New King James Version (NKJV)

Babylon, the Sword of God

1 And the word of theLordcame to me, saying,

2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem,preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;

3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says theLord: “Behold, Iamagainst you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off bothrighteous and wicked from you.

4 Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all fleshfrom southtonorth,

5 that all flesh may know that I, theLord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; itshall not return anymore.” ’

6 Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.

7 And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt,all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weakaswater. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the LordGod.”

8 Again the word of theLordcame to me, saying,

9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says theLord!’ Say:

# ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened

And also polished!

10 Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter,

Polished to flash like lightning!

Should we then make mirth?

It despises the scepter of My son,

Asitdoesall wood.

11 And He has given it to be polished,

That it may be handled;

This sword is sharpened, and it is polished

# To be given into the hand ofthe slayer.’

12 “Cry and wail, son of man;

For it will be against My people,

Against all the princes of Israel.

Terrors including the sword will be against My people;

# Thereforestrikeyourthigh.

13 “Becauseitisa testing,

And what ifthesworddespises even the scepter?

# Thesceptershall be nomore,”

says the LordGod.

14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy,

# Andstrikeyourhands together.

The third time let the sword do doubledamage.

Itisthe swordthatslays,

The sword that slays the greatmen,

# That enters theirprivate chambers.

15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,

That the heart may melt and many may stumble.

# Ah!Itismade bright;

Itisgrasped for slaughter:

16 “Swordsat the ready!

Thrust right!

Set your blade!

Thrust left—

Wherever your edge is ordered!

17 “I also willbeat My fists together,

# AndI will cause My fury to rest;

I, theLord, have spoken.”

18 The word of theLordcame to me again, saying:

19 “And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; putitat the head of the road to the city.

20 Appoint a road for the sword to go toRabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.

21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver.

22 In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, tolift the voice with shouting,to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up asiegemound, and to build a wall.

23 And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those whohave sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.

24 “Therefore thus says the LordGod: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.

25 ‘Now to you, Oprofane, wicked prince of Israel,whose day has come, whose iniquityshallend,

26 thus says the LordGod:

“Remove the turban, and take off the crown;

Nothingshallremainthe same.

# Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.

27 Overthrown, overthrown,

I will make it overthrown!

# It shall be nolonger,

Until He comes whose right it is,

# And I will give ittoHim.” ’

A Sword Against the Ammonites

28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LordGodconcerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say:

‘A sword, a swordisdrawn,

Polished for slaughter,

For consuming, for flashing—

29 While theysee false visions for you,

While they divine a lie to you,

To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain

# Whose day has come,

Whose iniquityshallend.

30 ‘Returnitto its sheath.

# I will judge you

In the place where you were created,

# In the land of your nativity.

31 I willpour out My indignation on you;

# I willblow against you with the fire of My wrath,

# And deliver you into the hands of brutal menwhoareskillful todestroy.

32 You shall be fuel for the fire;

Your blood shall be in the midst of the land.

# You shall not be remembered,

For I theLordhave spoken.’ ”

Sins of Jerusalem

1 Moreover the word of theLordcame to me, saying,

2 “Now, son of man,will you judge, will you judgethe bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations!

3 Then say, ‘Thus says the LordGod: “The city shedsblood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself.

4 You have become guilty by the blood which you haveshed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come totheendofyour years;therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries.

5 Thosenear andthosefar from you will mock you as infamousandfull of tumult.

6 “Look,the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you.

7 In you they havemade light of father and mother; in your midst they haveoppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow.

8 You have despised My holy things andprofaned My Sabbaths.

9 In you aremen who slander to cause bloodshed;in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness.

10 In you menuncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who areset apart during their impurity.

11 One commits abominationwith his neighbor’s wife;another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’sdaughter.

12 In youthey take bribes to shed blood;you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, andhave forgotten Me,” says the LordGod.

13 “Behold, therefore, Ibeat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst.

14 Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you?I, theLord, have spoken, and will doit.

15 I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, andremove your filthiness completely from you.

16 You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; thenyou shall know that IamtheLord.” ’ ”

Israel in the Furnace

17 The word of theLordcame to me, saying,

18 “Son of man,the house of Israel has become dross to Me; theyareall bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of afurnace; they have become dross from silver.

