23 This is a message about Tyre.
Weep aloud, you people in the great ships of Tarshish. An enemy has destroyed the port and the houses of Tyre. They heard this news in Cyprus.
2 Weep quietly, you people who live on the coast of the sea. Yes, weep, you traders of Sidon city. Your sailors travelled across the sea and you became rich. 3 They brought grain to you from Shihor region in Egypt. You received crops that had grown beside the Nile river. Tyre became an important city where traders from many nations came.
4 Be ashamed, you people in Sidon. You have become strong because of the sea. But the sea now speaks against you! It says, ‘I have not given birth to any children. I have not taken care of any sons or daughters as a parent should do.’
5 When the people in Egypt hear the news about Tyre, they will be very sad and upset.
6 Travel to Tarshish! Weep aloud, you people who live on the coast of the sea. 7 Tyre is a city where you had many parties. It has been there since long ago. People from this city went to live in foreign countries far away. 8 It is a royal city and its traders are princes. They are famous everywhere on earth. So who decided to destroy it?
9 The Lord Almighty did that! He decided to show that the pride of those people is useless. He decided to bring all those famous people down low.
10 People of Tarshish, now you will have to grow your own crops. Grow them like they do beside the Nile river. Traders no longer come to Tyre to sell their things.
11 The Lord has lifted his hand up over the sea. He has made kingdoms shake with fear. He has given his command against Canaan, to destroy all its strong places. [ a ]
12 He says to Sidon's people, ‘Your parties have finished! Now it will be a time of pain for you. Move away, if you can! Travel to Cyprus. But you will still not be safe there.’
13 Look at what happened in Babylonia. Its people have disappeared! The Assyrian army has made it a place for wild animals to live in. Their soldiers built hills of earth against the city's walls. They climbed over and they destroyed its strong buildings. Babylon's buildings became heaps of stones.
14 So weep aloud, you great ships of Tarshish. Enemies have destroyed your strong place.
15 At that time people will forget Tyre for 70 years. That is how long one king lives. At the end of 70 years, there will be a change in Tyre. It will happen to them like the song about the prostitute:
16 ‘Prostitute that people have forgotten,
walk about the city with your harp.
Play it well. Sing many songs.
Then people will remember you again.’
17 At the end of 70 years, the Lord will be kind to Tyre. People from all the nations of the world will come to Tyre to buy things. Tyre will receive their money, like the prostitute in the song. 18 But the money that Tyre receives will belong to the Lord . Tyre's traders will not hide their riches or store them. Their money will buy plenty of food and beautiful clothes for people who worship the Lord .
23 This is a message [ a ] about Tyre:
Ships traveling from Cyprus heard this message:
“Cry, you ships from Tarshish [ b ] !
Your harbor has been destroyed.”
2 You people living near the sea, mourn in silence.
The merchants of Sidon sent traders across the sea
and filled the city with riches.
3 They traveled the seas looking for grain.
The men from Tyre bought grain that grows near the Nile River
and sold it to other nations.
4 Sidon, you should be very sad,
because now the Sea and the Fort of the Sea [ c ] say,
“I have no children.
I have never felt the pain of birth;
I have never given birth to children.
I have never raised young men and women.”
5 When Egypt hears the news about Tyre,
it will feel the pain of sorrow.
6 You ships, try to escape to Tarshish!
Cry out, you people living near the sea!
7 Can this be that happy city that was founded so long ago?
Is it that same city whose people traveled so far to settle other lands? [ d ]
8 This city produced so many leaders.
Its merchants were like princes.
Its traders had the whole world’s respect.
So who made these plans against Tyre?
9 It was the Lord All-Powerful.
He decided to destroy the great things they were so proud of.
He wanted to disgrace those who were so highly respected.
10 Ships from Tarshish, go back home.
Cross the sea as if it were a river.
No one will stop you now.
11 The Lord raised his arm over the sea
to make the kingdoms angry enough to fight against Tyre.
He commanded Canaan
to destroy her place of safety. [ e ]
12 He said, “Daughter Sidon, [ f ] you have been hurt badly,
so you will no longer rejoice like a bride.
Go ahead, go to Cyprus [ g ] for help,
but you will not find a place to rest there either.”
13 As for Babylon, look at the land of the Chaldeans!
It is not even a country now.
Assyria built war towers to attack it.
The soldiers took everything from the beautiful houses.
Assyria destroyed Babylon.
They turned it into a pile of ruins
and made it a place for wild animals.
14 So be sad, you ships from Tarshish.
Your place of safety has been destroyed.
15 People will forget about Tyre for 70 years—that is, about the length of a king’s rule. After 70 years, Tyre will be like the prostitute in this song:
16 “Oh, woman who men forgot,
take your harp and walk through the city.
Play your song well and sing it often.
Maybe someone will remember you.”
17 After 70 years, the Lord will review Tyre’s case, and he will give her a decision. Tyre will again have trade. She will be like a prostitute for all the nations on earth. 18 But Tyre will not keep the money she earns. The profit from her trade will be saved for the Lord . Tyre will give that money to the people who serve the Lord to buy good food and nice clothes.
23 The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.
2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
3 And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.
4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.
5 As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.
7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.
8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?
