Ezekiel 25-28
Complete Jewish Bible
25 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, turn your face toward the people of ‘Amon and prophesy against them; 3 say to the people of ‘Amon, ‘Hear the word of Adonai Elohim. Adonai Elohim says, “Because you gloated when my sanctuary was profaned, when the land of Isra’el was laid waste, and when the house of Y’hudah went into exile; 4 I will let the people from the east take possession of you. They will set up camps and build their homes among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 I will turn Rabbah into a camel pasture and ‘Amon into a sheep-yard. Then you will know that I am Adonai.” 6 For here is what Adonai Elohim says: “Because you clapped your hands and stamped your feet, full of malicious joy over the land of Isra’el; 7 I am going to stretch out my hand over you and deliver you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from being a people and cause you to cease from being a nation; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am Adonai.’”
8 “Adonai Elohim says: ‘Because Mo’av and Se‘ir say, “The house of Y’hudah is like all the other nations,” 9 I will expose the flank of Mo’av, with all its cities — that is, all the cities on its frontier, the glory of the land, Beit-Yeshimot, Ba‘al-M‘on and Kiryatayim — 10 together with the people of ‘Amon, to the people from the east, whom I will let take possession of them. Thus the people of ‘Amon will not be remembered as being one of the nations; 11 and I will execute judgments on Mo’av. Then they will know that I am Adonai.’
12 “Adonai Elohim says: ‘Because Edom has taken severe vengeance against the house of Y’hudah, incurring much guilt by its acts of vengeance against them, 13 therefore,’ Adonai Elohim says, ‘I will stretch my hand out over Edom and eliminate both its humans and its animals. I will make it a ruin; from Teman to D’dan they will die by the sword. 14 Moreover, I will lay my vengeance on Edom through my people Isra’el; they will treat Edom in accordance with my anger and my fury; and they will know my vengeance’ says Adonai Elohim.
15 “Adonai Elohim says, ‘Because the P’lishtim have acted out of vengeance, taking revenge and destroying with malice of heart, due to their long-standing hatred; 16 therefore,’ Adonai Elohim says, ‘I will stretch out my hand over the P’lishtim, eliminate the K’reti and destroy the rest of the seacoast peoples. 17 I will execute great vengeance on them with furious punishments; and they will know that I am Adonai when I lay my vengeance on them.’”
26 On the first day of the month in the eleventh year, the word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, since Tzor has said against Yerushalayim,
‘Ha! She is shattered,
the gateway of the peoples.
Now that she is ruined,
her riches will be mine’;
3 therefore, Adonai Elohim says,
‘Look, Tzor! I am against you.
Just as the sea churns up its waves,
I will churn up many nations against you.
4 They will destroy the walls of Tzor,
they will demolish her towers.
I will scrape its soil from her
and reduce her to bare rock.
5 With the sea all around her, she will be
a place for drying fish nets
and a plunder for the nations.
I have spoken,’ says Adonai Elohim.
6 ‘Her daughters on the mainland
will be put to death with the sword;
then they will know
that I am Adonai.’
7 “For here is what Adonai Elohim says: ‘I will bring upon Tzor, from the north, N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a great and powerful army.
8 “ ‘Your daughters on the mainland
he will put to death with the sword.
He will build siege-towers against you,
he will build a ramp against you
and raise a screen of shields against you.
9 He will pound your walls with his battering-rams
and break down your towers with his axes.
10 His horses are so many that their dust will cover you.
The thunder of cavalry, wagons and chariots
will shake your walls, as he enters your gates,
like men storming a city through a breach.
11 With the hoofs of his horses he will trample your streets.
He will put your people to the sword
and pull to the ground your massive standing-stones.
12 They will seize your wealth, loot your wares,
break down your walls, destroy your fine houses;
then they will throw your stones and timber
and even your dust into the sea.
13 I will put an end to your singing,
the sound of your lyres will be heard no more.
14 I will reduce you to bare rock,
you will be a place for drying fish nets,
you will never be built again,
for I, Adonai, have spoken,’
says Adonai Elohim.”
15 To Tzor Adonai Elohim says:
“How the coastlands will shake
at the sound of your fall,
when the wounded groan,
when the slaughter takes place in you!