19 Therefore thus says the LordGod: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.

20 Asmengather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, tomeltit;so I will gatheryouin My anger and in My fury, and I will leaveyouthereand melt you.

21 Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst.

22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, theLord, havepoured out My fury on you.’ ”

Israel’s Wicked Leaders

23 And the word of theLordcame to me, saying,

24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘Youarea land that isnot cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’

25 The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; theyhave devoured people;they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.

26 Her priests have violated My law andprofaned My holy things; they have notdistinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made knownthedifferencebetween the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

27 Herprinces in her midstarelike wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.

28 Her prophets plastered them with untemperedmortar,seeing false visions, and divininglies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the LordGod,’ when theLordhad not spoken.

29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfullyoppress the stranger.

30 So I sought for a man among them who wouldmake a wall, andstand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

31 Therefore I havepoured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensedtheir deeds on their own heads,” says the LordGod.

Two Harlot Sisters

1 The word of theLordcame again to me, saying:

2 “Son of man, there weretwo women,

The daughters of one mother.

3 They committed harlotry in Egypt,

# They committed harlotry intheir youth;

Their breasts were there embraced,

Their virgin bosom was there pressed.

4 Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibahher sister;

# They were Mine,

And they bore sons and daughters.

Asfortheir names,

SamariaisOholah, and JerusalemisOholibah.

The Older Sister, Samaria

5 “Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine;

# And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboringAssyrians,

6 Whowereclothed in purple,

Captains and rulers,

All of them desirable young men,

Horsemen riding on horses.

7 Thus she committed her harlotry with them,

All of them choice men of Assyria;

And with all for whom she lusted,

With all their idols, she defiled herself.

8 She has never given up her harlotrybroughtfrom Egypt,

For in her youth they had lain with her,

Pressed her virgin bosom,

And poured out their immorality upon her.

9 “Therefore I have delivered her

Into the hand of her lovers,

# Into the hand of theAssyrians,

For whom she lusted.

10 They uncovered her nakedness,

Took away her sons and daughters,

And slew her with the sword;

She became a byword among women,

For they had executed judgment on her.

The Younger Sister, Jerusalem

11 “Nowalthough her sister Oholibah sawthis,she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry.

12 “She lusted for the neighboringAssyrians,

# Captains and rulers,

Clothed most gorgeously,

Horsemen riding on horses,

All of them desirable young men.

13 Then I saw that she was defiled;

Bothtookthe same way.

14 But she increased her harlotry;

She looked at men portrayed on the wall,

# Images ofChaldeans portrayed in vermilion,

15 Girded with belts around their waists,

Flowing turbans on their heads,

All of them looking like captains,

In the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea,

The land of their nativity.

16 As soon as her eyes saw them,

She lusted for them

# And sentmessengers to them in Chaldea.

17 “Then the Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love,

And they defiled her with their immorality;

# So she was defiled by them,and alienated herself from them.

18 She revealed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness.

# ThenIalienated Myself from her,

As I had alienated Myself from her sister.

19 “Yet she multiplied her harlotry

In calling to remembrance the days of her youth,

# When she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.

20 For she lusted for her paramours,

Whose fleshislikethe flesh of donkeys,

And whose issueislikethe issue of horses.

21 Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth,

# When theEgyptians pressed your bosom

Because of your youthful breasts.

Judgment on Jerusalem

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the LordGod:

# ‘Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you,

From whom you have alienated yourself,

And I will bring them against you from every side:

23 The Babylonians,

All the Chaldeans,

# Pekod, Shoa, Koa,

# All the Assyrians with them,

All of them desirable young men,

Governors and rulers,

Captains and men of renown,

All of them riding on horses.

24 And they shall come against you

With chariots, wagons, and war-horses,

With a horde of people.

They shall array against you

Buckler, shield, and helmet all around.

‘I will delegate judgment to them,

And they shall judge you according to their judgments.

25 I will set Myjealousy against you,

And they shall deal furiously with you;

They shall remove your nose and your ears,

And your remnant shall fall by the sword;

They shall take your sons and your daughters,

And your remnant shall be devoured by fire.

26 They shall also strip you of your clothes

And take away your beautiful jewelry.

