15. You were good and honest when I created you, but then you became evil.
16. Your business brought you many riches. But they also put cruelty inside you, and you sinned. So I treated you like something unclean and threw you off the mountain of God. You were one of the chosen Cherubs who spread your wings over my throne. But I forced you to leave the jewels that sparkled like fire.
17. Your beauty made you proud. Your glory ruined your wisdom. So I threw you down to the ground, and now other kings stare at you.
18. You did many wrong things. You were a very crooked merchant. In this way you made the holy places unclean. So I brought fire from inside you. It burned you! You burned to ashes on the ground. Now everyone can see your shame.
19. “‘All the people in other nations were shocked about what happened to you. What happened to you will make people very afraid. You are finished!’”
20. The word of the Lord came to me. He said,
21. “Son of man, look toward Sidon and speak for me against that place.
22. Say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “‘I am against you, Sidon! Your people will learn to respect me. I will punish Sidon. Then people will know that I am the Lord. Then they will learn that I am holy, and they will treat me that way.
23. I will send disease and death to Sidon, and many people inside the city will die. Soldiers outside the city will kill many people. Then people will know that I am the Lord!
24. “‘Then the surrounding nations that hate Israel will no longer be like stinging nettles and painful thorns. And they will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”
25. This is what the Lord GOD said: “I scattered the people of Israel among other nations, but I will gather the family of Israel together again. Then the nations will know that I am holy, and they will treat me that way. At that time the people of Israel will live in their land—I gave that land to my servant Jacob.
26. They will live safely in the land. They will build houses and plant vineyards. I will punish the nations around them that hated them. Then the people of Israel will live in safety, and they will know that I am the Lord their God.”