Ezekiel 27

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

Yahweh said this to me:

2 Thou therefore, O son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre:

“You human, sing a funeral song about Tyre.

3 And say to Tyre that dwelleth at the entry of the sea, being the mart of the people for many islands: Thus saith the Lord God: O Tyre, thou hast said: I am of perfect beauty,

[The city of] is located [on an island] at the edge of the sea, and their merchants (traded/bought and sold goods) with people-groups [who live] along many seacoasts. This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say [that you should tell them]: ‘You [people of] Tyre said that your [city] was very beautiful.

4 And situate in the heart of the sea. Thy neighbours, that built thee, have perfected thy beauty:

You controlled what was bought and sold by people who lived along the sea. Those who built your [city] caused it to become very beautiful.

5 With fir trees of Sanir they have built thee with all sea planks: they have taken cedars from Libanus to make thee masts.

You were like [SIM] a huge ship that was built from the from pine/cypress [trees] on Hermon [Mountain]. Then they took cedar [wood] from Lebanon to make a mast for the ship.

6 They have cut thy oars out of the oaks of Basan: and they have made thee benches of Indian ivory and cabins with things brought from the islands of Italy.

They carved your oars from oak trees from the Bashan [region]. They made the deck from cypress/pine wood from Cyprus [island], and they covered [the decks] with ivory.

7 Fine broidered linen from Egypt was woven for thy sail, to be spread on thy mast: blue and purple from the islands of Elisa, were made thy covering.

The sails for the ship were made from fine embroidered linen from Egypt, and those sails were like flags that people could see [far away]. For shade they [hung pieces of] blue and purple cloth [brought] from [people living on] Cyprus [island].

8 The inhabitants of Sidon, and the Arabians were thy rowers: thy wise men, O Tyre, were thy pilots.

Men from Sidon and Arvad [cities] pulled the oars; the men who steered the boat were skilled men from Tyre.

9 The ancients of Gebal, and the wise men thereof furnished mariners for the service of thy various furniture: all the ships of the sea, and their mariners were thy factors.

Experienced craftsmen from Byblos [city on the coast] (did the caulking/filled the spaces between the planks in the sides) of the ship. Sailors from many countries came in their ships to buy and sell goods there.

10 The Persians, and Lydians, and the Libyans were thy soldiers in thy army: they hung up the buckler and the helmet in thee for thy ornament.

Men from [as far away as] Persia, Lydia, and Libya were [soldiers] in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on [the walls of] your [city], and that caused people to admire your city.

11 The men of Arad were with thy army upon thy walls round about: the Pygmeans also that were in thy towers, hung up their quivers on thy walls round about: they perfected thy beauty.

Men from Arvad and Helech [cities were watchmen] on the walls [of your city]; men from Gammad [town] were in your towers. They [also] hung their shields on your walls; they also caused your [city] to be very beautiful.

12 The Carthaginians thy merchants supplied thy fairs with a multitude of all kinds of riches, with silver, iron, tin, and lead.

Because of the many things that you had [to trade], men from Tarshish [in Spain] sent merchants who brought silver, iron, tin, and lead to trade for things that you had.

13 Greece, Thubal, and Mosoch, they were thy merchants: they brought to thy people slaves and vessels of brass.

[Merchants from] Greece, Tubal, and Meshech brought slaves and things made from bronze to trade for things that you had.

14 From the house of Thogorma they brought horses, and horsemen, and mules to thy market.

[Men from] Beth-Togarmah [in Armenia] brought work horses, war horses, and mules to trade for things that you had.

15 The men of Dedan were thy merchants: many islands were the traffic of thy hand, they exchanged for thy price teeth of ivory and ebony.

Merchants came to you from Rhodes [island]. [People from] nations along the coast traded with you; they brought (ivory/elephant tusks) and [valuable black] ebony [wood] to trade for things that you had.

16 The Syrian was thy merchant: by reason of the multitude of thy works, they set forth precious stones, and purple, and broidered works, and fine linen, and silk, and chodchod in thy market.

Because you had very many things [to trade], people from Syria brought to you valuable turquoise stones, purple [cloth], embroidered [cloth], fine linen [cloth], and [jewelry made from] coral and rubies to trade for your things.

17 Juda and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants with the best corn: they set forth balm, and honey, and oil, and rosin in thy fairs.

Men from Judah and Israel brought wheat from Minnith [city in Ammon], and figs, honey, [olive] oil, and ointment to trade for your things.

18 The men of Damascus were thy merchants in the multitude of thy works, in the multitude of divers riches, in rich wine, in wool of the best colour.

