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word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Now you, O son of man, take up a lament for Tyre. 3 Say to Tyre, who is situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coastlands: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“O Tyre, you have said,
‘I am perfect in beauty’.
4 Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
your builders perfected your beauty.
5 They made all your timbers
from pine trees from Senir;
they took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
6 Of oaks from Bashan
they made your oars;
they made your deck of cypress wood
from the coasts of Cyprus, inlaid with ivory.
7 With fine embroidered linen from Egypt
you spread your sail,
and it served as your banner;
blue and purple were your awnings
from the coasts of Elishah.
8 “The people of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen;
your wise men, O Tyre, were within you,
they were your helmsmen.
9 The elders of Gebal and its wise men
were within you to caulk your seams.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came to you to trade for your merchandise.
10 “Men from Persia, from Lydia, and from Put
were in your army, your men of war.
They hung shields and helmets in you;
they gave you splendour.
11 Men of Arvad and Helech
were on your walls all around;
men of Gammad
were in your towers.
They hung their shields all around your walls;
they made perfect your beauty.
12 “Tarshish was your merchant because of your great wealth of every kind; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise.
13 “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were trading partners with you; they exchanged slaves and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.
14 “Those from Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares.
15 “The men of Rhodes were your merchants; many coastlands were your specialised markets; they brought you ivory tasks and ebony as payment.
16 “Aram did business with you because of your many goods; they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your merchandise.
17 “Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise wheat from Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and balm.
18 “Damascus was a trading partner with you because of the abundance of your goods and your great wealth, with wine from Helbon, and white wool.
19 “Vedan and Javan from Uzal traded for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were exchanged for your merchandise.
20 “Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding.
21 “Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your preferred merchants; they traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats.
22 “The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they exchanged the finest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold for your wares.
23 “Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. 24 These were your merchants in choice garments, blue clothes, embroidered work, and richly coloured carpets with bound and knotted cords, with which they traded with you.
25 “The ships of Tarshish
were the carriers of your merchandise.
So you became filled and heavily laden
in the heart of the seas.
26 Your oarsmen have taken you
out onto the high seas,
but the east wind has broken you
in the heart of the sea.
27 “Your wealth, your merchandise and wares,
your mariners and helmsmen,
your caulkers, your merchants, your soldiers,
and all the other people on board
will sink into the heart of the seas
on the day of your ruin.
28 “The coastlines will shake
at the cries of your sailors.
29 All who handle the oars
will abandon their ships.
The mariners and all the helmsmen of the sea
will stand on the shore.
30 They will raise their voices
and cry bitterly over you.
They will throw dust on their heads
and roll about in ashes.
31 They will shave their heads because of you,
and will put on sackcloth.
They will weep for you with deep anguish
and with bitter mourning.
32 “As they wail for you,
they will take up a lament for you in their mourning:
‘Who was ever like Tyre,
silenced in the midst of the sea?’
33 When your merchandise came from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples;
with your great wealth and merchandise
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 But now you lay shattered by the sea
in the depths of the waters;
your wares and all your people
have gone down with you.
35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands
are appalled at you;
their kings are terrified,
their faces distorted with fear.
36 The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
you have become an object of horror,
and you will never exist again” ’ ” ’.”