16 Then all the princes of the sea
will step down from their thrones;
they will put aside their robes
and strip off their embroidered garments.
They will clothe themselves with trembling;
they will sit on the ground,
trembling all the time,
appalled at your condition.
17 Then they will raise this lament for you:
“‘How you have been destroyed,
you who were peopled from the seas,
city so renowned, once so strong at sea,
you and your inhabitants, who used to spread terror
over all [the mainland’s] inhabitants!
18 Now the coastlands tremble
on the day of your downfall,
and the islands in the sea
are in shock at your end.’
19 “For here is what Adonai Elohim says:
‘When I make you a ruined city,
like other uninhabited cities;
when I bring the deep sea over you,
and its mighty waters cover you;
20 then I will bring you down
with those who descend to the pit,
to the people of long ago,
and make you live in underworld places
like those who were ruined long ago,
with those who descend to the pit,
so that you will be uninhabited
when I give glory to the land of the living.
21 I will make you horrible;
you will cease to exist.
People will seek you but never more find you,’
says Adonai Elohim.”
27 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “You, human being, raise this lament for Tzor; 3 say to Tzor, located at the gateways to the sea, merchant for peoples to many coastlands, that Adonai Elohim says:
‘Tzor, you have said,
“My beauty is perfect.”
4 Your borders are in the heart of the sea,
your builders perfected your beauty.
5 They used cypress logs from S’nir
to fashion all your planking.
They took cedars from the L’vanon
to make masts for you.
6 Out of oaks from Bashan
they made your oars.
Your deck they made of ivory
inlaid in larch from the coasts of Kittim.
7 Richly woven linen from Egypt
was used for your sail, which was also your banner.
Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
was used to cover your deck-tent.
8 The people of Tzidon and Arvad
served as your oarsmen.
Your own skilled men, Tzor,
were there as your pilots.
9 The leaders and craftsmen of G’val
sealed the cracks between your boards.
“‘Every seagoing ship and its crew
came to you to trade in your wares.
10 Men from Paras, Lud and Put
were [mercenaries] in your army;
hanging shield and helmet on you,
they showed off your splendor.
11 Men from Arvad and your own army
were posted around on your walls.
The Gamadim were in your towers;
they hung their shields all around your walls,
making your beauty perfect.
12 “‘Tarshish did business with you because of the quantity and variety of your resources; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your goods. 13 Greece, Tuval and Meshekh traded with you, exchanging slaves and articles of bronze for your wares. 14 The people of Togarmah traded for your merchandise with horses, horsemen and mules. 15 The men of D’dan traded with you. Many coastlands were your customers, giving you ivory tusks and ebony in payment. 16 Aram traded with you, because you were so wealthy; for your goods they exchanged green feldspar, purple stuff, embroidery, fine linen, coral and rubies. 17 Y’hudah and the land of Isra’el also traded with you, exchanging for your goods wheat from Minnit, millet, honey, olive oil and resin for healing. 18 Because you were so wealthy, with such a variety of valuable merchandise, Dammesek traded wine from Helbon and white wool with you. 19 V’dan and Yavan from Uzal traded ironwork, cassia and aromatic cane for your goods. 20 D’dan traded with you for riding gear. 21 Arabia and all the princes of K’dar were your customers; for your goods they traded lambs, rams and goats. 22 The traders of Sh’va and Ra‘mah exchanged the best quality spices, all kinds of precious stones and gold for your goods. 23 The merchants of Haran, Kaneh and ‘Eden, who traded also with Sh’va, Ashur and Kilmad, 24 brought you in exchange for your goods rich clothes, cloaks made of blue material and embroidery, and cedar-lined chests filled with multicolored clothing and bound with cords. 25 “Tarshish” ships transported your imports and exports.
“‘So you were full, loaded down,
surrounded by the sea.
26 Your oarsmen brought you
through heavy seas.
But the east wind will break you
surrounded by the sea.
27 Your riches, your goods, your merchandise,
your crew, your pilots, your ship-sealers,
your traders, all your warriors aboard,
and all the others in the ship with you
will sink surrounded by the sea
on the day of your shipwreck.
28 When they hear the cries of your pilots,
the mainland coasts will tremble.
