Jezekiel 16

1 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, testify to Jerusalem [of] her iniquities;

Son of man, make clear to Jerusalem her disgusting ways,

3 and you shall say, Thus says the Lord to Jerusalem; Your root and your birth are of the land of Chanaan: your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Chettite.

And say, This is what the Lord has said to Jerusalem: Your start and your birth was from the land of the Canaanite; an Amorite was your father and your mother was a Hittite.

4 And [as for] your birth in the day wherein you were born, you did not bind your breasts, and you were not washed in water, neither was you salted with salt, neither was you swathed in swaddling-bands.

As for your birth, on the day of your birth your cord was not cut and you were not washed in water to make you clean; you were not salted or folded in linen bands.

5 Nor did mine eye pity you, to do for you one of all these things, to feel at all for you; but you were cast out on the face of the field, because of the deformity of your person, in the day wherein you were born.

No eye had pity on you to do any of these things to you or to be kind to you; but you were put out into the open country, because your life was hated at the time of your birth.

6 And I passed by to you, and saw you polluted in your blood; and I said to you, [Let there be] life out of your blood:

And when I went past you and saw you stretched out in your blood, I said to you, Though you are stretched out in your blood, have life;

7 increase; I have made you as the springing grass of the field. So you did increase and grow, and did enter into great cities: your breasts were set, and your hair grew, whereas you were naked and bare.

And be increased in number like the buds of the field; and you were increased and became great, and you came to the time of love: your breasts were formed and your hair was long; but you were uncovered and without clothing.

8 And I passed by you and saw you, and, behold, [it was] your time and a time of resting; and I spread my wings over you, and covered your shame, and swear to you: and I entered into covenant with you, says the Lord, and you became mine.

Now when I went past you, looking at you, I saw that your time was the time of love; and I put my skirts over you, covering your unclothed body: and I gave you my oath and made an agreement with you, says the Lord, and you became mine.

9 And I washed you in water, and washed your blood from you, and anointed you with oil.

Then I had you washed with water, washing away all your blood and rubbing you with oil.

10 And I clothed you with embroidered [garments], and clothed you beneath with purple, and girded you with fine linen, and clothed you with silk,

And I had you clothed with needlework, and put leather shoes on your feet, folding fair linen about you and covering you with silk.

11 and decked you also with ornaments, and put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace on your neck.

And I made you fair with ornaments and put jewels on your hands and a chain on your neck.

12 And I put a pendant on your nostril, and rings in your ears, and a crown of glory on your head.

And I put a ring in your nose and ear-rings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; and your raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and variegated work: you did eat fine flour, and oil, and honey, and did become extremely beautiful.

So you were made beautiful with gold and silver; and your clothing was of the best linen and silk and needlework; your food was the best meal and honey and oil: and you were very beautiful.

14 And your name went forth amongst the nations for your beauty: because it was perfected with elegance, [and] in the comeliness which I put upon you, says the Lord.

You were so beautiful that the story of you went out into all nations; you were completely beautiful because of my glory which I had put on you, says the Lord.

15 You did trust in your beauty, and did go a-whoring because of your renown, and did pour out your fornication on every passer by.

But you put your faith in the fact that you were beautiful, acting like a loose woman because you were widely talked of, and offering your cheap love to everyone who went by, whoever it might be.

16 And you did take of your garments, and made to yourself idols of needlework, and did go a-whoring after them; therefore you shall never come in, nor shall [the like] take place.

And you took your robes and made high places for yourself ornamented with every colour, acting like a loose woman on them, without shame or fear.

17 And you took your fair ornaments of my gold and of my silver, of what I gave you, and you made to yourself male images, and you did commit whoredom with them.

And you took the fair jewels, my silver and gold which I had given to you, and made for yourself male images, acting like a loose woman with them;

18 And you did take your variegated apparel and did clothe them, and you did set before them mine oil and mine incense.

And you took your robes of needlework for their clothing, and put my oil and my perfume before them.

19 And [you took] my bread which I gave you, ([yes] I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey) and did set them before them for a sweet smelling savour: yes, it was so, says the Lord.

And my bread which I gave you, the best meal and oil and honey which I gave you for your food, you put it before them for a sweet smell, says the Lord.

20 And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore, and did sacrifice [these] to them to be destroyed. You did go a-whoring as [if that were] little,

And you took your sons and your daughters whom I had by you, offering even these to them to be their food. Was your loose behaviour so small a thing,

21 and did kill your children, and gave them up in offering them to them for an expiation.

That you put my children to death and gave them up to go through the fire to them?

22 This is beyond all your fornication, and you did not remember your infancy, when you were naked and bare, [and] did live [though] defiled in your blood.

And in all your disgusting and false behaviour you had no memory of your early days, when you were uncovered and without clothing, stretched out in your blood.

