Ezekiel 26

Expanded Bible

Prophecy Against Tyre

26 It was the eleventh year [^Csince King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2); 586 bc], on the first day of the month. The ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to me, saying: ² “·Human [^TSon of man; 2:1], the city of Tyre has spoken against Jerusalem: ‘The ·city that traded with [^Lgate of] the nations is ·destroyed [broken]. ·Now we can be the trading center [^LIts doors have swung open to me]. Since ·the city of Jerusalem [^Lit] is ruined, ·we can make money [^LI will be filled].’ ³ So this is what the Lord God says: [^LLook; ^TBehold] I am against you, Tyre. I will bring many nations against you, like the sea ·beating its waves on your island shores [^Lbrings up its waves]. ⁴ They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers. I will also scrape away her ·ruins [rubble; soil] and make her a bare rock. ⁵ Tyre will be ·an island [^Lin the midst of the sea] where fishermen dry their nets. I have spoken, says the Lord God. ·The nations will steal treasures from Tyre [^LShe will become plunder for the nations]. ⁶ Also, her ·villages [settlements; ^Ldaughters] on the ·shore [mainland] across from the island will be ·destroyed by war [^Lslaughtered by the sword]. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Nebuchadnezzar to Attack Tyre

⁷ “This is what the Lord God says: [^LLook; ^TBehold] I will bring a king from the north against Tyre. He is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, ·the greatest king [^Lking of kings], with his horses, chariots, horsemen, and a great army. ⁸ He will destroy your ·villages [settlements; ^Ldaughters] on the ·shore across from the island [mainland]. He will set up ·devices to attack you [siege works]. He will build a ·road of earth to the top of the walls [siege ramp]. He will raise his shields against you. ⁹ He will ·bring logs to pound through [direct blows of battering rams against] your city walls, and he will break down your towers with his ·iron bars [or hammers; ^Lswords]. ¹⁰ His horses will be so many that they will cover you with their dust. Your walls will shake at the noise of horsemen, wagons, and chariots. The king of Babylon will enter your city gates as men enter a city where the walls are broken through. ¹¹ The hoofs of his horses will ·run over [trample] your streets. He will kill your ·army [or people] with the sword, and your strong pillars will fall down to the ground. ¹² Also, his men will ·take away [plunder] your riches and will ·steal [loot] ·the things you sell [your merchandise]. They will break down your walls and destroy your ·nice [pleasant; luxurious] houses. They will throw your stones, ·wood [timber; trees], and ·trash [rubble; or soil] into the sea. ¹³ So I will stop your songs; the music of your ·harps [lyres] will not be heard anymore. ¹⁴ I will make you a bare rock, and you will be a place for ·drying [spreading] fishing nets. You will not be built again, because I, the Lord, have spoken, says the Lord God.

¹⁵ “This is what the Lord God says to Tyre: ·The people who live along the seacoast will [^LWon’t the coastlands…?] ·shake with fear [tremble] ·when they hear about your defeat [or at the sound of your fall]. ·The injured will [^L…when the wounded] groan as the ·killing [slaughter] takes place in you. ¹⁶ Then all the ·leaders [princes] of the ·seacoast [^Lsea] will get down from their thrones, take off their ·beautiful needlework [embroidered] clothes, and ·show how afraid they are [^Lclothe themselves with trembling]. They will sit on the ground and tremble ·all the time [continuously], ·shocked [appalled; aghast] when they see you. ¹⁷ They will begin singing a ·funeral song [lament; dirge] about you and will say to you:

¹⁹ “This is what the Lord God says: I will make you ·an empty city [desolate; a ruin], like cities that ·have no people living in them [are uninhabited/deserted]. I will bring the ·deep ocean waters [^Ldeep] over you, and the ·Mediterranean Sea [^Lgreat waters] will cover you. ²⁰ At that time I will send you down to the ·place of the dead [pit] to ·join those who died long ago [the people of old/antiquity]. I will make you live with the dead ·below the earth [in the underworld] ·in places that are like old ruins [among ancient ruins]. You will not ·come back from there [or be inhabited] or have any place in the ·world [land] of the living again. ²¹ ·Other people will be afraid of what happened to you [or I will bring you to a terrible end], and it will be the end of you. People will look for you, but they will never find you again, says the Lord God.”