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Psalm 14, Psalm 53, Ezekiel 26–28
[chronological note: although the superscription for Psalms 14 and 53 attitribute them to David, the last verse of these two almost identical songs indicate that it was written at a time when Israel was in trouble and is a prayer that God will restore the fortunes of Israel. This seems to place these songs in the period of the Babylonian exile]
Psalm 14
Ps 14:1 For the director of music. Of David.
The fool {1 The Hebrew words rendered <fool> in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.} says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
3 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
4 Will evildoers never learn-- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD?
5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.
7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! (NIV)
Psalm 53
Ps 53:1 For the director of music. According to <mahalath.> {Title: Probably a musical term} A <maskil> {Title: Probably a literary or musical term} of David.
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
3 Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
4 Will the evildoers never learn-- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on God?
5 There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread. God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; you put them to shame, for God despised them.
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! (NIV)
Ezekiel 26
Eze 26:1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, 'Aha! The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,'
3 therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves.
4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock.
5 Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. She will become plunder for the nations,
6 and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
7 "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army.
8 He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and raise his shields against you.
9 He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.
10 His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the war horses, wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through.
11 The hoofs of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground.
12 They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.
13 I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more.
14 I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.
15 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan and the slaughter takes place in you?
16 Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled at you.
17 Then they will take up a lament concerning you and say to you: "'How you are destroyed, O city of renown, peopled by men of the sea! You were a power on the seas, you and your citizens; you put your terror on all who lived there.
18 Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall; the islands in the sea are terrified at your collapse.'
19 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths over you and its vast waters cover you,
20 then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place in the land of the living.
21 I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more. You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign LORD." (NIV)
Ezekiel 27
Eze 27:1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre.
3 Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'You say, O Tyre, "I am perfect in beauty."
4 Your domain was on the high seas; your builders brought your beauty to perfection.
5 They made all your timbers of pine trees from Senir; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
6 Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory.
7 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail and served as your banner; your awnings were of blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah.
8 Men of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen; your skilled men, O Tyre, were aboard as your seamen.
9 Veteran craftsmen of Gebal were on board as shipwrights to caulk your seams. All the ships of the sea and their sailors came alongside to trade for your wares.
10 "'Men of Persia, Lydia and Put served as soldiers in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls, bringing you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helech manned your walls on every side; men of Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields around your walls; they brought your beauty to perfection.
12 "'Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.
13 "'Greece, Tubal and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged slaves and articles of bronze for your wares.
14 "'Men of Beth Togarmah exchanged work horses, war horses and mules for your merchandise.
15 "'The men of Rhodes traded with you, and many coastlands were your customers; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.
16 "'Aram did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple fabric, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies for your merchandise.
17 "'Judah and Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith and confections, honey, oil and balm for your wares.
18 "'Damascus, because of your many products and great wealth of goods, did business with you in wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar.
19 "'Danites and Greeks from Uzal bought your merchandise; they exchanged wrought iron, cassia and calamus for your wares.
20 "'Dedan traded in saddle blankets with you.
21 "'Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats.
22 "'The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; for your merchandise they exchanged the finest of all kinds of spices and precious stones, and gold.
23 "'Haran, Canneh and Eden and merchants of Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad traded with you.
24 In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.
25 "'The ships of Tarshish serve as carriers for your wares. You are filled with heavy cargo in the heart of the sea.
26 Your oarsmen take you out to the high seas. But the east wind will break you to pieces in the heart of the sea.
27 Your wealth, merchandise and wares, your mariners, seamen and shipwrights, your merchants and all your soldiers, and everyone else on board will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your shipwreck.
28 The shorelands will quake when your seamen cry out.
29 All who handle the oars will abandon their ships; the mariners and all the seamen will stand on the shore.
30 They will raise their voice and cry bitterly over you; they will sprinkle dust on their heads and roll in ashes.
31 They will shave their heads because of you and will put on sackcloth. They will weep over you with anguish of soul and with bitter mourning.
32 As they wail and mourn over you, they will take up a lament concerning you: "Who was ever silenced like Tyre, surrounded by the sea?"
33 When your merchandise went out on the seas, you satisfied many nations; with your great wealth and your wares you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are shattered by the sea in the depths of the waters; your wares and all your company have gone down with you.
35 All who live in the coastlands are appalled at you; their kings shudder with horror and their faces are distorted with fear.
36 The merchants among the nations hiss at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'" (NIV)
Ezekiel 28
Eze 28:1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.
3 Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?
4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
5 By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud.
6 "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god,
7 I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.
8 They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.
9 Will you then say, "I am a god," in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you.
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.'"
11 The word of the LORD came to me:
12 "Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.
19 All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'"
20 The word of the LORD came to me:
21 "Son of man, set your face against Sidon; prophesy against her
22 and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'I am against you, O Sidon, and I will gain glory within you. They will know that I am the LORD, when I inflict punishment on her and show myself holy within her.
23 I will send a plague upon her and make blood flow in her streets. The slain will fall within her, with the sword against her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
24 "'No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.
25 "'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.
26 They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.'" (NIV)
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