Prophecy against the King of Tyre

1The LORD spoke to me. 2“Mortal man,” he said, “tell the ruler of Tyre what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to him: puffed up with pride, you claim to be a god. You say that like a god you sit on a throne, surrounded by the seas. You may pretend to be a god, but, no, you are mortal, not divine. 3You think you are wiser than Danel,28.3 Danel: or Daniel (see 14.14). that no secret can be kept from you. 4Your wisdom and skill made you rich with treasures of gold and silver. 5You made clever business deals and kept on making profits. How proud you are of your wealth!

6“Now then, this is what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying: because you think you are as wise as a god, 7I will bring ruthless enemies to attack you. They will destroy all the beautiful things you have acquired by your skill and wisdom. 8They will kill you and send you to a watery grave. 9When they come to kill you, will you still claim that you are a god? When you face your murderers, you will be mortal and not at all divine. 10You will die like a dog at the hand of godless foreigners. I, the Sovereign LORD, have given the command.”

The Fall of the King of Tyre

11The LORD spoke to me again. 12“Mortal man,” he said, “grieve for the fate that is waiting for the king of Tyre. Tell him what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying: you were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! 13You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz, beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for you28.13 Probable text They were made for you; Hebrew unclear. on the day you were created. 14I put a terrifying angel there to guard you.28.14 One ancient translation I put… you; Hebrew unclear. You lived on my holy mountain and walked among sparkling gems. 15Your conduct was perfect from the day you were created until you began to do evil. 16You were busy buying and selling, and this led you to violence and sin. So I forced you to leave my holy mountain, and the angel who guarded you drove you away from the sparkling gems. 17You were proud of being handsome, and your fame made you act like a fool. Because of this I hurled you to the ground and left you as a warning to other kings. 18You did such evil in buying and selling that your places of worship were corrupted. So I set fire to the city and burnt it to the ground. All who look at you now see you reduced to ashes. 19You are gone, gone for ever, and all the nations that had come to know you are terrified, afraid that they will share your fate.”

Prophecy against Sidon

2028.20–26: Joel 3.4–8; Zech 9.1–2; Mt 11.21–22; Lk 10.13–14The LORD said to me, 21“Mortal man, denounce the city of Sidon. 22Tell the people there what I, the Sovereign LORD, say about them: I am your enemy, Sidon; people will praise me because of what I do to you. They will know that I am the LORD, when I show how holy I am by punishing those who live in you. 23I will send diseases on you and make blood flow in your streets. You will be attacked from every side, and your people will be killed. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”

Israel will be Blessed

24The LORD said, “None of the surrounding nations that treated Israel with scorn will ever again be like thorns and briars to hurt Israel. And they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.”

25The Sovereign LORD said, “I will bring back the people of Israel from the nations where I scattered them, and all the nations will know that I am holy. The people of Israel will live in their own land, the land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26They will live there in safety. They will build houses and plant vineyards. I will punish all their neighbours who treated them with scorn, and Israel will be secure. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.”