Ezekiel 23
1 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother:
3 They acted as prostitutes in Egypt in the time of their youth. They acted as prostitutes there. Their breasts were squeezed and their virgin nipples were fondled there.
and they went a-whoring in Egypt in their youth: there their breasts fell, there they lost their virginity.
4 Their names were Oholah—the older sister—and Oholibah—her younger sister. Then they became mine and bore sons and daughters. Their names mean this: Oholah means Samaria, and Oholibah means Jerusalem.
And their names were Oola the elder, and Ooliba her sister: and they were mine, and bore sons and daughters: and [as for] their names, Samaria was Oola, and Jerusalem was Ooliba.
5 But Oholah acted as a prostitute even when she was mine; she lusted for her lovers, for the Assyrians who were dominant,
And Oola went a-whoring from me, and doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians that were her neighbors,
6 the governor who wore blue, and for his officials, who were strong and handsome, all of them men riding on horses.
clothed with purple, princes and captains; [they were] young men and choice, all horseman riding on horses.
7 So she gave herself as a prostitute to them, to all the best of Assyria's men, and she made herself unclean with everyone she lusted for—and with all their idols.
And she bestowed her fornication upon them; all were choice sons of the Assyrians: and on whomsoever she doted herself, with them she defiled herself in all [their] devices.
8 For she had not left her prostitute behavior behind in Egypt, when they had slept with her when she had been a young girl, when they first began to fondle her virgin breasts, when they first began to pour out their promiscuous behavior on her.
And she forsook not her fornication with the Egyptians: for in her youth they committed fornication with her, and they deflowered her, and poured out their fornication upon her.
9 Therefore I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians for whom she lusted.
Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the children of the Assyrians, on whom she doted.
10 They uncovered her nakedness, took her sons and daughters, killed her with the sword, and she became notorious among other women, so they executed judgment on her.
They uncovered her shame: they took her sons and daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became a byword among women: and they wrought vengeance in her for the sake of the daughters.
11 Her sister Oholibah saw this, but she lusted even more passionately and acted like a prostitute even more than her sister.
And her sister Ooliba saw [it], and she indulged in her fondness more corruptly than she, and in her fornication more than the fornication of her sister.
12 She lusted for the Assyrians, the governors and the dominating officials who dressed impressively, who were men riding horses. All of them were strong, handsome men.
She doted upon the sons of the Assyrian, princes and captains, her neighbours, clothed with fine linen, horsemen riding on horses; [they were] all choice young men.
13 I saw that she had made herself unclean. It was the same for both sisters.
And I saw that they were defiled, [that] the two [had] one way.
14 Then she increased her prostitution even more. She saw men carved on walls, figures of Chaldeans painted in red,
And she increased her fornication, and she saw men painted on the wall, likenesses of the Chaldeans painted with a pencil,
15 wearing belts around their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads. All of them had the appearance of officers of chariot troops, the likeness of sons of Babylonia, whose native land is Chaldea.
having variegated girdles on their loins, having also richly dyed [attire] upon their heads; all had a princely appearance, the likeness of the children of the Chaldeans, of their native land.
16 As soon as her eyes saw them, she lusted for them, so she sent out messengers to them in Chaldea.
And she doted upon them as soon as she saw them, and sent forth messengers to them into the land of the Chaldeans.
17 Then the Babylonians came to her and to her bed of lust, and they made her unclean with their promiscuousness. By what she had done she was made unclean, so she turned herself away from them in disgust.
And the sons of Babylon came to her, into the bed of rest, and they defiled her in her fornication, and she was defiled by them, and her soul was alienated from them.
18 When she displayed her acts of prostitution and uncovered her nakedness, I turned away from her, just as I had turned away in disgust from her sister.
And she exposed her fornication, and exposed her shame: and my soul was alienated from her, even as my soul was alienated from her sister.
19 Then she increased her prostitution as she remembered the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in the land of Egypt.
And thou didst multiply thy fornication, so as to call to remembrance the days of thy youth, wherein thou didst commit whoredom in Egypt,
20 So she lusted for her lovers, whose private parts were like those of donkeys, and whose reproductive emissions were like those of horses.
and thou didst dote upon the Chaldeans, whose flesh is as the flesh of the asses, and their members [as] the members of horses.
21 This is how you committed shameful acts of your youth, when the Egyptians fondled your nipples and squeezed your young breasts.
And thou didst look upon the iniquity of thy youth, [the things] which thou wroughtest in Egypt in thy lodgings, where were the breasts of thy youth.
22 Therefore, Oholibah, the Lord Yahweh says this, 'Behold! I will turn your lovers against you. Those from whom you turned away, I will bring them against you from every side:
Therefore, Ooliba, thus saith the Lord; Behold, I [will] stir up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy soul is alienated, and I will bring them upon thee round about,
23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, strong, handsome men, governors and commanders, all of them are officers and men of reputation, all of them riding on horses.
the children of Babylon, and all the Chaldeans, Phacuc, and Sue, and Hychue, and all the sons of the Assyrians with them; choice young men, governors and captains, all princes and renowned, riding on horses.
24 They will come against you with weapons, and with chariots and wagons, and with a great crowd of people. They will set large shields, small shields, and helmets against you all around. I will give them the opportunity to punish you, and they will punish you with their actions.
And they all shall come upon thee from the north, chariots and wheels, with a multitude of nations, shields and targets; and [the enemy] shall set a watch against thee round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall take vengeance on thee with their judgments.