29 The oarsmen, crew and pilots
will disembark and stand on shore,
30 mourning aloud at your fate,
crying bitterly,
throwing dust on their heads,
rolling in the ashes,
31 shaving their heads bald for you,
wrapping themselves in sackcloth,
with heartfelt bitterness weeping for you
in bitter lamentation.
32 Wailing, they will raise a lament for you;
this will be their lament for you:
“‘“Who anywhere in the sea
has ever been silenced like Tzor?
33 When your wares came forth from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples;
with your vast wealth and variety of goods
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 But now you have been wrecked by the waves,
sunk in the watery depths;
your merchandise and all your people
have gone down with you.
35 All who live along the coasts
are aghast at you;
their kings are horribly afraid,
their faces are convulsed;
36 the merchants among the peoples
are gasping at your fate;
you are an object of terror,
and you will cease to exist.”’”
28 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, tell the prince of Tzor that Adonai Elohim says:
‘Because you are so proud
and have said, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne of God,
surrounded by the sea”;
yet you are a man, not God,
even though you think that you think like God.
3 Sure, you are wiser than Dani’el!
No secret can be hidden from you!
4 By your wisdom and discernment
you have acquired wealth,
you have gathered gold and silver
into your treasuries.
5 By your great skill in trading
you have increased your wealth,
and it is because of your wealth
that you have become so proud.
6 “Therefore Adonai Elohim says,
‘Because you think that you think like God,
7 I will bring foreigners against you,
the most barbarous of the nations,
to draw their swords against your fine wisdom
and defile your splendor.
8 They will lower you into the pit to die
a violent death surrounded by the sea.
9 Will you still say, “I am God,”
to them who are about to kill you?
You are a man, you are not God,
in the hands of those who defile you.
10 You will die the deaths of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners.
For I have spoken,’
says Adonai Elohim.”
11 The word of Adonai came to me: 12 “Human being, raise a lament for the king of Tzor, and tell him that Adonai Elohim says:
‘You put the seal on perfection;
you were full of wisdom and perfect in beauty;
13 you were in ‘Eden, the garden of God;
covered with all kinds of precious stones —
carnelians, topaz, diamonds,
beryl, onyx, jasper,
sapphires, green feldspar, emeralds;
your pendants and jewels were made of gold,
prepared the day you were created.
14 You were a keruv, protecting a large region;
I placed you on God’s holy mountain.
You walked back and forth
among stones of fire.
15 You were perfect in your ways
from the day you were created,
until unrighteousness
was found in you.
16 “‘When your commerce grew,
you became filled with violence;
and in this way you sinned.
Therefore I have thrown you out, defiled,
from the mountain of God;
I have destroyed you, protecting keruv,
from among the stones of fire.
17 Your heart grew proud because of your beauty,
you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
But I have thrown you on the ground;
before kings I have made you a spectacle.
18 By your many crimes in dishonest trading,
you have profaned your sanctuaries;
therefore I brought forth fire from within you,
and it has devoured you;
I reduced you into ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who can see you.
19 All who know you among the peoples
will be aghast at you.
You are an object of terror,
and you will cease to exist.’”
20 The word of Adonai came to me: 21 “Human being, turn your face toward Tzidon, and prophesy against it. 22 Say that Adonai Elohim says:
‘I am against you, Tzidon;
but I will be glorified in you.
They will know that I am Adonai,
once I execute judgments in her
and show my holiness in her.
23 For I will send plagues into her,
and blood will flow in her streets;
attacked from all sides by the sword,
the wounded will fall within her.
Then they will know that I am Adonai.
24 “‘The house of Isra’el will no longer have a briar pricking away at them, no longer will any of its contemptuous neighbors be a thorn to stab them. Then they will know that I am Adonai Elohim.’
25 “Adonai Elohim says, ‘Once I have gathered the house of Isra’el from the peoples among whom they are scattered, once I have shown my holiness in them as the Goyim watch, then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Ya‘akov. 26 They will have security when they live there, building houses and planting vineyards; yes, they will live in safety, once I have executed judgments against all their contemptuous neighbors. Then they will know that I am Adonai their God.’”
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Bible Gateway Recommends