27 ‘ThusI will make you cease your lewdness and yourharlotry

Broughtfrom the land of Egypt,

So that you will not lift your eyes to them,

Nor remember Egypt anymore.’

28 “For thus says the LordGod: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hand ofthose you hate, into the handofthosefrom whom you alienated yourself.

29 They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, andleave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry.

30 I will do thesethingsto you because you havegone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols.

31 You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put hercup in your hand.’

32 “Thus says the LordGod:

‘You shall drink of your sister’s cup,

The deep and wide one;

# You shall be laughed to scorn

And held in derision;

It contains much.

33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,

The cup of horror and desolation,

The cup of your sister Samaria.

34 You shalldrink and drain it,

You shall break its shards,

And tear at your own breasts;

For I have spoken,’

Says the LordGod.

35 “Therefore thus says the LordGod:

# ‘Because youhave forgotten Me andcast Me behind your back,

Therefore you shall bear thepenalty

Ofyour lewdness and your harlotry.’ ”

Both Sisters Judged

36 TheLordalso said to me: “Son of man, will youjudge Oholah and Oholibah? Thendeclare to them their abominations.

37 For they have committed adultery, andbloodison their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and evensacrificedtheir sonswhom they bore to Me, passing them throughthefire,to devourthem.

38 Moreover they have done this to Me: They havedefiled My sanctuary on the same day andprofaned My Sabbaths.

39 For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeedthus they have done in the midst of My house.

40 “Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar,to whom a messengerwassent; and there they came. And youwashed yourself for them,painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments.

41 You sat on a statelycouch, with a table prepared before it,on which you had set My incense and My oil.

42 The sound of a carefree multitudewaswith her, and Sabeanswerebrought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads.

43 Then I said concerningherwhohadgrownold in adulteries, ‘Will they commit harlotry with her now, and shewiththem?’

44 Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women.

45 But righteous men willjudge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because theyareadulteresses, andbloodison their hands.

46 “For thus says the LordGod:‘Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder.

47 The assembly shall stone them with stones and execute them with their swords;they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire.

48 ThusI will cause lewdness to cease from the land,that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness.

49 They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shallpay for your idolatrous sins.Then you shall know that Iamthe LordGod.’ ”

Symbol of the Cooking Pot

1 Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenthdayof the month, the word of theLordcame to me, saying,

2 “Son of man, write down the name of the day, this very day—the king of Babylon started his siege against Jerusalemthis very day.

3 And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, ‘Thus says the LordGod:

# “Put on a pot, setiton,

And also pour water into it.

4 Gather piecesofmeatin it,

Every good piece,

The thigh and the shoulder.

Fillitwith choice cuts;

5 Take the choice of the flock.

Also pilefuelbones under it,

Make it boil well,

And let the cuts simmer in it.”

6 ‘Therefore thus says the LordGod:

# “Woe tothe bloody city,

To the pot whose scumisin it,

And whose scum is not gone from it!

Bring it out piece by piece,

# On which nolot has fallen.

7 For her blood is in her midst;

She set it on top of a rock;

# She did not pour it on the ground,

To cover it with dust.

8 That it may raise up fury and take vengeance,

# I have set her blood on top of a rock,

That it may not be covered.”

9 ‘Therefore thus says the LordGod:

# “Woe to the bloody city!

I too will make the pyre great.

10 Heap on the wood,

Kindle the fire;

Cook the meat well,

Mix in the spices,

And let the cuts be burned up.

11 “Then set the pot empty on the coals,

That it may become hot and its bronze may burn,

# Thatits filthiness may be melted in it,

Thatits scum may be consumed.

12 She has grown weary with lies,

And her great scum has not gone from her.

Lether scumbein the fire!

13 In yourfilthinessislewdness.

Because I have cleansed you, and you were not cleansed,

# You willnot be cleansed of your filthiness anymore,

# Till I have caused My fury to rest upon you.

14 I, theLord, have spokenit;

# It shall come to pass, and I will doit;

I will not hold back,

# Nor will I spare,

Nor will I relent;

According to your ways

And according to your deeds

They will judge you,”

Says the LordGod.’ ”

The Prophet’s Wife Dies

15 Also the word of theLordcame to me, saying,

16 “Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shallneither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down.

