Ezekiel 27-28
Tyre, the ship of state
27 The Lord’s word came to me: 2 You, human one, sing a lament for Tyre. 3 Say this about Tyre, who sits enthroned at the entrance to the sea, the people’s agent for trade throughout the coastlands. The Lord God proclaims:
Tyre, you say,
“I’m perfectly beautiful!”
4 But your territory is in the depths of the sea,
and it’s your builders who made you beautiful.
5 For you they made your deck of cypress from Senir.
To make your mast, they took cedar from Lebanon.
6 For your oars, they used the oaks of Bashan.
They made your hull, inlaid with ivory, of boxwood from the coasts of Cyprus.
7 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail;
it became your emblem.
Your awning was made of blue and purple cloth from the coasts of Elishah.
8 The princes of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen. Your own wise men were in you as your helmsmen. 9 The elders and wise men of Gebal were in you, patching up your leaks. Every seagoing ship and its sailors came to do business with you. 10 Paras, Lud, and Put were the warriors in your army. By hanging their shields and helmets on you, they made you radiant. 11 The men of Arvad and Helech were stationed on your walls all around; the men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their weapons on your walls all around. They were the ones who completed your beauty.
12 Tarshish was your procurer of great wealth. For your wares, they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your agents in human trafficking. They gave you bronze vessels for these wares of yours. 14 Beth-togarmah traded horses, warhorses, and mules for your wares. 15 Islanders from Rhodes[a] were your agents. By contract they procured ebony and ivory for you from many coastlands. 16 Aram was your agent for many products. They traded turquoise, purple cloth, colorful brocades, linen, coral, and rubies for your wares. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your agents, trading the finest wheat,[b] millet,[c] honey, oil, and balm for your wares. 18 For many of your finished products, Damascus traded out of its great wealth the wine of Helbon and white wool. 19 Vedan and Javan from the region of Uzal traded with you. They exchanged wrought iron, cinnamon, and spices for your wares. 20 Dedan was your agent for saddle blankets. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar traded for you. They procured lambs, rams, and goats for you. 22 They were your agents in Sheba and Raamah. For your wares they exchanged the finest spices, every kind of precious stone, and gold. 23 Haran, Canneh, and Eden were your agents,[d] and also Assyria and Chilmad. 24 They procured fine finished goods for you, garments of purple and brocade, and plush carpets rolled up and securely tied with ropes, among your acquisitions. 25 The ships of Tarshish carried your goods.
You were filled to capacity and heavily laden in the middle of the sea.
26 Your oarsmen brought you out onto the high seas;
an east wind sank you into the sea’s depths.
27 Your goods, your wares, your wealth,
your sailors, your helmsmen, those patching your leaks,
your merchants, all your warriors in you,
and all the company that is with you—
they also sank into the sea’s depth
on the day of your demise.
28 At your helmsmen’s cries for help,
the troubled waters seethe.
29 Those entrusted with the oars desert their posts.
All sailors and helmsmen seek footing on the shore.
30 Loudly they cry,
bitterly they wail,
and they put dust on their heads
and cover themselves with ashes.
31 They cut off all their hair
and put on mourning clothes.
In despair they weep for you,
and bitterly perform the mourning rites.
32 In their lamentation they raise a lament for you;
they sing lamentions over you:
“Who was like Tyre, silenced in the middle of the sea?”
33 When your wares came out from the seas,
you satisfied many people.
Your abundant wealth and merchandise
enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are shattered by the seas;
your cargoes, as well as everyone in your company,
are sunk into the water’s depths.
35 Now the inhabitants of the coastlands
shudder on account of you.
And as for their kings, their hair stands on end;
their faces betray their horror.
36 The merchants for the peoples hiss because of you.
You have become a terror;
from now on you are nothing.
Prince of Tyre
28 The Lord’s word came to me: 2 Human one, say to the prince of Tyre, The Lord God proclaims: In your arrogance, you say, “I am God, and as God I rule the seas!” Though you claim to have the mind of a god, you are mortal, not divine. 3 You are certainly wiser than Daniel; no secrets are hidden from you. 4 By your wisdom and discernment, you made yourself rich, and you filled your storehouses with silver and gold. 5 Through your shrewd trading you multiplied your riches. But then you became proud of your riches.
6 So now the Lord God proclaims: Because you claim to have the mind of a god, 7 I’ll bring foreigners, the most ruthless nations, against you. They will let loose their swords against your fine wisdom, and they will degrade your splendor. 8 They will hurl you to destruction, and you will die, murdered, on the high seas. 9 When you face your murderers, will you still say, “I’m God”? In your killers’ hands, you are mortal, not divine. 10 You will die as the uncircumcised do, at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken. This is what the Lord God has said.
