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God warns the king of Tyre

28 The Lord gave this message to me: ‘Son of man, say this to the ruler of Tyre. “This is what the Almighty Lord says:

You are a very proud man.
You say, ‘I am a god and Tyre is my throne.
I rule over all the seas around me.’
But, whatever you think, you are only a man. You are not a god.
You think that you are wiser than Daniel,
and that you know all secrets.
You have been wise and clever enough to make yourself rich.
You have stored much gold and silver in your palace.
Because you are a clever trader,
you have become even richer.
And because of your riches, you have become very proud.

So this is what the Almighty Lord says:

You think that you are as wise as a god.
So listen! I will bring a foreign army to attack you.
They will be a very cruel enemy.
They will use their swords to destroy your beautiful city.
They will spoil the beautiful things that you have used your wisdom to get for yourselves.
They will kill you violently in battle,
and the sea will become your grave.
When your enemies attack you,
you will no longer say, ‘I am a god.’
When they are ready to kill you,
you will know that you are only human.
10 Foreign people will kill you.
You will die like people who do not belong to me.
I, the Almighty Lord have said this.” ’

11 The Lord gave this message to me: 12 ‘Son of man, sing this funeral song about the king of Tyre. Tell him, “This is what the Almighty Lord says:

At one time, you were the example of a good man.
You were completely wise and beautiful.
13 You lived in God's beautiful garden, Eden.
You wore valuable jewels on your clothes.
The jewels were ruby, topaz, emerald,
chrysolite, onyx, jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and beryl.[a]
They were fixed to pieces of gold.
They were ready for you to wear on the day that you were born.
14 I put you there with a cherub to be your guard.
You lived on my holy mountain.
You walked among the stones that burned with fire.
15 Everything that you did was completely good
from the day that you were born.
But later, you started to do wicked things.
16 As a trader, you bought and sold many things.
As a result, you became violent and you did evil things.
So I sent you away in shame.
I would not allow you to remain on my mountain.
The cherub that had been your guard chased you out.
You could no longer walk among the stones that burned with fire.
17 But because you were so beautiful, you were very proud.
You used your wisdom to do bad things,
because you loved to have beautiful things.
So I threw you down to the ground.
I let other kings see what had happened to you.
18 As a trader, you did many wrong things to cheat people.
Your holy places became unclean.
So I caused fire to completely destroy your city.
Everyone could see that only ashes remained on the ground.
19 All the people of other nations who knew you are very afraid.
They have seen the terrible thing that has happened to you.
You have come to a complete end and you will never return.” ’

God warns Sidon[b]

20 The Lord gave this message to me: 21 ‘Son of man, turn and look towards Sidon. Tell them my message to warn them. 22 Say, “This is what the Almighty Lord says:

Listen! I have become your enemy, Sidon.
I will show your people how great I am.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
I will punish your people for their sins
so that they know that I am a holy God.
23 I will cause disease to kill people in the city.
Enemies will attack from all around the city,
and people will die in the streets.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.

24 Israel will no longer suffer because of the nations that are around them. Those nations will not be like sharp thorns that give the Israelites pain. They will not insult the Israelites any more. Then they will know that I am the Almighty Lord.

25 This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will bring Israel's people back from the countries where I sent them to live. Then all the nations will see that I am a holy God for my people. My people will live in their own land that I gave to my servant, Jacob.[c] 26 They will live there safely. They will build houses and they will plant vineyards. I will punish all the nations around them who have insulted them. Then my people will live safely in their homes. And they will know that I am the Lord their God.” ’

Footnotes

  1. 28:13 These are all names of jewels. See Exodus 28:18; 39:11; Revelation 21:20.
  2. 28:20 Sidon was a city on the coast about 25 miles north of Tyre.
  3. 28:25 Jacob was the ancestor of the Israelite people.

A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre

28 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man(A), say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘In the pride of your heart
    you say, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne(B) of a god
    in the heart of the seas.”(C)
But you are a mere mortal and not a god,
    though you think you are as wise as a god.(D)
Are you wiser than Daniel[a]?(E)
    Is no secret hidden from you?
By your wisdom and understanding
    you have gained wealth for yourself
and amassed gold and silver
    in your treasuries.(F)
By your great skill in trading(G)
    you have increased your wealth,(H)
and because of your wealth
    your heart has grown proud.(I)

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Because you think you are wise,
    as wise as a god,
I am going to bring foreigners against you,
    the most ruthless of nations;(J)
they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom(K)
    and pierce your shining splendor.(L)
They will bring you down to the pit,(M)
    and you will die a violent death(N)
    in the heart of the seas.(O)
Will you then say, “I am a god,”
    in the presence of those who kill you?
You will be but a mortal, not a god,(P)
    in the hands of those who slay you.(Q)
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised(R)
    at the hands of foreigners.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament(S) concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘You were the seal of perfection,
    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.(T)
13 You were in Eden,(U)
    the garden of God;(V)
every precious stone(W) adorned you:
    carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
    topaz, onyx and jasper,
    lapis lazuli, turquoise(X) and beryl.[b]
Your settings and mountings[c] were made of gold;
    on the day you were created they were prepared.(Y)
14 You were anointed(Z) as a guardian cherub,(AA)
    for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
    you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways
    from the day you were created
    till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade
    you were filled with violence,(AB)
    and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
    and I expelled you, guardian cherub,(AC)
    from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud(AD)
    on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
    because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
    I made a spectacle of you before kings.(AE)
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade
    you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire(AF) come out from you,
    and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes(AG) on the ground
    in the sight of all who were watching.(AH)
19 All the nations who knew you
    are appalled(AI) at you;
you have come to a horrible end
    and will be no more.(AJ)’”

A Prophecy Against Sidon

20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 “Son of man, set your face against(AK) Sidon;(AL) prophesy against her 22 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘I am against you, Sidon,
    and among you I will display my glory.(AM)
You will know that I am the Lord,
    when I inflict punishment(AN) on you
    and within you am proved to be holy.(AO)
23 I will send a plague upon you
    and make blood flow in your streets.
The slain will fall within you,
    with the sword against you on every side.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.(AP)

24 “‘No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns.(AQ) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

25 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather(AR) the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered,(AS) I will be proved holy(AT) through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.(AU) 26 They will live there in safety(AV) and will build houses and plant(AW) vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment(AX) on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.(AY)’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 28:3 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature
  2. Ezekiel 28:13 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  3. Ezekiel 28:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.