23 And it came to pass after all your wickedness, says the Lord,

And it came about, after all your evil-doing, says the Lord,

24 that you did build yourself a house of fornication, and did make yourself a public place in every street;

That you made for yourself an arched room in every open place.

25 and on the head of every way you did set up your fornications, and did defile your beauty, and did open your feet to every passer by, and did multiply your fornication.

You put up your high places at the top of every street, and made the grace of your form a disgusting thing, opening your feet to everyone who went by, increasing your loose ways.

26 And you did go a-whoring after the children of Egypt your neighbours, great of flesh; and did go a-whoring, often to provoke me to anger.

And you went with the Egyptians, your neighbours, great of flesh; increasing your loose ways, moving me to wrath.

27 And if I stretch out my hand against you, then will I abolish your statutes, and deliver [you] up to the wills of them that hate you, [even to] the daughters of the Philistines that turned you aside from the way wherein you sinned.

Now, then, my hand is stretched out against you, cutting down your fixed amount, and I have given you up to the desire of your haters, the daughters of the Philistines who are shamed by your loose ways.

28 And you did go a-whoring to the daughters of Assur, and not even thus was you satisfied; yes, you did go a-whoring, and was not satisfied.

And you went with the Assyrians, because of your desire which was without measure; you were acting like a loose woman with them, and still you had not enough.

29 And you did multiply your covenants with the land of the Chaldeans; and not even with these was you satisfied.

And you went on in your loose ways, even as far as the land of Chaldaea, and still you had not enough.

30 Why should I make a covenant with your daughter, says the Lord, while you do all these things, the works of a harlot? and you have gone a-whoring in a threefold degree with your daughters.

How feeble is your heart, says the Lord, seeing that you do all these things, the work of a loose and overruling woman;

31 You have built a house of harlotry in every top of a way, and have set up your high place in every street; and you did become as a harlot gathering hires.

For you have made your arched room at the top of every street, and your high place in every open place; though you were not like a loose woman in getting together your payment.

32 An adulteress resembles you, taking rewards of her husband.

The untrue wife who takes strange lovers in place of her husband!

33 She has even given rewards to all that went a-whoring after her, and you have given rewards to all your lovers, yes, you did load them with rewards, that they should come to you from every side for your fornication.

They give payment to all loose women: but you give rewards to your lovers, offering them payment so that they may come to you on every side for your cheap love.

34 And there has happened in you perverseness in your fornication beyond [other] women, and they have committed fornication with you, in that you give hires over and above, and hires were not given to you; and [thus] perverseness happened in you.

And in your loose behaviour you are different from other women, for no one goes after you to make love to you: and because you give payment and no payment is given to you, in this you are different from them.

35 Therefore, harlot, hear the word of the Lord:

For this cause, O loose woman, give ear to the voice of the Lord:

36 Thus says the Lord, Because you have poured forth your money, therefore your shame shall be discovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and [with] regard to all the imaginations of your iniquities, and for the blood of your children which you have given to them.

This is what the Lord has said: Because your unclean behaviour was let loose and your body uncovered in your loose ways with your lovers and with your disgusting images, and for the blood of your children which you gave to them;

37 Therefore, behold, I [will] gather all your lovers with whom you have consorted, and all whom you have loved, with all whom you did hate; and I will gather them against you round about, and will expose your wickedness to them, and they shall see all your shame.

For this cause I will get together all your lovers with whom you have taken your pleasure, and all those to whom you have given your love, with all those who were hated by you; I will even make them come together against you on every side, and I will have you uncovered before them so that they may see your shame.

38 And I will be avenged on you with the vengeance of an adulteress, and I will bring upon you blood of fury and jealousy.

And you will be judged by me as women are judged who have been untrue to their husbands and have taken life; and I will let loose against you passion and bitter feeling.

39 And I will deliver you into their hands, and they shall break down your house of harlotry, and destroy your high place; and they shall strip you of your garments, and shall take your proud ornaments, and leave you naked and bare.

I will give you into their hands, and your arched room will be overturned and your high places broken down; they will take your clothing off you and take away your fair jewels: and when they have done, you will be uncovered and shamed.

40 And they shall bring multitudes upon you, and they shall stone you with stones, and pierce you with their swords.

And they will get together a meeting against you, stoning you with stones and wounding you with their swords.

41 And they shall burn your houses with fire, and shall execute vengeance on you in the sight of many women: and I will turn you back from harlotry, and I will no more give [you] rewards.

And they will have you burned with fire, sending punishments on you before the eyes of great numbers of women; and I will put an end to your loose ways, and you will no longer give payment.

42 So will I slacken my fury against you, and my jealousy shall be removed from you, and I will rest, and be no more careful [for you].

And the heat of my wrath against you will have an end, and my bitter feeling will be turned away from you, and I will be quiet and will be angry no longer.

43 Because you did not remember your infancy, and you did grieve me in all these things; therefore, behold, I have recompensed your ways upon your head, says the Lord: for thus have you wrought ungodliness above all your [other] iniquities.

