Ezekiel 27

We, as an individual or as a nation, must be very careful about who or what we base our decisions on. We are never above reproach or of failing. What can look like a perfect solution, the perfect path to take, may not be even close to the path we should take. God alone knows the way and He alone is perfect. If we base our decisions on outside appearances, without God in it, it will fall and everyone involved in it will fall with us. We may never know what goes on behind closed doors, but, we can trust that the Bible says that those things done in private will come out in public and those things done in secret will be heard on the rooftops. Keep in mind that the higher others put us, the easier it is to fall. Be very cautious of those who compliment too much and expect perfection, they are the ones, when finding us with human failings, will turn on us in an instant. Those closest to us have the most control over us, so we must pick our friends with Godly wisdom!

27 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,  "Now, son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre, 'You who are situated at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:

"O Tyre, you have said,

'I am perfect in beauty.'

12 "Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered human lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 Those from the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules. 15 The men of Dedan were your traders; many isles were the market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment. 16 Syria was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and balm. 18 Damascus was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made, because of your many luxury items, with the wine of Helbon and with white wool. 19 Dan and Javan paid for your wares, traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise. 20 Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold. 23 tHaran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of  Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad were your merchants. 24 These were your merchants in choice items—in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace.

27 "Your riches, wares, and merchandise,

Your mariners and pilots,

Your caulkers and merchandisers,

All your men of war who are in you,

And the entire company which is in your midst,

Will fall into the midst of the seas on the day of your ruin.

30 They will make their voice heard because of you;

They will cry bitterly and cast dust on their heads;

They will roll about in ashes;

31 They will shave themselves completely bald because of you,

Gird themselves with sackcloth,

And weep for you

With bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.

36 The merchants among the peoples will hiss at you;

You will become a horror, and be no more forever.' "

The NKJ Study Bible puts it this way:

The final verses of the chapter present a remorseful and revengeful lament to be chanted, perhaps over and over, by Tyre's trade partners. Tyre's nearest neighbors (see 26:16–18) would be greatly troubled by Tyre's defeat, but soon they would turn against Tyre themselves in the vain hope of escaping a similar fate at the hands of the Babylonians.