Study Desk

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.

Be silent,^(f) you people of the island and you merchants^(g) of Sidon,^(h) whom the seafarers have enriched.

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.

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."

When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish⁽ⁿ⁾ at the report from Tyre.^(o)

Cross over to Tarshish;^(p) wail, you people of the island.

Is this your city of revelry,^(q) the old, old city, whose feet have taken her to settle in far-off lands?

Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants^(r) are princes, whose traders^(s) are renowned in the earth?

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.

Till^[b] your land as they do along the Nile, Daughter Tarshish, for you no longer have a harbor.

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)

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."

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)

Wail, you ships^(ai) of Tarshish;^(aj) your fortress is destroyed!^(ak)

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:

"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."

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)

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)

See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth^(a) and devastate^(b) it; he will ruin its face and scatter^(c) its inhabitants—

it will be the same for priest as for people,^(d) for the master as for his servant, for the mistress as for her servant, for seller as for buyer,^(e) for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor.^(f)

The earth will be completely laid waste^(g) and totally plundered.^(h) The Lord has spoken⁽ⁱ⁾ this word.

The earth dries up^(j) and withers,^(k) the world languishes and withers, the heavens^(l) languish with the earth.^(m)

The earth is defiled⁽ⁿ⁾ by its people; they have disobeyed^(o) the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant.^(p)

Therefore a curse^(q) consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth's inhabitants are burned up,^(r) and very few are left.

The new wine dries up^(s) and the vine withers;^(t) all the merrymakers groan.^(u)

The joyful timbrels^(v) are stilled, the noise^(w) of the revelers^(x) has stopped, the joyful harp^(y) is silent.^(z)

No longer do they drink wine^(aa) with a song; the beer is bitter^(ab) to its drinkers.

The ruined city^(ac) lies desolate;^(ad) the entrance to every house is barred.

In the streets they cry out^(ae) for wine;^(af) all joy turns to gloom,^(ag) all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.

The city is left in ruins,^(ah) its gate^(ai) is battered to pieces.

So will it be on the earth and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten,^(aj) or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.^(ak)

They raise their voices, they shout for joy;^(al) from the west^(am) they acclaim the Lord 's majesty.

Therefore in the east^(an) give glory^(ao) to the Lord ; exalt^(ap) the name^(aq) of the Lord , the God of Israel, in the islands^(ar) of the sea.

From the ends of the earth^(as) we hear singing:^(at) "Glory^(au) to the Righteous One."^(av) But I said, "I waste away, I waste away!^(aw) Woe^(ax) to me! The treacherous^(ay) betray! With treachery the treacherous betray!^(az)"

Terror^(ba) and pit and snare^(bb) await you, people of the earth.^(bc)

Whoever flees^(bd) at the sound of terror will fall into a pit;^(be) whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare.^(bf) The floodgates of the heavens^(bg) are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.^(bh)

The earth is broken up,^(bi) the earth is split asunder,^(bj) the earth is violently shaken.

The earth reels like a drunkard,^(bk) it sways like a hut^(bl) in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion^(bm) that it falls^(bn)—never to rise again.^(bo)

In that day^(bp) the Lord will punish^(bq) the powers^(br) in the heavens above and the kings^(bs) on the earth below.

They will be herded together like prisoners^(bt) bound in a dungeon;^(bu) they will be shut up in prison and be punished^[a] after many days.^(bv)

The moon will be dismayed, the sun^(bw) ashamed; for the Lord Almighty will reign^(bx) on Mount Zion^(by) and in Jerusalem, and before its elders—with great glory.^(bz)