspended shield and helmet within you for your adornment.
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The sons of Arwad were with your army upon your walls all around. And even the Gammadim, who were in your towers, suspended their quivers on your walls on all sides; they completed your beauty.(b)
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The Carthaginians, your merchants, supplied your festivals with a multitude of diverse riches, with silver, iron, tin, and lead.
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Greece, Tubal, and Meshech, these were your peddlers; they traveled to your people with slaves and with brass vessels.
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From the house of Togarmah, they brought horses, and horsemen, and mules to your market.
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The sons of Dedan were your merchants. The many islands were the marketplace of your hand. They traded teeth of ivory and of ebony for your price.
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The Syrian was your merchant. Because of the multitude of your works, they offered jewels, and purple, and patterned cloth, and fine linen, and silk, and other valuables in your market.(c) (d)
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Judah and the land of Israel, these were your peddlers of the best grain; they offered balsam, and honey, and oil, and resins at your festivals.
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The Damascene was your trader in the multitude of your works, in greatly diverse wealth, in rich wine, in wool with the finest coloring.
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Dan, and Greece, and Mosel have offered works made of iron at your festivals. Storax ointment and sweet flag were in your marketplace.(e)
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The men of Dedan were your peddlers of tapestries used as seats.
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Arabia and all the leaders of Kedar, these were the merchants at your hand. Your merchants came to you with lambs, and rams, and young goats.
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The vendors of Sheba and Raamah, these were your merchants, with all the finest aromatics, and precious stones, and gold, which they offered in your marketplace.
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Haran, and Canneh, and Eden were your merchants. Sheba, Assur, and Chilmad were your sellers.
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These were your merchants in many places, with windings of hyacinth and of colorful weavings, and with precious treasures, which were wrapped and bound with cords. Also, they had works of cedar among your merchandise.
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The ships of the sea were important to your business dealings. For you were replenished and exceedingly glorified in the heart of the sea.
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Your rowers have brought you into many waters. The south wind has worn you down in the heart of the sea.
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Your riches, and your treasures, and your versatile equipment, your sailors and your navigators, who handle your goods and who were first among your people, likewise your men of war, who were among you, and your entire multitude that is in your midst: they will fall in the heart of the sea on the day of your ruin.
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Your fleets will be disturbed by the sound of an outcry from your navigators.
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And all who were handling the oar will descend from their ships; the sailors and all the navigators of the sea will stand upon the land.
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And they will howl over you with a great voice, and they will cry out with bitterness. And they will cast dust upon their heads, and they will be sprinkled with ashes.
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And they will shave their heads because of you, and they will be wrapped in haircloth. And they will weep for you with bitterness of soul, with a very bitter weeping.
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And they will take up a mournful verse over you, and they will lament you: ‘What city is like Tyre, which has become mute in the midst of the sea?’
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For by the going forth of your merchandise by sea, you supplied many peoples; by the multitude of your riches and of your people, you enriched the kings of the earth.
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Now you have been worn away by the sea, your opulence is in the depths of the waters, and your entire multitude that was in your midst has fallen.
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All the inhabitants of the islands have been stupefied over you; and all their kings, having been struck by the tempest, have changed their expression.
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The merchants of the peoples have hissed over you. You have been reduced to nothing, and you shall not be again, even forever.”

Footnotes

(a)27:5 Sea planks:That is, timber brought by sea to build the city.(Challoner)
(b)27:11 Pygmeans:That is, strong and valiant men. In Hebrew, Gammadim.(Challoner)
(c)27:16 The meaning of ‘chodchod’ is not clear. Some say it refers to some types of gem stone, but the first item in this list of valuable goods is a general word referring to precious stones, so it would not make sense to end the list with a very similar word. Since it is the last item in the list and is vague in meaning (by all accounts), it likely means ‘other valuables’.(Conte)
(d)27:16 Chodchod:It is the Hebrew name for some precious stone; but of what kind in particular interpreters are not agreed.(Challoner)
(e)27:19 Storax and sweet flag both have medicinal uses; sweet flag was once thought to be an aphrodisiac, and in large doses it is an hallucinogen. The meaning is that their market place has both good and bad drugs: medicines, but also recreational drugs.(Conte)
1
The LORD’s word came again to me, saying,
2
“You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre;
3
and tell Tyre, ‘You who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, the Lord GOD says: “You, Tyre, have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’
4
Your borders are in the heart of the seas. Your builders have perfected your beauty.
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They have made all your planks of cypress trees from Senir. They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
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They have made your oars of the oaks of Bashan. They have made your benches of ivory inlaid in cypress wood from the islands of Kittim.
7
Your sail was of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, that it might be to you for a banner. Blue and purple from the islands of Elishah was your awning.
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The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your wise men, Tyre, were in you. They were your pilots.
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The old men of Gebal and its wise men were your repairers of ship seams in you. All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to deal in your merchandise.
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“‘“Persia, Lud, and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung the shield and helmet in you. They showed your beauty.
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The men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around, and valiant men were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around. They have perfected your beauty.
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“‘“Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches. They traded for your wares with silver, iron, tin, and lead.
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“‘“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They traded the persons of men and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.
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“‘“They of the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, war horses, and mules.
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“‘“The men of Dedan traded with you. Many islands were the market of your hand. They brought you horns of ivory and ebony in exchange.
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“‘“Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks. They traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies.
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“‘“Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded wheat of Minnith, confections, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise.
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“‘“Damascus was your merchant for the multitude of your handiworks by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool.
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“‘“Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were among your merchandise.
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“‘“Dedan was your merchant in precious saddle blankets for riding.
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“‘“Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favorite dealers in lambs, rams, and goats. In these, they were your merchants.
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“‘“The traders of Sheba and Raamah were your traders. They traded for your wares with the best of all spices, all precious stones, and gold.
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“‘“Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad, were your traders.
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These were your traders in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in cedar chests of rich clothing bound with cords, among your merchandise.
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“‘“The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise. You were replenished and made very glorious in the heart of the seas.
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Your rowers have brought you into great waters. The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.
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Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners, your pilots, your repairers of ship seams, the dealers in your merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, with all your company which is among you, will fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your ruin.
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At the sound of the cry of your pilots, the pasture lands will shake.
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All who handle the oars, the mariners and all the pilots of the sea, will come down from their ships. They will stand on the land,
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and will cause their voice to be heard over you, and will cry bitterly. They will cast up dust on their heads. They will wallow in the ashes.
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They will make themselves bald for you, and clothe themselves with sackcloth. They will weep for you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning.
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In their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you, and lament over you, saying, ‘Who is there like Tyre, like her who is brought to silence in the middle of the sea?’
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When your wares came from the seas, you filled many peoples. You enriched the kings of the earth with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise.
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In the time that you were broken by the seas, in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company fell within you.
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All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at you, and their kings are horribly afraid. They are troubled in their face.
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The merchants among the peoples hiss at you. You have come to a terrible end, and you will be no more.”’”
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