11 The Lord’s word came to me: 12 Human one, sing a lament for the king of Tyre. Say to him, The Lord God proclaims: You were full of wisdom and beauty, the image of perfection. 13 You were in Eden, God’s garden. You were covered with gold and every precious stone: carnelian, topaz, and moonstone; beryl, onyx, and jasper; lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald. On the day that you were created, finely crafted pendants and engravings were prepared. 14 You, a winged creature, were installed as a guardian. I placed you in God’s holy mountain where you walked among the stones of fire. 15 From the day you were created until injustice was found in you, your ways were assured. 16 But because of your trade, your oppressive business practices piled up, and you became impure. So I expelled you from God’s mountain. I removed you, winged creature, guardian, from among the stones of fire. 17 You exalted yourself because of your beauty and corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I will cast you down to the earth in the sight of kings, and I will make a spectacle of you. 18 Because of your corrupt trade, which surpassed your many other sins, you made your sanctuaries impure. Therefore, I will bring fire from your midst. When it has consumed you, I will turn you into dust on the earth in the sight of all who see you. 19 Everyone among the peoples who knows you will be appalled because of you. You will become a terror. From that time on, you will be nothing.
Against Sidon
20 The Lord’s word came to me: 21 Human one, face Sidon, prophesy against it, 22 and say, The Lord God proclaims: I’m against you, Sidon, and I will manifest my glory in you. When I’ve executed judgment against it and through it have manifested my holiness, they will know that I am the Lord. 23 I will hurl plague against it, and blood will run in its streets. When the sword comes against it from all sides, the slain will fall within it. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 24 The house of Israel will no longer suffer from the pricking thorn or painful briar of any of its neighbors who hold it in contempt. And they will know that I am the Lord God.
25 The Lord God proclaims: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they’ve scattered, and I demonstrate my holiness through them in the sight of the nations, they will live on their fertile land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live on it in safety. They will build houses, plant vineyards, and live in safety. When I execute judgments against all who hold them in contempt on every side, they will know that I, the Lord, am their God.
Footnotes:
- Ezekiel 27:15 Heb Dedan
- Ezekiel 27:17 Or wheat from Minnith
- Ezekiel 27:17 Heb uncertain
- Ezekiel 27:23 LXX; MT adds Sheba.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Hebrews 11:17-31
17 By faith Abraham offered Isaac when he was tested. The one who received the promises was offering his only son. 18 He had been told concerning him, Your legitimate descendants will come from Isaac.[a] 19 He figured that God could even raise him from the dead. So in a way he did receive him back from the dead.
20 By faith Isaac also blessed Jacob and Esau concerning their future.
21 By faith Jacob blessed each of Joseph’s sons as he was dying and bowed in worship over the head of his staff.[b]
22 By faith Joseph recalled the exodus of the Israelites at the end of his life, and gave instructions about burying his bones.
23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months when he was born, because they saw that the child was beautiful and they weren’t afraid of the king’s orders.
24 By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter when he was grown up. 25 He chose to be mistreated with God’s people instead of having the temporary pleasures of sin. 26 He thought that the abuses he suffered for Christ were more valuable than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking forward to the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. He kept on going as if he could see what is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, in order that the destroyer could not touch their firstborn children.
29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if they were on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were drowned.
30 By faith Jericho’s walls fell after the people marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute wasn’t killed with the disobedient because she welcomed the spies in peace.
Footnotes:
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Psalm 111
Psalm 111[a]
111 Praise the Lord!
I thank the Lord with all my heart
in the company of those who do right, in the congregation.
2 The works of the Lord are magnificent;
they are treasured by all who desire them.
3 God’s deeds are majestic and glorious.
God’s righteousness stands forever.
4 God is famous for his wondrous works.
The Lord is full of mercy and compassion.
5 God gives food to those who honor him.
God remembers his covenant forever.
6 God proclaimed his powerful deeds to his people
and gave them what had belonged to other nations.
7 God’s handiwork is honesty and justice;
all God’s rules are trustworthy—
8 they are established always and forever:
they are fulfilled with truth and right doing.
9 God sent redemption for his people;
God commanded that his covenant last forever.
Holy and awesome is God’s name!
10 Fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins;
sure knowledge is for all who keep God’s laws.
God’s praise lasts forever!
Footnotes:
- Psalm 111:1 Ps 111 is an alphabetic acrostic poem; see the note at Pss 9–10.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Proverbs 27:15-16
15 The constant dripping on a rainy day
and a contentious woman are alike;
16 anyone who can control her
can control the wind
or pick up oil in his hand.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible