A description of the glory and riches of Tyre: and of her irrecoverable
fall.
27:1. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
27:2. Thou therefore, O son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre:
27:3. 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,
27:4. And situate in the heart of the sea. Thy neighbours, that built
thee, have perfected thy beauty:
27:5. With fir trees of Sanir they have built thee with all sea planks:
they have taken cedars from Libanus to make thee masts.
Sea planks... That is, timber brought by sea to build the city.
27:6. 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.
27:7. 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.
27:8. The inhabitants of Sidon, and the Arabians were thy rowers: thy
wise men, O Tyre, were thy pilots.
27:9. 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.
27:10. 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.
27:11. 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.
Pygmeans... That is, strong and valiant men. In Hebrew, Gammadim.
27:12. The Carthaginians thy merchants supplied thy fairs with a
multitude of all kinds of riches, with silver, iron, tin, and lead,
27:13. Greece, Thubal, and Mosoch, they were thy merchants, they brought
to thy people slaves and vessels of brass.
27:14. From the house of Thogorma they brought horses, and horsemen, and
mules to thy market.
27:15. 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.
27:16. The Syrian was thy merchant: by reason of the multitude of thy
works, they set forth precious stories, and purple, and broidered works,
and fine linen, and silk, and chodchod in thy market.
Chodchod... It is the Hebrew name for some precious stone; but of what
kind in particular interpreters are not agreed.
27:17. 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.
27:18. The men of Damascus were thy merchants in the multitude of thy
works, the multitude of divers riches, in rich wine, in wool of the best
colour.
27:19. Dan, and Greece, and Mosel have set forth in thy marts wrought
iron: stacte, and calamus were in thy market.
27:20. The men of Dedan were thy merchants in tapestry for seats.
27:21. Arabia, and all the princes of Cedar, they were the merchants of
thy hand: thy merchants came to thee with lambs, and rams, and kids.
27:22. 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.
27:23. Haran, and Chene, and Eden were thy merchants; Saba, Assur, and
Chelmad sold to thee.
27:24. 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.
27:25. The ships of the sea, were thy chief in thy merchandise: and thou
wast replenished, and glorified exceedingly in the heart of the sea.
27:26. Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the south wind
hath broken thee in the heart of the sea.
27:27. 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.
27:28. Thy fleets shall be troubled at the sound of the cry of thy
pilots.
27:29. 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:
27:30. 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.
27:31. 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.
27:32. And they shall take up a mournful song for thee, and shall lament
thee: What city is like Tyre, which is become silent in the midst of the
sea?
27:33. 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.
27:34. 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.
27:35. All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at thee: and
all their kings being struck with the storm have changed their
countenance.
27:36. The merchants of people have hissed at thee: thou art brought to
nothing, and thou shalt never be any more.