17 Sigh in silence,make no mourning for the dead;bind your turban on your head, andput your sandals on your feet;do not coveryourlips, and do not eat man’s breadofsorrow.”

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and the next morning I did as I was commanded.

19 And the people said to me,“Will you not tell us what thesethingssignifyto us, that you behave so?”

20 Then I answered them, “The word of theLordcame to me, saying,

21 ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “Thus says the LordGod: ‘Behold,I will profane My sanctuary, your arrogant boast, the desire of your eyes, the delight of your soul;and your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.

22 And you shall do as I have done;you shall not coveryourlips nor eat man’s breadofsorrow.

23 Your turbans shall be on your heads and your sandals on your feet;you shall neither mourn nor weep, butyou shall pine away in your iniquities and mourn with one another.

24 ThusEzekiel is a sign to you; according to all that he has done you shall do;and when this comes,you shall know that Iamthe LordGod.’ ”

25 ‘And you, son of man—willitnotbein the day when I take from themtheir stronghold, their joy and their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that on which they set their minds, their sons and their daughters:

26 thaton that dayone who escapes will come to you to letyouhearitwithyourears?

27 On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you shall speak and no longer be mute. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they shall know that IamtheLord.’ ”

Proclamation Against Ammon

1 The word of theLordcame to me, saying,

2 “Son of man,set your faceagainst the Ammonites, and prophesy against them.

3 Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the LordGod! Thus says the LordGod:“Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,

4 indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.

5 And I will makeRabbaha stable for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks.Then you shall know that IamtheLord.”

6 ‘For thus says the LordGod: “Because youclappedyourhands, stamped your feet, andrejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel,

7 indeed, therefore, I willstretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that IamtheLord.”

Proclamation Against Moab

8 ‘Thus says the LordGod: “BecauseMoab andSeir say, ‘Look! The house of Judahislike all the nations,’

9 therefore, behold, I will clear the territory of Moab of cities, of the cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, andKirjathaim.

10 To the men of the East I will give it as a possession, together with the Ammonites, that the Ammonitesmay not be remembered among the nations.

11 And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that IamtheLord.”

Proclamation Against Edom

12 ‘Thus says the LordGod:“Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,”

13 therefore thus says the LordGod: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan shall fall by the sword.

14 I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,” says the LordGod.

Proclamation Against Philistia

15 ‘Thus says the LordGod:“Becausethe Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,”

16 therefore thus says the LordGod:“I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off theCherethitesand destroy the remnant of the seacoast.

17 I willexecute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes;and they shall know that IamtheLord, when I lay My vengeance upon them.” ’ ”

Proclamation Against Tyre

1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the firstdayof the month,thatthe word of theLordcame to me, saying,

2 “Son of man,because Tyre has said against Jerusalem,‘Aha! She is broken whowasthe gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.’

3 “Therefore thus says the LordGod: ‘Behold, Iamagainst you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up.

4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, andmake her like the top of a rock.

5 It shall beaplaceforspreading netsin the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ says the LordGod; ‘it shall become plunder for the nations.

6 Also her daughtervillageswhicharein the fields shall be slain by the sword.Then they shall know that I am theLord.’

7 “For thus says the LordGod: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the northNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,king of kings, with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen, and an army with many people.

8 He will slay with the sword your daughtervillagesin the fields; he willheap up a siege mound against you, build a wall against you, and raise a defense against you.

9 He will direct his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers.

10 Because of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen, the wagons, and the chariots, when he enters your gates, as men enter a city that has been breached.

11 With the hooves of hishorses he will trample all your streets; he will slay your people by the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground.

12 They will plunder your riches and pillage your merchandise; they will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in themidst of the water.

13 I will put an end to the sound ofyour songs, and the sound of your harps shall be heard no more.

14 I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall beaplaceforspreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I theLordhave spoken,’ says the LordGod.

15 “Thus says the LordGodto Tyre: ‘Will the coastlands notshake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded cry, when slaughter is made in the midst of you?

16 Then all theprinces of the sea willcome down from their thrones, lay aside their robes, and take off their embroidered garments; they will clothe themselves with trembling;they will sit on the ground,trembleeverymoment, andbe astonished at you.

