A Lament Over Tyre
A dirge for Tyre as a magnificent ship, with fir planks, a cedar mast and an Egyptian linen sail, crewed and stocked by named trading partners from everywhere. The east wind breaks her mid-sea, and sailors on shore throw dust on their heads and sing this song.
27 1The word of our Father came to me:
2"Now you, son of man, raise a lament over Tyre, 3and say to Tyre, who lives at the sea's gateways, trader to peoples across many coastlands: This is what the Sovereign Father says: 'Tyre, you said, "I am perfect in beauty." 4Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders perfected your beauty. 5They built all your planks of fir trees from Senir; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. 6They made your oars from the oaks of Bashan; they made your deck of ivory inlaid in cypress from the coasts of Cyprus. 7Your sail was fine embroidered linen from Egypt, serving as your banner; your awning was blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah. 8The people of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your skilled men, Tyre, were aboard you as your pilots. 9The elders of Byblos and her skilled men were aboard you, caulking your seams; all the ships of the sea with their mariners came to you to barter your wares. 10Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls, giving you splendor. 11The men of Arvad and your own army were on your walls all around, and the Gammadim were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they perfected your beauty.
12"Tarshish traded with you for your abundant wealth of every kind, exchanging silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods.
13"Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you in human lives and bronze vessels.
14"From Beth-togarmah they exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares.
15"Dedan's men traded with you; many coastlands were your markets, paying you with ivory tusks and ebony.
16"Aram traded with you for your abundant goods, exchanging turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your wares.
17"Judah and Israel traded with you: wheat from Minnith, meal, honey, oil, and balm.
18"Damascus traded with you for your many goods, your great wealth of every kind, wine of Helbon and wool of Zahar. 19Vedan and Javan from Uzal traded for your wares; forged iron, cassia, and calamus among your goods.
20"Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.
21"Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers, trading in lambs, rams, and goats.
22"Sheba and Raamah's traders dealt with you, paying the finest of all spices, every precious stone, and gold for your goods.
23"Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. 24These traded with you in fine garments, in blue and embroidered cloth, and in carpets of colored fabric bound with cords and secured, in your market. 25The ships of Tarshish carried your merchandise in caravan. So you were filled and heavily laden in the heart of the seas. 26Your rowers brought you out into the great waters; the east wind broke you in the heart of the seas. 27Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners and your pilots, your caulkers, your dealers in goods, and all your warriors who are aboard you, with everyone else on board, sink into the heart of the seas on the day of your downfall. 28At the sound of your pilots' cry the open country shakes. 29All who handle the oar, the mariners and all the pilots of the sea, come down from their ships; they stand on the land, 30and raise their voice over you and cry bitterly. They throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes; 31they shave themselves bald for you and put on mourning clothes, and they weep over you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning. 32In their wailing they sing a lament for you and mourn over you: "Who was ever like Tyre, like one silenced in the midst of the sea?" 33When your wares went out from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with your abundant wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth. 34Now you are wrecked by the seas in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew have sunk with you. 35All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you, and their kings shudder with horror; their faces are contorted. 36The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have become a horror and will be no more, forever.'"
