“How exactly,” said Helon, “does your account of the new Tyre agree with that which our prophet gives of the old. Shall I repeat you a part of it?”
“I shall listen to it most willingly,” said Myron. “Since our separation I have wished to hear more of your psalms and prophets, though when we were together I was disposed to complain of excess rather than deficiency.”
“Hear, then,” said Helon, “what Ezekiel spoke:
The word of Jehovah came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre, And say of Tyre; O city! that art at the entrance of the sea, Merchant of the nations in many islands, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou, O Tyre, sayest, I am mightiest (of cities) Thy borders are in the sea; Thy builders have made thee perfect in beauty, They have made all thy planks of firs of Shenir, They have fetched cedars from Lebanon to make thee masts, They made thine oars of oak of Bashan; Thy benches, inlaid with ivory, They made with box from the islands of Chittim. Embroidered byssus from Egypt thou didst spread forth, It served thee for a sail; Thy coverings (canopies) were blue and purple, From the isles of Elisha. Sidonians and men of Arvad were thy rowers; The most skilful, O Tyre, were from thyself; They were thy pilots; The oldest and most skilful men of Gebal were thy ship-wrights. All the ships on the sea and their mariners Came to thee to purchase thy merchandise.
Persians, Lydians, and Lybians served as warriors in thine armies, They hung up their helmets and shields in thee; They upheld thy splendour. The men of Arvad with thine own warriors were upon thy walls, The Gammadæans in thy towers. They had hung their shields around on thy walls, They made thy splendour complete. Tarshish dealt with thee Through the abundance of thy merchandise of every kind: They brought silver, iron, tin, and lead for thy traffic. Grecians, Tibarenians, and Moschians dealt with thee, They brought men and vessels of copper to thy markets; From Togarmah they brought for thy traffic Horses of various breeds and mules. The men of Dedan trafficked with thee, (For many isles offered thee the hand for traffic) They brought ivory and ebony-wood In exchange for thy commodities. Idumea dealt with thee Through the multitude of thy fabrics; They brought rubies, purple, and embroidery, Corals, and crystal for thy traffic. Israel and Judah dealt with thee They brought wheat from Minnith and Pennag; Honey, oil, and balsam to thy mart. Damascus dealt with thee Through the multitude of thy fabrics, Through the abundance of thy riches; (They brought) wine of Chalybon and white wool. Vedan and Javan brought from Usul Polished steel for thy traffic;