« | Ezekiel 28 | » |
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 And you, son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord: Because your heart has been exalted, and you have said, I am God, I have inhabited the dwelling of God in the heart of the sea; yet you are a man and not God, though you have set your heart as the heart of God.
3 Are you wiser than Daniel? Or have not the wise instructed you with their knowledge?
4 Have you gained power for yourself by your [own] knowledge or your [own] prudence, and [gathered] gold and silver in your treasures?
5 By your abundant knowledge and your traffic you have multiplied your power; your heart has been lifted up by your power.
6 Therefore thus says the Lord: Since you have set your heart as the heart of God;
7 because of this, behold, I [will] bring on you strange plagues from the nations; and they shall draw their swords against you, and against the beauty of your knowledge,
8 and they shall bring down your beauty to destruction. And they shall bring you down; and you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the sea.
9 Will you indeed say, I am God, before them that slay you? Seeing you are man, and not God.
10 You shall perish by the hands of strangers among the multitude of the uncircumcised, for I have spoken it, says the Lord.
11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation for the prince of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: You were a seal of resemblance, and a crown of beauty.
13 You were in the delight of the paradise of God; you were adorned with every precious stone- the sardius, topaz, emerald, carbuncle, sapphire, jasper, silver, gold, ligure, agate, amethyst, chrysolite, beryl and onyx; and you have filled your treasures and your stores in you with gold.
14 From the day that you were created you [were] with the cherub; I set you on the holy mount of God; you were in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 You were faultless in your days, from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you.
16 Of the abundance of your merchandise you have filled your storehouses with iniquity, and have sinned. Therefore you have been cast down wounded from the mount of God, and the cherub has brought you out of the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; your knowledge has been corrupted by your beauty: because of the multitude of your sins I have cast you to the ground, I have caused you to be put to open shame before kings.
18 Because of the multitude of your sins and the iniquities of your merchandise, I have profaned your sacred things; and I will bring fire out of the midst of you, this shall devour you; and I will make you [to be] ashes upon your land before all that see you.
19 And all that know you among the nations shall groan over you. You have gone to destruction, and you shall not exist any longer.
20 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
21 Son of man, set your face against Sidon, and prophesy against it,
22 and say, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am against you, O Sidon; and I will be glorified in you; and you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought judgments in you, and I will be sanctified in you.
23 Blood and death [shall be] in your streets; and [men] wounded with swords shall fall in you and on every side of you; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
24 And there shall no more be in the house of Israel a thorn of bitterness and a pricking briar proceeding from them that are round about them, who dishonored them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
25 Thus says the Lord God: I will also gather Israel from the nations, among whom they have been scattered, and I will be sanctified among them, and before the peoples and nations; and they shall dwell upon their land, which I gave to My servant Jacob.
26 Yea, they shall dwell upon it safely, and they shall build houses, and plant vineyards, and dwell securely, when I shall execute judgment on all that have dishonored them, [even] on those [that are] round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God, and the God of their fathers.
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC)
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC) is a modern translation of the Bible that strives to offer a clear and faithful rendering of the scriptures in contemporary language. This translation is designed to be accessible to a wide audience, providing an easy-to-read yet accurate version of the biblical text. The ABC translation aims to bridge the gap between the ancient languages in which the Bible was originally written and the modern vernacular, making it an ideal choice for both personal study and public reading.
One of the notable features of the Apostles’ Bible Complete is its dedication to maintaining the integrity of the original manuscripts. The translators of the ABC worked meticulously with the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts to ensure that their translation accurately reflects the original meaning and intent of the scriptures. By employing a balance of formal equivalence (word-for-word) and dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) translation techniques, the ABC aims to preserve the nuances and richness of the original languages while ensuring readability and clarity for modern readers.
The ABC also incorporates extensive cross-references and study aids to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These tools include footnotes that provide historical and cultural context, as well as explanations of difficult or ambiguous passages. This approach helps readers to grasp the deeper meanings of the scriptures and to see how different parts of the Bible interconnect. The inclusion of these study aids makes the ABC particularly useful for those who are new to the Bible, as well as for more experienced readers who are looking to deepen their understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the Apostles’ Bible Complete has faced some criticisms. Some readers feel that the translation could benefit from further refinement in certain passages, as the balance between formal and dynamic equivalence can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in style and tone. Others have noted that while the study aids are helpful, they can occasionally overwhelm the main text, making it difficult to focus on the scripture itself. Nonetheless, the ABC remains a valuable and respected translation, appreciated for its commitment to accuracy, clarity, and accessibility, and for its ability to bring the ancient words of the Bible to life for contemporary readers.