1Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, 2“You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; 3and 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.’
4Your borders are in the heart of the seas.
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
5They have made all your planks of cypress trees from Senir.
They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
6They 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.
7Your 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.
8The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers.
Your wise men, Tyre, were in you.
They were your pilots.
9The 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.
11The 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; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were among your merchandise.
20“‘“Dedan was your merchant in precious saddle blankets for riding.
21“‘“Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favorite dealers 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 best of all spices, all precious stones, and gold.
23“‘“Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad, were your traders. 24These were your traders in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in cedar chests of rich clothing bound with cords, 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.
26Your rowers have brought you into great waters.
The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.
27Your 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.
28At the sound of the cry of your pilots,
the pasture lands will shake.
29All 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,
30and 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.
31They will make themselves bald for you,
and clothe themselves with sackcloth.
They will weep for you in bitterness of soul,
with bitter mourning.
32In 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?’
33When your wares came from the seas,
you filled many peoples.
You enriched the kings of the earth
with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise.
34In the time that you were broken by the seas,
in the depths of the waters,
your merchandise and all your company fell within you.
35All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at you,
and their kings are horribly afraid.
They are troubled in their face.
36The merchants among the peoples hiss at you.
You have come to a terrible end,
and you will be no more.”’”
The Book of Ecclesiastes is classified as part of the "wisdom literature" of the ancient Hebrews. This genre may be said to encompass all literary writings current in ancient Mesopotamia (as well as in the neighboring lands of the Near East, including Egypt) whose content is concerned, in one way or another, with life and nature, and with man's evaluation of them, based either on direct observation or insight. Helpful to a determination of the usage of the term "Wisdom Literature” is an understanding of the root hkm, which underlies the basic expression of "wisdom" in Hebrew and its cognate languages. The root hkm in Akkadian has the meaning of "clever, cunning" as well as "wise" when applied to kings, elders, scribes, diviners, and especially craftsmen and technicians. The notion of skillful "making" gave rise to various adjectives meaning "experienced, able." The force of the term "wisdom" in Akkadian, therefore, was upon a skill or experience that brought expertise or enablement in an endeavor. In Biblical Hebrew, this same basic nuance of "skill" is evident in all derivatives of hkm. For example, the term is used of the special ability of "artisans" in Exod 28:3; 31:1-11; 35:30, 35; 36:1-3, of the technical expertise of "stonemasons" in 1 Chr 22:15, of the trained ability of "goldsmiths" in Jer 10:9, of the experienced competence of "mariners" in Ps 107:27, of the craftsmanship of "ship builders" in Ezek 27:8-9, of the artistry of "artificers" in 1 Kings 7:14, and of the wizardry (unusual art) of magicians in Isa 3:3. It also is employed to denote the peculiar prowess enabling the heads of tribes, judges, and kings to perform either special or official tasks (cf. Deut 1:13,15; 16:19; 2 Sam 14:20). Of the 318 uses of the root hkm in the Tanach, 196 instances appear in Wisdom Literature (i.e. Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and some Psalms). In these contexts it bears an ethical/moral nuance, for just as in the secular realm it had been applied to technical skill, so here it is applied to the ability to cope with life in general. Scott in his study of the term in the Wisdom writings concluded: "thus “wisdom” (Hebrew hokmah) gained the sense of 'skill in living,' the trained ability to live in equilibrium with the moral order of the world." The Israelites viewed the world as an ordered system (under the control of G-d, cf. Job 1:21; 42:1-2; Prov 16:1-4; 21:1; Eccl 3:1-8; 5:18-19; 12:14), and the responsibility of wisdom was the instruction of men in the practical affairs of life in such a system. This wisdom is, however, neither simply utilitarian or amoral, but linked inseparably with the concepts of "righteousness" and “the fear of the LORD" (Prov 9:9-10). Therefore, for the Israelite, "wisdom" and the literature that develops a “skill in living life” is related to God's righteous order that has been established ultimately for man's good. As part of this genre, Ecclesiastes was designed as a means of training youth in the often unequal and contradictory experiences of life in this world while reminding them of the godly values and virtues that order the world (Eccl 3:11-12; 8:11-12). Understanding these “facts of life” (Eccl 8:17; 10:2; 11:5) and how to maintain “spiritual balance” throughout the tests of life (Eccl 11:9-10; 12:1, 6, 14) is the product of “wisdom.”