25 For I will set my jealous anger on you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and your daughters, and your survivors will be devoured by fire.
And I will bring upon thee my jealousy, and they shall deal with thee in great wrath: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and shall cast down thy remnant with the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy remnant fire shall devour.
26 They will strip you of your clothes and take away all of your jewelry.
And they shall strip thee of thy raiment, and take [away] thine ornaments.
27 So I will remove your shameful behavior from you and your acts of prostitution from the land of Egypt. You will not lift up your eyes toward them with longing, and you will think of Egypt no longer.'
So I will turn back thine ungodliness from thee, and thy fornication from the land of Egypt: and thou shalt not lift up thine eyes upon them, and shalt no more remember Egypt.
28 For the Lord Yahweh says this, 'Behold! I will give you into the hand of the ones you hate, back into the hand of the ones from whom you had turned away.
Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I [will] deliver thee into the hands of those whom thou hatest, from whom thy soul is alienated.
29 They will deal with you hatefully; they will take all your possessions and abandon you naked and bare, and your nakedness will be uncovered just as when you engaged in promiscuity and prostitutions.
And they shall deal with thee in hatred, and shall take all [the fruits] of thy labours and thy toils, and thou shalt be naked and bare: and the shame of thy fornication shall be exposed: and thy ungodliness and thy fornication
30 These things will be done to you in your acting like a prostitute, lusting after nations by which you became unclean with their idols.
brought this upon thee, in that thou wentest a-whoring after the nations, and didst defile thyself with their devices.
31 You have walked in the way of your sister, so I will put her cup of punishment into your hand.'
Thou didst walk in the way of thy sister; and I will put her cup into thine hands.
32 The Lord Yahweh says this, 'You will drink your sister's cup that is deep and large. You will become a laughingstock and a subject for derision—this cup contains a great amount.
Thus saith the Lord; Drink thy sister's cup, deep and large, and full, to cause complete drunkenness.
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of horror and devastation; the cup of your sister Samaria.
And thou shalt be thoroughly weakened; and the cup of destruction, the cup of thy sister Samaria,
34 You will drink it and drain it empty; then you will shatter it and tear your breasts with the pieces. For I have declared it—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'
drink thou it, and I will take away her feasts and her new moons: for I have spoken [it], saith the Lord.
35 Therefore, the Lord Yahweh says this, 'Because you have forgotten me and thrown me away behind your back, so also you will bear the consequences of your shameful behavior and acts of sexual immorality.'”
Therefore thus saith the Lord; Because thou has forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore receive thou [the reward] of thine ungodliness and thy fornication.
36 Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? So present to them their disgusting actions,
And the Lord said to me, Son of man, wilt thou not judge Oola and Ooliba? and declare to them their iniquities?
37 since they have committed adultery, and since there is blood on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and they have even caused their sons to pass through the fire, as food for their idols.
For they have committed adultery, and blood was in their hands, they committed adultery with their devices, and they passed through the fire to them their children which they bore to me.
38 Then they continue to do this to me: They make my sanctuary unclean, and on the same day they defile my Sabbaths.
So long too as they did these things to me, they defiled my sanctuary, and profaned my sabbaths.
39 For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, then they came to my sanctuary on the same day to defile it! So behold! This is what they have done in the middle of my house.
And when they sacrificed their children to their idols, they also went into my sanctuary to profane it: and whereas they did thus in the midst of my house;
40 You sent out for men who came from far away, to whom messengers had been sent—now behold. They indeed came, those for whom you bathed, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry.
and whereas they did thus to the men that came from afar, to whom they sent messengers, and as soon as they came, immediately thou didst wash thyself, and didst paint thine eyes and adorn thyself with ornaments,
41 There you sat on a beautiful bed and at a table arranged before it where you placed my incense and my oil.
and satest on a prepared bed, and before it [there was] a table set out, and [as for] mine incense and mine oil, they rejoiced in them,
42 So the sound of a noisy crowd was around her; including all kinds of men, even Sabeans were brought in from the wilderness, and they put bracelets on their hands and beautiful crowns on their heads.
and they raised a sound of music, and [that] with men coming from the wilderness out of a multitude of men, and they put bracelets on their hands, and a crown of glory on their heads;
43 Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, 'Now they will be sexually immoral with her, and she with them.'
Therefore I said, Do they not commit adultery with these? and has she also gone a-whoring [after] the manner of a harlot?
44 They went in to her and slept with her as men go in to be with a prostitute. In this way they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, who were immoral women.
And they went in to her, as [men] go in to a harlot; so they went in to Oola and to Ooliba to work iniquity.
45 But righteous men will pass judgment and punish them as adulteresses, and they will punish them with the sentence for those who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.
And they are just men, and shall take vengeance on them with the judgment of an adulteress and the judgment of blood: for they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
46 So the Lord Yahweh says this: I will raise up a company against them and give them up to be terrorized and plundered.
Thus saith the Lord God, Bring up a multitude upon them, and send trouble and plunder into the midst of them.
47 Then that company will stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
And stone them with the stones of a multitude, and pierce them with their swords: they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and shall burn up their houses.
48 For I will remove shameful behavior from the land and discipline all the women so they will no longer act like prostitutes.
And I will remove ungodliness out of the land, and all the women shall be instructed, and shall not do according to their ungodliness.
49 So they will set your shameful behavior against you. You will bear the guilt of your sins with your idols, and in this way you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.”
And your ungodliness shall be recompensed upon you, and ye shall bear the guilt of your devices: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