17 And they will take up alamentation for you, and say to you:

“How you have perished,

O one inhabited by seafaring men,

O renowned city,

# Who wasstrong at sea,

She and her inhabitants,

Who caused their terrortobeon all her inhabitants!

18 Nowthe coastlands tremble on the day of your fall;

Yes, the coastlands by the sea are troubled at your departure.” ’

19 “For thus says the LordGod: ‘When I make you a desolate city, like cities that are not inhabited, when I bring the deep upon you, and great waters cover you,

20 then I will bring you downwith those who descend into the Pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lowest part of the earth, in places desolate from antiquity, with those who go down to the Pit, so that you may never be inhabited; and I shall establish gloryin the land of the living.

21 I will make you a terror, and youshallbenomore;though you are sought for, you will never be found again,’ says the LordGod.”

Lamentation for Tyre

1 The word of theLordcame again to me, saying,

2 “Now, son of man,take up a lamentation for Tyre,

3 and say to Tyre,‘You who are situated at the entrance of the sea,merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the LordGod:

“O Tyre, you have said,

# ‘Iamperfect in beauty.’

4 Your bordersarein the midst of the seas.

Your builders have perfected your beauty.

5 They made allyourplanks of fir trees fromSenir;

They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast.

6 Ofoaks from Bashan they made your oars;

The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks

# Withivory fromthe coasts of Cyprus.

7 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail;

Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.

8 “Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen;

Your wise men, O Tyre, were in you;

They became your pilots.

9 Elders ofGebal and its wise men

Were in you to caulk your seams;

All the ships of the sea

And their oarsmen were in you

To market your merchandise.

10 “Those from Persia, Lydia, and Libya

Were in your army as men of war;

They hung shield and helmet in you;

They gave splendor to you.

11 Men of Arvad with your armywereon your wallsallaround,

And the men of Gammad were in your towers;

They hung their shields on your wallsallaround;

# They madeyour beauty perfect.

12 “Tarshishwasyour merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods.

13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshechwereyour traders. They barteredhuman lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.

14 Those from the house ofTogarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules.

15 The men ofDedanwereyour traders; many isleswerethe market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment.

16 Syriawasyour merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies.

17 Judah and the land of Israelwereyour traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat ofMinnith, millet, honey, oil, andbalm.

18 Damascuswasyour merchant because of the abundance of goods you made, because of your many luxury items, with the wine of Helbon and with white wool.

19 Dan and Javan paid for your wares, traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise.

20 Dedanwasyour merchant in saddlecloths for riding.

21 Arabia and all the princes ofKedarwereyour regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats.

22 The merchants ofSheba and Raamahwereyour merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold.

23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants ofSheba, Assyria,andChilmadwereyour merchants.

24 Thesewereyour merchants in choice items—in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace.

25 “Theships of Tarshish were carriers of your merchandise.

# You were filled and very gloriousin the midst of the seas.

26 Your oarsmen brought you into many waters,

# Butthe east wind broke you in the midst of the seas.

27 “Yourriches, wares, and merchandise,

Your mariners and pilots,

Your caulkers and merchandisers,

All your men of war whoarein you,

And the entire company whichisin your midst,

Will fall into the midst of the seas on the day of your ruin.

28 Thecommon-land will shake at the sound of the cry of your pilots.

29 “Allwho handle the oar,

The mariners,

All the pilots of the sea

Will come down from their shipsandstand on the shore.

30 They will make their voice heard because of you;

# They will cry bitterly andcast dust on their heads;

# Theywill roll about in ashes;

31 They willshave themselves completely bald because of you,

Gird themselves with sackcloth,

And weep for you

With bitterness of heartandbitter wailing.

32 In their wailing for you

# They willtake up a lamentation,

And lament for you:

# ‘Whatcityislike Tyre,

Destroyed in the midst of the sea?

33 ‘Whenyour wares went out by sea,

You satisfied many people;

You enriched the kings of the earth

With your many luxury goods and your merchandise.

34 Butyou are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters;

# Your merchandise and the entire company will fall in your midst.

35 All the inhabitants of the isles will be astonished at you;

Their kings will be greatly afraid,

Andtheircountenance will be troubled.

