A Lament for Tyre

1And the word came of YHWH to me, saying: 2“And you, son of man, take up concerning Tyre a lamentation, 3and to Tyre, the one dwelling at the entrances of the sea, being merchant of the peoples on many coasts, say, thus says the Lord YHWH:

O Tyre, you have said:

‘I am perfect in beauty.’

4In the midst of the seas are your borders,

and your builders have perfected your beauty.

5With cypress† from Senir† they have built for you

all your planks;

a cedar from Lebanon they took

to make a mast for you.

6Of oaks from Bashan

they made your oars;

your boards they have made with ivory,

of the daughter of the Ashurites from the coasts of Kittim.†

7Of fine linen with embroidery from Egypt

was your sail,

to be for you a banner;

blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah

was your awning.

8Those dwelling in Sidon and Arvad

were the rowers for you;

your wise men, O Tyre,

were in you—they were your pilots.

9Elders of Gebal and her wise men were in you,

strengthening your breaches;

all the ships of the sea and their sailors were in you,

to offer merchandise to you.

10Persia and Lydia and Libya were in your force,

as men of war for you;

shield and helmet they hung within you—

they gave splendor to you.

11The sons of Arvad and Helech

were on your walls round about,

and the Gammadites

were on your towers;

their shields they hung on your walls round about—

they perfected your beauty.

12Tarshish was your merchant, from the abundance of all wealth—in silver, iron, tin, and lead—they gave for your wares.

13Javan,† Tubal, and Meshech, they traded in souls of man and vessels of bronze—they gave for your merchandise.

14From the house of Togarmah, horses and steeds and mules they gave for your wares.

15The sons of Dedan† were your traders, many coastlands were your market of your hand; horns of ivory and ebony they returned as your payment.

16Aram† was your merchant, from the abundance of your works in turquoise, purple, and embroidery, and fine linen, and corals, and rubies—they gave for your wares.

17Judah and the land of Israel they traded with you in wheat of Minnith, and meal, and honey, and oil, and balm—they gave for your merchandise.

18Damascus traded with you for the abundance of your works, from the abundance of all your wealth—with wine of Helbon and with wool of Sahar. 19And casks of wine from Izal they gave for your wares;† smoothed iron, cassia,† and cane were among your merchandise.†

20Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding.

21Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were trading with you in lambs, and rams, and goats—in these they were your merchants.

22The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they traded with you in the choicest of all spice, and in every of precious stone, and gold—they gave for your wares.

23Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, were traders of Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad traded with you; 24they traded with you—in fine, garments of blue, embroidered work, rugs and multicolored, with cords tightly twisted and knotted—for your marketplace.

25The ships of Tarshish†

were the transporters of your merchandise,

and you were full and very heavy

in the midst of the seas.

26Into many waters they have brought you,

those rowing for you;

a wind from the east has broken you

in the midst of the seas.

27Your riches, and your wares, your merchandise,

your mariners, and your pilots, the repairers of your breaches,

and those offering your merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you,

and all your assembled force which is in your midst,

will fall into the midst of the seas

on the day of your downfall!

28At the sound of the cry of your sailors

the common lands will shake,

29and they will come down from their ships—

all those handling the oar,

the mariners and all the sailors of the sea

will stand at the shore.

30And they will make heard over you their voice,

and they will cry out bitterly,

and they will bring up dust upon their heads;

they will roll about in ashes.

And they will shave themselves bald because of you,

and they will gird themselves with sackcloth

and weep for you with bitterness of heart—

bitter wailing.

32And they will lift up a lamentation for you in their wailing,

and they will lament over you:

‘Who was like Tyre,

silenced in the midst of the sea?

33In the going forth of your wares from the sea,

you satisfied many people;

with the abundance of your wealth and your merchandise,

you enriched the kings of the earth.

34In time you are broken by the seas,

in the depths of the waters;

your merchandise and all your assembly

have fallen in your midst.

35All those dwelling in the coasts

are appalled over you,

and their kings bristle with bristling;

the faces trembled.

36The traders among the nations

hiss at you;

you have become a horror,

and you will be no more, even to forever!’”