9 The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
10 Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.
11 He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.
12 And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.
13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.
14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.
15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord : it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord , to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
23 The pronouncement concerning ( A ) Tyre:
Wail, you ( B ) ships of ( C ) Tarshish,
For Tyre is destroyed, without house or [ a ] ( D ) harbor;
It is reported to them from the land of [ b ] ( E ) Cyprus.
2 ( F ) Be silent, you inhabitants of the coastland,
You merchants of Sidon;
[ c ] Your messengers crossed the sea
3 And were on many waters.
( G ) The grain of the [ d ] ( H ) Nile, the harvest of the River was her revenue;
And she was the ( I ) market of nations.
4 Be ashamed, ( J ) Sidon,
For the sea speaks, the stronghold of the sea, saying,
“I have neither been in labor nor given birth,
I have neither brought up young men nor raised virgins.”
5 When the report reaches Egypt,
They will be in ( K ) anguish over the report of Tyre.
6 Pass over to ( L ) Tarshish;
Wail, you inhabitants of the coastland.
7 Is this your ( M ) jubilant city ,
Whose origin is from antiquity,
Whose feet used to bring her to [ e ] colonize distant places?
8 Who has planned this against Tyre, ( N ) the bestower of crowns,
Whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?
9 ( O ) The Lord of armies has planned it, to ( P ) defile the pride of all beauty,
To despise all the ( Q ) honored of the earth.
10 [ f ] Overflow your land like the Nile, you daughter of Tarshish,
There is no more [ g ] restraint.
11 He has ( R ) stretched His hand out ( S ) over the sea,
He has ( T ) made the kingdoms tremble;
The Lord has given a command concerning Canaan to ( U ) demolish its strongholds.
12 He has said, “ ( V ) You shall not be jubilant anymore, you crushed virgin daughter of Sidon.
Arise, pass over to [ h ] ( W ) Cyprus; even there you will find no rest.”
13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people that did not exist; ( X ) Assyria allocated it for ( Y ) desert creatures—they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, ( Z ) they made it a ruin.
14 Wail, you ( AA ) ships of Tarshish,
For your stronghold is destroyed.
15 Now on that day Tyre will be forgotten for ( AB ) seventy years like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:
16 Take your harp, wander around the city,
You forgotten prostitute;
Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs,
That you may be remembered.
17 It will come about at ( AC ) the end of seventy years that the Lord will visit Tyre. Then she will go back to her prostitute’s wages and ( AD ) commit prostitution with all the kingdoms [ i ] on the face of the earth. 18 Her ( AE ) profit and her prostitute’s wages will be ( AF ) sacred to the Lord ; it will not be stored up or hoarded, but her profit will become sufficient food and magnificent attire for those who dwell in the presence of the Lord .
23 A prophecy against Tyre: ( A )
Wail, ( B ) you ships ( C ) of Tarshish! ( D )
For Tyre is destroyed ( E )
and left without house or harbor.
From the land of Cyprus
word has come to them.
2 Be silent, ( F ) you people of the island
and you merchants ( G ) of Sidon, ( H )
whom the seafarers have enriched.
3 On the great waters
came the grain of the Shihor; ( I )
the harvest of the Nile [ a ] ( J ) was the revenue of Tyre, ( K )
and she became the marketplace of the nations.
4 Be ashamed, Sidon, ( L ) and you fortress of the sea,
for the sea has spoken:
“I have neither been in labor nor given birth; ( M )
I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.”
5 When word comes to Egypt,
they will be in anguish ( N ) at the report from Tyre. ( O )
6 Cross over to Tarshish; ( P )
wail, you people of the island.
7 Is this your city of revelry, ( Q )
the old, old city,
whose feet have taken her
to settle in far-off lands?
8 Who planned this against Tyre,
the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants ( R ) are princes,
whose traders ( S ) are renowned in the earth?
9 The Lord Almighty planned ( T ) it,
to bring down ( U ) her pride in all her splendor
and to humble ( V ) all who are renowned ( W ) on the earth.
10 Till [ b ] your land as they do along the Nile,
Daughter Tarshish,
for you no longer have a harbor.
11 The Lord has stretched out his hand ( X ) over the sea
and made its kingdoms tremble. ( Y )
He has given an order concerning Phoenicia
that her fortresses be destroyed. ( Z )
12 He said, “No more of your reveling, ( AA )
Virgin Daughter ( AB ) Sidon, now crushed!
“Up, cross over to Cyprus; ( AC )
even there you will find no rest.”
13 Look at the land of the Babylonians, [ c ] ( AD )
this people that is now of no account!
The Assyrians ( AE ) have made it
a place for desert creatures; ( AF )
they raised up their siege towers, ( AG )
they stripped its fortresses bare
and turned it into a ruin. ( AH )
15 At that time Tyre ( AL ) will be forgotten for seventy years, ( AM ) the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:
16 “Take up a harp, walk through the city,
you forgotten prostitute; ( AN )
play the harp well, sing many a song,
so that you will be remembered.”
17 At the end of seventy years, ( AO ) the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution ( AP ) and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. ( AQ ) 18 Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord ; ( AR ) they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord , ( AS ) for abundant food and fine clothes. ( AT )