Because you had very many things [to trade], men from Damascus brought wine from Helbon [town] and white wool from the Zahar [area] to trade for many things that you had.

19 Dan, and Greece, and Mosel have set forth in thy marts wrought iron: stacte, and calamus were in thy market.

Greek men from the Uzal [area] brought things made of iron, and cassia [spice], and [fragrant] calamus [seeds] to trade for things that you had.

20 The men of Dedan were thy merchants in tapestry for seats.

[Merchants came from] Dedan [in southern Edom] bringing saddle blankets to trade for things that you had.

21 Arabia, and all the princes of Cedar, they were the merchants of thy hand: thy merchants came to thee with lambs, and rants, and kids.

Men from Arabia and all the rulers of the Kedar [region] sent merchants to trade lambs and rams and male goats for things that you had.

22 The sellers of Saba, and Reema, they were thy merchants: with all the best spices, and precious stones, and gold, which they set forth in thy market.

Merchants from Sheba and Raamah [in Arabia] brought many kinds of very good spices and jewels and gold to exchange for things that you had.

23 Haran, and Chene, and Eden were thy merchants; Saba, Assur, and Chelmad sold to thee.

[Men came from] Haran, Canneh, Eden, Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad [in Mesopotamia] with their goods.

24 They were thy merchants in divers manners, with bales of blue cloth, and of embroidered work, and of precious riches, which were wrapped up and bound with cords: they had cedars also in thy merchandise.

They brought pretty things to trade: Blue cloth, embroidered cloth, and rugs of [many] colors that were [rolled up and] tied with ropes.

25 The ships of the sea, were thy chief in thy merchandise: and thou wast replenished, and glorified exceedingly in the heart of the sea.

Cargo ships from Tarshish carried [all] those things that you traded; and the warehouses on your island were full of all those things.’”

26 Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the south wind hath broken thee in the heart of the sea.

“‘The men who row your boats took [the ships full of] cargo out on the stormy seas. But the strong east wind wrecked those cargo boats.

27 Thy riches, and thy treasures, and thy manifold furniture, thy mariners, and thy pilots, who kept thy goods, and were chief over thy people: thy men of war also, that were in thee, with all thy multitude that is in the midst of thee: shall fall in the heart of the sea in the day of thy ruin.

Everything in the boats (was lost/sank to the bottom of the sea)— all the valuable cargo [DOU] and [many of] [HYP] the sailors and ship pilots, the ship workers and merchants and soldiers. On the day that the ships were wrecked, many of those on the ships sank to the bottom of the sea.

28 Thy fleets shall be troubled at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.

[The people in cities along] the coast trembled when they heard your ship pilots cry out.

29 And all that handled the oar shall come down from their ships: the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea shall stand upon the land:

All the men who remained who pulled the oars left the ships; the sailors and pilots [go to the shore and] stand on the beach.

30 And they shall mourn over thee with a loud voice, and shall cry bitterly: and they shall cast up dust upon their heads, and shall be sprinkled with ashes.

They cry aloud because of [what has happened to] your [wealth], and they weep bitterly. They throw dirt on their heads and roll around in ashes.

31 And they shall shave themselves bald for thee, and shall be girded with haircloth: and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of soul, with most bitter weeping.

They shave their heads to show that they are very sad because of [what has happened to] you, and they put on rough sackcloth. They weep for you very bitterly and mourn for you.

32 And they shall take up a mournful song for thee, and snail lament thee: What city is like Tyre, which is become silent in the midst of the sea?

While they wail and mourn because of what has happened to you, they sing this sad funeral song: “There was certainly never [RHQ] a city like Tyre that now is silent, covered by the waves of the sea.”

33 Which by thy merchandise that went from thee by sea didst fill many people: which by the multitude of thy riches, and of thy people didst enrich the kings of the earth.

The goods that your merchants traded were things that pleased the people of many countries. Kings in very distant places became rich from the wealth that they obtained from trading with you.

34 Now thou art destroyed by the sea, thy riches are in the bottom of the waters, and all the multitude that was in the midst of thee is fallen.

But now your city is like a ship [MET] that is wrecked in the sea, and everything that was in it is broken, at the bottom of the sea. All of your cargo and your sailors have sunk to the bottom of the sea along with the ships.

35 All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at thee: and all their kings being struck with the storm have changed their countenance.

All the people who live along the seacoast are appalled/horrified because of what has happened to you. Their kings are very horrified, [causing] their faces to be twisted [as they watch].

36 The merchants of people have hissed at thee: thou art brought to nothing, and thou shalt never be any more.

The merchants of the [other] nations shake their heads [because it is difficult for them to believe what has happened]; your city has disappeared, and it will not exist any more.’”