The Last Person You Would Expect

1. In the eleventh year, in the first of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2. “Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken! She who was the gateway of the peoples has been returned to me. I will be replenished, now that she is laid waste;’ 3. therefore the Lord Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I am against you, Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. 4. They will destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers. I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock. 5. She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the middle of the sea; for I have spoken it,’ says the Lord Yahweh. ‘She will become plunder for the nations. 6. Her daughters who are in the field will be slain with the sword. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’ 7. “For the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I will bring on Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, from the north, with horses, with chariots, with horsemen, and an army with many people. 8. He will kill your daughters in the field with the sword. He will make forts against you, cast up a mound against you, and raise up the buckler against you. 9. He will set his battering engines against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. 10. By reason of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you. Your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen, of the wagons, and of the chariots, when he enters into your gates, as men enter into a city which is broken open. 11. He will tread down all your streets with the hoofs of his horses. He will kill your people with the sword. The pillars of your strength will go down to the ground. 12. They will make a plunder of your riches, and make a prey of your merchandise. They will break down your walls, and destroy your pleasant houses. They will lay your stones, your timber, and your dust in the middle of the waters. 13. I will cause the noise of your songs to cease. The sound of your harps won’t be heard any more. 14. I will make you a bare rock. You will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more; for I Yahweh have spoken it,’ says the Lord Yahweh. 15. “The Lord Yahweh says to Tyre: ‘Won’t the islands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made within you? 16. Then all the princes of the sea will come down from their thrones, and lay aside their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling. They will sit on the ground, and will tremble every moment, and be astonished at you. 17. They will take up a lamentation over you, and tell you, “How you are destroyed, who were inhabited by seafaring men, the renowned city, who was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, who caused their terror to be on all who lived there!” 18. Now the islands will tremble in the day of your fall. Yes, the islands that are in the sea will be dismayed at your departure.’ 19. “For the Lord Yahweh says: ‘When I make you a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I bring up the deep on you, and the great waters cover you; 20. then I will bring you down with those who descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, in the places that are desolate of old, with those who go down to the pit, that you be not inhabited; and I will set glory in the land of the living. 21. I will make you a terror, and you will no more have any being. Though you are sought for, yet you will never be found again,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”

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1. Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, 2. “You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; 3. and tell Tyre, ‘You who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, the Lord Yahweh says: “You, Tyre, have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’ 4. Your borders are in the heart of the seas. Your builders have perfected your beauty. 5. They have made all your planks of cypress trees from Senir. They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. 6. They have made your oars of the oaks of Bashan. They have made your benches of ivory inlaid in cypress wood from the islands of Kittim. 7. Your sail was of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, that it might be to you for a banner. Blue and purple from the islands of Elishah was your awning. 8. The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your wise men, Tyre, were in you. They were your pilots. 9. The old men of Gebal and its wise men were your repairers of ship seams in you. All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to deal in your merchandise. 10. “ ‘ “Persia, Lud, and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung the shield and helmet in you. They showed your beauty. 11. The men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around, and valiant men were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around. They have perfected your beauty. 12. “ ‘ “Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches. They traded for your wares with silver, iron, tin, and lead. 13. “ ‘ “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They traded the persons of men and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14. “ ‘ “They of the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, war horses, and mules. 15. “ ‘ “The men of Dedan traded with you. Many islands were the market of your hand. They brought you horns of ivory and ebony in exchange. 16. “ ‘ “Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks. They traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. 17. “ ‘ “Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded wheat of Minnith, confections, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise. 18. “ ‘ “Damascus was your merchant for the multitude of your handiworks, by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool. 19. “ ‘ “Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares: bright iron, cassia, and calamus were among your merchandise. 20. “ ‘ “Dedan was your trafficker in precious cloths for riding. 21. “ ‘ “Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar were the merchants of your hand; in lambs, rams, and goats. In these, they were your merchants. 22. “ ‘ “The traders of Sheba and Raamah were your traders. They traded for your wares with the chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold. 23. “ ‘ “Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad, were your traders. 24. These were your traders in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in chests of rich clothing, bound with cords and made of cedar, among your merchandise. 25. “ ‘ “The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise. You were replenished and made very glorious in the heart of the seas. 26. Your rowers have brought you into great waters. The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas. 27. Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners, your pilots, your repairers of ship seams, the dealers in your merchandise, and all your men of war, who are in you, with all your company which is among you, will fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your ruin. 28. At the sound of the cry of your pilots, the pasture lands will shake. 29. All who handle the oars, the mariners and all the pilots of the sea, will come down from their ships. They will stand on the land, 30. and will cause their voice to be heard over you, and will cry bitterly. They will cast up dust on their heads. They will wallow in the ashes. 31. They will make themselves bald for you, and clothe themselves with sackcloth. They will weep for you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning. 32. In their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you, and lament over you, saying, ‘Who is there like Tyre, like her who is brought to silence in the middle of the sea?’ 33. When your wares went out of the seas, you filled many peoples. You enriched the kings of the earth with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise. 34. In the time that you were broken by the seas, in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company fell within you. 35. All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at you, and their kings are horribly afraid. They are troubled in their face. 36. The merchants among the peoples hiss at you. You have become a terror, and you will be no more.” ’ ”

1. Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. 2. The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3. One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast. 4. They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” 5. A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. 6. He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven. 7. It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. 8. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed. 9. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10. If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

13. “But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don’t cry for help when he binds them. 14. They die in youth. Their life perishes among the unclean. 15. He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression. 16. Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a wide place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness. 17. “But you are full of the judgment of the wicked. Judgment and justice take hold of you. 18. Don’t let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside. 19. Would your wealth sustain you in distress, or all the might of your strength? 20. Don’t desire the night, when people are cut off in their place. 21. Take heed, don’t regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction. 22. Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? 23. Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness?’