Because you have not kept in mind the days when you were young, but have been troubling me with all these things; for this reason I will make the punishment of your ways come on your head, says the Lord, because you have done this evil thing in addition to all your disgusting acts.

44 These are all the things they have spoken against you in a proverb, saying,

See, in every common saying about you it will be said, As the mother is, so is her daughter.

45 As is the mother, so is your mother's daughter: you are she that has rejected her husband and her children; and the sisters of your sisters have rejected their husbands and their children: your mother was a Chettite, and [your] father an Amorite.

You are the daughter of your mother whose soul is turned in disgust from her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters who were turned in disgust from their husbands and their children: your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

46 Your elder sister who dwells on your left hand is Samaria, she and her daughters: and your younger sister, that dwells on the right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.

Your older sister is Samaria, living at your left hand, she and her daughters: and your younger sister, living at your right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.

47 Yet notwithstanding you have not walked in their ways, neither have you done according to their iniquities within a little, but you have exceeded them in all your ways.

Still you have not gone in their ways or done the disgusting things which they have done; but, as if that was only a little thing, you have gone deeper in evil than they in all your ways.

48 [As] I live, says the Lord, this Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.

By my life, says the Lord, Sodom your sister never did, she or her daughters, what you and your daughters have done.

49 Moreover this was the sin of your sister Sodom, pride: she and her daughters lived in pleasure, in fullness of bread [and] in abundance: this belonged to her and her daughters, and they helped not the hand of the poor and needy.

Truly, this was the sin of your sister Sodom: pride, a full measure of food, and the comforts of wealth in peace, were seen in her and her daughters, and she gave no help to the poor or to those in need.

50 And they boasted, and wrought iniquities before me: so I cut them off as I saw [fit].

They were full of pride and did what was disgusting to me: and so I took them away as you have seen.

51 Also Samaria has not sinned according to half of your sins; but you have multiplied your iniquities beyond them, and you have justified your sisters in all your iniquities which you have committed.

And Samaria has not done half your sins; but you have made the number of your disgusting acts greater than theirs, making your sisters seem more upright than you by all the disgusting things which you have done.

52 You therefore bear your punishment, for that you have corrupted your sisters by your sins which you have committed beyond them; and you have made them [appear] more righteous than yourself: you therefore be ashamed, and bear your dishonour, in that you have justified your sisters.

And you yourself will be put to shame, in that you have given the decision for your sisters; through your sins, which are more disgusting than theirs, they are more upright than you: truly, you will be shamed and made low, for you have made your sisters seem upright.

53 And I will turn their captivity, [even] the captivity of Sodom and her daughters; and I will turn the captivity of Samaria and her daughters; and I will turn your captivity in the midst of them:

And I will let their fate be changed, the fate of Sodom and her daughters, and the fate of Samaria and her daughters, and your fate with theirs.

54 that you may bear your punishment, and be dishonoured for all that you have done in provoking me to anger.

So that you will be shamed and made low because of all you have done, when I have mercy on you.

55 And your sister Sodom and her daughters shall be restored as they were at the beginning, and you and your daughters shall be restored as you were at the beginning.

And your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, will go back to their first condition, and Samaria and her daughters will go back to their first condition, and you and your daughters will go back to your first condition.

56 And surely your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the days of your pride:

Was not your sister Sodom an oath in your mouth in the day of your pride,

57 before your wickedness was discovered, even now you are the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all that are round about her, [even] of the daughters of the Philistines that compass you round about.

Before your shame was uncovered? Now you have become like her a word of shame to the daughters of Edom and all who are round about you, the daughters of the Philistines who put shame on you round about.

58 [As for] your ungodliness and your iniquities, you have borne them, says the Lord.

The reward of your evil designs and your disgusting ways has come on you, says the Lord.

59 Thus says the Lord; I will even do to you as you have done, as you have dealt shamefully in these things to transgress my covenant.

For this is what the Lord has said: I will do to you as you have done, you who, putting the oath on one side, have let the agreement be broken.

60 And I will remember my covenant [made] with you in the days of your infancy, and I will establish to you an everlasting covenant.

But still I will keep in mind the agreement made with you in the days when you were young, and I will make with you an eternal agreement.

61 Then you shall remember your way, and shall be utterly dishonoured when you receive your elder sisters with your younger ones: and I will give them to you for building up, but not by your covenant.

Then at the memory of your ways you will be overcome with shame, when I take your sisters, the older and the younger, and give them to you for daughters, but not by your agreement.

62 And I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall know that I am the Lord:

And I will make my agreement with you; and you will be certain that I am the Lord:

63 that you may remember, and be ashamed, and may no more be able to open your mouth for your shame, when I am reconciled to you for all that you have done, says the Lord.

So that, at the memory of these things, you may be at a loss, never opening your mouth because of your shame; when you have my forgiveness for all you have done, says the Lord.