36 The merchants among the peopleswill hiss at you;

# You will become a horror, andbenomore forever.’ ” ’ ”

Proclamation Against the King of Tyre

1 The word of theLordcame to me again, saying,

2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the LordGod:

# “Because your heartislifted up,

# Andyou say, ‘Iama god,

I sitinthe seat of gods,

# In the midst of the seas,’

# Yet youarea man, and not a god,

Though you set your heart as the heart of a god

3 (Behold,youarewiser than Daniel!

There is no secret that can be hidden from you!

4 With your wisdom and your understanding

# You have gainedriches for yourself,

And gathered gold and silver into your treasuries;

5 By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches,

And your heart is lifted up because of your riches),”

6 ‘Therefore thus says the LordGod:

“Because you have set your heart as the heart of a god,

7 Behold, therefore, I will bringstrangers against you,

# The most terrible of the nations;

And they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom,

And defile your splendor.

8 They shall throw you down into thePit,

And you shall die the death of the slain

In the midst of the seas.

9 “Will you stillsay before him who slays you,

‘Iama god’?

But youshallbea man, and not a god,

In the hand of him who slays you.

10 You shall die the death ofthe uncircumcised

By the hand of aliens;

For I have spoken,” says the LordGod.’ ”

Lamentation for the King of Tyre

11 Moreover the word of theLordcame to me, saying,

12 “Son of man,take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LordGod:

# “Youwerethe seal of perfection,

Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You were inEden, the garden of God;

Every precious stonewasyour covering:

The sardius, topaz, and diamond,

Beryl, onyx, and jasper,

Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.

# The workmanship ofyour timbrels and pipes

Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

14 “Youwerethe anointedcherub who covers;

I established you;

# You were onthe holy mountain of God;

You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.

15 Youwereperfect in your ways from the day you were created,

# Tilliniquity was found in you.

16 “By the abundance of your trading

You became filled with violence within,

And you sinned;

Therefore I cast you as a profane thing

Out of the mountain of God;

# And I destroyed you,O covering cherub,

From the midst of the fiery stones.

17 “Yourheart was lifted up because of your beauty;

You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;

I cast you to the ground,

I laid you before kings,

That they might gaze at you.

18 “You defiled your sanctuaries

By the multitude of your iniquities,

By the iniquity of your trading;

Therefore I brought fire from your midst;

It devoured you,

And I turned you to ashes upon the earth

In the sight of all who saw you.

19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;

# You have become a horror,

# Andshallbenomore forever.” ’ ”

Proclamation Against Sidon

20 Then the word of theLordcame to me, saying,

21 “Son of man,set your facetoward Sidon, and prophesy against her,

22 and say, ‘Thus says the LordGod:

# “Behold, Iamagainst you, O Sidon;

I will be glorified in your midst;

# Andthey shall know that IamtheLord,

# When I execute judgments in her and amhallowed in her.

23 For I will send pestilence upon her,

And blood in her streets;

The wounded shall be judged in her midst

By the sword against her on every side;

Then they shall know that IamtheLord.

24 “And there shall no longer be a pricking brier ora painful thorn for the house of Israel from among allwhoarearound them, whodespise them. Then they shall know that Iamthe LordGod.”

Israel’s Future Blessing

25 ‘Thus says the LordGod: “When I havegathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and amhallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob.

26 And they willdwell safely there,build houses, andplant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that IamtheLordtheir God.” ’ ”

Proclamation Against Egypt

1 In the tenth year, in the tenthmonth,on the twelfthdayof the month, the word of theLordcame to me, saying,

2 “Son of man,set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, andagainst all Egypt.

3 Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the LordGod:

# “Behold, Iamagainst you,

O Pharaoh king of Egypt,

# O greatmonster who lies in the midst of his rivers,

# Who has said, ‘My Riverismy own;

I have madeitfor myself.’

4 ButI will put hooks in your jaws,

And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales;

I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,

And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.

5 I will leave you in the wilderness,

You and all the fish of your rivers;

# You shall fall on the openfield;

# You shall not be picked up or gathered.

# I have given you as food

To the beasts of the field

And to the birds of the heavens.

6 “Then all the inhabitants of Egypt

Shall know that IamtheLord,

# Because they have been astaff of reed to the house of Israel.

7 When they took hold of you with the hand,

You broke and tore all their shoulders;

When they leaned on you,

You broke and made all their backs quiver.”

