“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

After him Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, worked as far as the house of the temple servants and the traders, opposite the Inspection Gate, ¹  and up to the room above the corner.

Lament, ¹  you residents of the coast, you merchants of Sidon ²  who travel over the sea, whose agents sail over

Increase ¹  your merchants more than the stars of heaven! They are like ²  the young locust which sheds ³  its skin and flies away.

Wail, you who live in the market district, ¹  for all the merchants ²  will disappear ³  and those who count money ⁴  will be removed. ⁵ 

So it was annulled that very day, and then the most afflicted of the flock who kept faith with me knew that that was the word of the Lord.

The merchants who sold ¹  these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep ²  and mourn,

They come with red cloth ¹  from Egypt, Ethiopia ²  voluntarily offers tribute ³  to God.

She makes linen garments ¹  and sells them, and supplies the merchants ²  with sashes.

Then you multiplied your promiscuity to the land of merchants, Babylonia, ¹  but you were not satisfied there either.

They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria. ¹ 

Even the light from a lamp will never shine in you again! The voices of the bridegroom and his bride will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the tycoons of the world, because all the nations ¹  were deceived by your magic spells! ² 

Now ¹  in Egypt the Midianites ²  sold Joseph ³  to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ⁴ 

Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ¹  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ²  purchased him from ³  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there.

The Speaker: ¹  Who is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, like ²  a fragrant billow ³  of myrrh and frankincense, ⁴  every kind of fragrant powder ⁵  of the traveling merchants? ⁶ 

The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, ¹  he shook kingdoms; he ²  gave the order to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. ³ 

They traded with you choice garments, purple clothes and embroidered work, and multicolored carpets, bound and reinforced with cords; these were among your merchandise.

The traders among the peoples hiss at you; you have become a horror, and will be no more.’”

‘No,’ they replied. ¹  ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their ¹  condemnation pronounced long ago ²  is not sitting idly by; ³  their ⁴  destruction is not asleep.