Ezekiel 27
1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2“Now you, son of man, take up a lament for Tyre. 3Tell Tyre, who dwells at the gateway to the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coasts, that this is what the Lord GOD says: You have said, O Tyre, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’ 4Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders perfected your beauty. 5They constructed all your planking with cypress from Senir. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. 6Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory. 7Of embroidered fine linen from Egypt they made your sail, which served as your banner. Of blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah they made your awning. 8The men of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen. Your men of skill, O Tyre, were there as your captains. 9The elders of Gebal were aboard as shipwrights, repairing your leaks. All the ships of the sea and their sailors came alongside to barter for your merchandise. 10Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put served as warriors in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls; they gave you splendor. 11Men of Arvad and Helech manned your walls all around, and the men of Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields around your walls; they perfected your beauty. 12Tarshish was your merchant because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares. 13Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your merchants. They exchanged slaves and bronze utensils for your merchandise. 14The men of Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares. 15The men of Dedan were your clients; many coastlands were your market; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony. 16Aram was your customer because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your wares. 17Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith, cakes and honey, oil and balm for your merchandise. 18Because of your many products and your great wealth of goods, Damascus traded with you wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar, 19and casks of wine from Izal for your wares. Wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were exchanged for your merchandise. 20Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers, trading in lambs, rams, and goats. 22The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; for your wares they exchanged gold, the finest of all spices, and precious stones. 23Haran, Canneh, and Eden traded with you, and so did the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad. 24In your marketplace they traded with you fine garments of blue, embroidered work, and multicolored rugs with cords tightly twisted and knotted. 25The ships of Tarshish carried your merchandise. And you were filled with heavy cargo in the heart of the sea. 26Your oarsmen have brought you onto the high seas, but the east wind will shatter you in the heart of the sea. 27Your wealth, wares, and merchandise, your sailors, captains, and shipwrights, your merchants and all the warriors within you, with all the other people on board, will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your downfall. 28The countryside will shake when your sailors cry out. 29All who handle the oars will abandon their ships. The sailors and all the captains of the sea will stand on the shore. 30They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes. 31They will shave their heads for you and wrap themselves in sackcloth. They will weep over you with anguish of soul and bitter mourning. 32As they wail and mourn over you, they will take up a lament for you: ‘Who was ever like Tyre, silenced in the middle of the sea? 33When your wares went out to sea, you satisfied many nations. You enriched the kings of the earth with your abundant wealth and merchandise. 34Now you are shattered by the seas in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and the people among you have gone down with you. 35All the people of the coastlands are appalled over you. Their kings shudder with fear; their faces are contorted. 36Those who trade among the nations hiss at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’”
Life is short. Where are you going?
You just read God’s own words, and one day every one of us will stand before Him. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). This life will be over sooner than you think — do you know where you are going when it is?
The Bible says, “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you died today, would you be ready?
Are you a good person?
Most of us think we are. But God doesn’t measure us against other people — He measures us by His Law. Look honestly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17):
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness.
- You shall not covet.
Have you ever told a lie — even a small one? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever wanted what belongs to someone else? Jesus said that anyone who looks with lust “has already committed adultery … in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), and the Bible says “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
If we’re honest, we have all broken God’s Law — and “whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
That leaves every one of us guilty before a holy God. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). This is why our world is full of tragedy — and without Christ, every life ends in the greatest tragedy of all.
But God made a way
“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, and on the cross He took the punishment we deserved: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
It’s like standing guilty in court when the judge steps down and pays your fine himself. Forgiveness is a free gift — you can’t earn it: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus — John 10:10
What will you do with Jesus?
“Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). Turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus alone — “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t put it off — “now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
And when you turn to Him, you won’t be met with a frown — you’ll be met with a celebration. Jesus said, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). He is “mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness … He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Like the father who ran to embrace his lost son, He is waiting with open arms — and heaven throws a party when you come home (Luke 15:20–24).
If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Today you can be forgiven, made new, and have real, abundant life — now and forever.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.