8 ‘Therefore thus says the LordGod: “Surely I will bringa sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast.

9 And the land of Egypt shall becomedesolate and waste; then they will know that IamtheLord, because he said, ‘The Riverismine, and I have madeit.’

10 Indeed, therefore, Iamagainst you and against your rivers,and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate,from MigdoltoSyene, as far as the border of Ethiopia.

11 Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years.

12 I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countriesthataredesolate; and among the citiesthatarelaid waste, her cities shall be desolate forty years; and I willscatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.”

13 ‘Yet, thus says the LordGod: “At theend of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered.

14 I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be alowly kingdom.

15 It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore.

16 No longer shall it bethe confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them oftheiriniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that Iamthe LordGod.” ’ ”

Babylonia Will Plunder Egypt

17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the firstmonth,on the firstdayof the month,thatthe word of theLordcame to me, saying,

18 “Son of man,Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every headwasmadebald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it.

19 Therefore thus says the LordGod: ‘Surely I will give the land of Egypt toNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army.

20 I have given him the land of Egyptforhis labor, because theyworked for Me,’ says the LordGod.

21 ‘In that dayI will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I willopen your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that IamtheLord.’ ”

Egypt and Her Allies Will Fall

1 The word of theLordcame to me again, saying,

2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LordGod:

# “Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’

3 Forthe dayisnear,

Even the day of theLordisnear;

It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.

4 The sword shall come upon Egypt,

And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia,

When the slain fall in Egypt,

# And theytake away her wealth,

# Andher foundations are broken down.

5 “Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia,all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.”

6 ‘Thus says theLord:

“Those who uphold Egypt shall fall,

And the pride of her power shall come down.

# From MigdoltoSyene

Those within her shall fall by the sword,”

Says the LordGod.

7 “Theyshall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries,

And her cities shall be in the midst of the citiesthatarelaid waste.

8 Then they will know that IamtheLord,

When I have set a fire in Egypt

And all her helpers are destroyed.

9 On that daymessengers shall go forth from Me in ships

To make the careless Ethiopians afraid,

And great anguish shall come upon them,

As on the day of Egypt;

For indeed it is coming!”

10 ‘Thus says the LordGod:

# “I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease

By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

11 He and his people with him,the most terrible of the nations,

Shall be brought to destroy the land;

They shall draw their swords against Egypt,

And fill the land with the slain.

12 I will make the rivers dry,

# Andsell the land into the hand of the wicked;

I will make the land waste, and all that is in it,

By the hand of aliens.

I, theLord, have spoken.”

13 ‘Thus says the LordGod:

# “I will alsodestroy the idols,

And cause the images to cease from Noph;

# There shall no longer be princes from the land of Egypt;

# I will put fear in the land of Egypt.

14 I will makePathros desolate,

# Set fire toZoan,

# And execute judgments in No.

15 I will pour My fury on Sin, the strength of Egypt;

# I will cut off the multitude of No,

16 Andset a fire in Egypt;

Sin shall have great pain,

No shall be split open,

And Nophshallbeindistress daily.

17 The young men of Aven and Pi Beseth shall fall by the sword,

And thesecitiesshall go into captivity.

18 At Tehaphnehes the day shall also be darkened,

When I break the yokes of Egypt there.

And her arrogant strength shall cease in her;

As for her, a cloud shall cover her,

And her daughters shall go into captivity.

19 Thus I willexecute judgments on Egypt,

Then they shall know that IamtheLord.” ’ ”

Proclamation Against Pharaoh

20 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the firstmonth,on the seventhdayof the month,thatthe word of theLordcame to me, saying,

21 “Son of man, I havebroken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and see,it has not been bandaged for healing, nor a splint put on to bind it, to make it strong enough to hold a sword.

22 Therefore thus says the LordGod: ‘Surely Iamagainst Pharaoh king of Egypt, and willbreak his arms, both the strong one and the one that was broken; and I will make the sword fall out of his hand.

23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the countries.

24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he will groan before him with the groanings of a mortally woundedman.

25 Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down;they shall know that IamtheLord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt.

26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that IamtheLord.’ ”