1The word of the Lord came to me: 2Now you, O mortal, intone a dirge over Tyre. 3Say to Tyre:
O you who dwell at the gateway of the sea,
Who trade with the peoples on many coastlands:
Thus said the Lord God:
O Tyre, you boasted,
I am perfect in beauty.
4Your frontiers were on the high seas,
Your builders perfected your beauty.
5From cypress trees of Senir
They fashioned your planks;
They took a cedar from Lebanon
To make a mast for you.
6From oak trees of Bashan
They made your oars;
Of boxwood from the isles of Kittim,
Inlaid with ivory,
They made your decks.
7Embroidered linen from Egypt
Was the cloth
That served you for sails;
Of blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
Were your awnings.
8The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad
Were your rowers;
Your skilled men, O Tyre, were within you,
They were your pilots.
9Gebal’s elders and craftsmen were within you,
Making your repairs.
All the ships of the sea, with their crews,
Were in your harbor
To traffic in your wares.
10Men of Paras, Lud, and Put
Were in your army,
Your fighting men;
They hung shields and helmets in your midst,
They lent splendor to you.
11Men of Arvad and Helech
Manned your walls all around,
And men of Gammad were stationed in your towers;
They hung their quivers all about your walls;
They perfected your beauty.
12Tarshish traded with you because of your wealth of all kinds of goods; they bartered silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares. 13Javan, Tubal, and Meshech—they were your merchants; they trafficked with you in human beings and copper utensils. 14From Beth-togarmah they bartered horses, horsemen, and mules for your wares. 15The people of Dedan were your merchants; many coastlands traded under your rule and rendered you tribute in ivory tusks and ebony. 16Aram traded with you because of your wealth of merchandise, dealing with you in turquoise, purple stuff, embroidery, fine linen, coral, and agate.a 17Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants; they trafficked with you in wheat of Minnith and Pannag, honey, oil, and balm. 18Because of your wealth of merchandise, because of your great wealth, Damascus traded with you in Helbon wine and white wool. 19Vedan and Javan from Uzal traded for your wares; they trafficked with you in polished iron, cassia, and calamus. 20Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21Arabia and all Kedar’s chiefs were traders under your rule; they traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your merchants; they bartered for your wares all the finest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold. 23Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad traded with you. 24These were your merchants in choice fabrics, embroidered cloaks of blue, and many-colored carpets tied up with cords and preserved with cedar—among your wares. 25The ships of Tarshish were in the service of your trade.
bSo you were full and richly laden
On the high seas.
26Your oarsmen brought you out
Into the mighty waters;
The tempest wrecked you
On the high seas.
27Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise,
Your sailors and your pilots,
The men who made your repairs,
Those who carried on your traffic,
And all the fighting men within you—
All the multitude within you—
Shall go down into the depths of the sea
On the day of your downfall.
28At the outcry of your pilots
The billows shall heave;
29And all the oarsmen and mariners,
All the pilots of the sea,
Shall come down from their ships
And stand on the ground.
30They shall raise their voices over you
And cry out bitterly;
They shall cast dust on their heads
And strew ashes on themselves.
31On your account, they shall make
Bald patches on their heads,
And shall gird themselves with sackcloth.
They shall weep over you, brokenhearted,
With bitter lamenting;
32They shall intone a dirge over you as they wail,
And lament for you thus:
Who was like Tyre when she was silenced
In the midst of the sea?
33When your wares were unloaded from the seas,
You satisfied many peoples;
With your great wealth and merchandise
You enriched the kings of the earth.
34But when you were wrecked on the seas,
In the deep waters sank your merchandise
And all the crew aboard you.
35All the inhabitants of the coastlands
Are appalled over you;
Their kings are aghast,
Their faces contorted.
36The merchants among the peoples hissed
c at you;
You have become a horror,
And have ceased to be forever.
