Ezekiel 23
1 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying,
2 “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
Son of man, Two women, daughters of one mother, there were;
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 became unchaste in Egypt, In their youth, became they unchaste, There, were handled their breasts, And there, were pressed their virgin bosoms.
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 Oholah the elder And Oholibah—her sister, And they became mine and bare sons and daughters, - And as for their names, Samaria was Oholah, And Jerusalem, was Oholibah.
5 But Oholah acted as a prostitute even when she was mine; she lusted for her lovers, for the Assyrians who were dominant,
Then became Oholah unchaste after she had become mine- And lusted after her lovers, For Assyrians, so warlike,
6 the governor who wore blue, and for his officials, who were strong and handsome, all of them men riding on horses.
Clothed in blue Governors and deputies, Attractive young men all of them, -Horsemen 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.
So she bestowed her unchastities upon them, The choicest men of Assyria all of them, - And, with whomsoever she lusted after-with all their manufactured gods, she defiled herself.
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, her unchaste doings from the time she was in Egypt, had she not forsaken, For with her, had they lain in her youth, Yea they had pressed her virgin bosoms, - and had poured out their unchastity upon her.
9 Therefore I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians for whom she lusted.
therefore, did I deliver her into the hand of her lovers, - into the hand of the sons of Assyria, after whom she lusted:
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 disclosed her shame, Her sons and her daughters: , took they away, And herself—with the sword, they slew, — Thus became she a by-word among women, when judgments, they had executed upon her.
11 Her sister Oholibah saw this, but she lusted even more passionately and acted like a prostitute even more than her sister.
And though her sister Oholibah saw, Yet became she more corrupt in her lust than the other, - And her unchaste doings exceeded the unchaste doings 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.
After the sons of Assyria: , she lusted Governors and deputies so warlike. Clothed in splendid array, Horsemen, riding on horses, Attractive young men, all of them.
13 I saw that she had made herself unclean. It was the same for both sisters.
So I saw that she defiled herself, — One way, had they both.
14 Then she increased her prostitution even more. She saw men carved on walls, figures of Chaldeans painted in red,
Yet did she add, unto her unchaste doings, when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, likenesses of Chaldeans, Portrayed with vermilion:
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.
Girded with waistcloths upon their loins With overhanging high turbans upon their heads, In appearance, knights all of them, -The likeness of the sons of Babylon of Chaldea, the land of their birth.
16 As soon as her eyes saw them, she lusted for them, so she sent out messengers to them in Chaldea.
Then lusted she after them, as soon as her eyes beheld them, — And she sent messengers unto them to Chaldea.
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.
Then came in unto her the sons of Babylon into the bed of endearments, and defiled her with their unchaste doings, - And she defiled herself with them, And then was her soul torn 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.
Thus disclosed she her unchaste desires, And disclosed her shame, - So my soul was torn from her, Just as my soul had been torn 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.
Yea she multiplied her unchaste desires, -calling to mind the days of her youth, when she was unchaste in the land of 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.
So she lusted after their courtiers, - Whose flesh was the flesh of asses, and Whose issue was the issue of horses.
21 This is how you committed shameful acts of your youth, when the Egyptians fondled your nipples and squeezed your young breasts.
Yea thou didst look about for the lewdness of thy youth, - When were pressed by the Egyptians. thy bosoms, When they handled thy youthful breasts.
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, O Oholibah, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, Behold me! rousing up thy lovers against thee, Even them from whom thy soul hath been torn, - And I will bring them against thee from every side:
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 sons of Babylon and all Chaldeans Pekod and Shoa and Koa, All the sons of Assyria with them, — Attractive young men Governors and deputies, all of them. Knights and men of renown, Riders on horses all of them;
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 shall come upon thee— With battle-axe, chariot and wheel And with a gathered host of peoples: Shield and buckler and helmet, will they array against thee on every side, - And I will put before them judgment, And they shall judge 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.
When I set forth my jealousy against thee, Then will they deal with thee in indignation: Thy nose and thine ears, will they remove, And that which is left of thee, by the sword, shall fall, — They, will take away thy sons and thy daughters, And that which is left of thee, shall be devoured by the fire;
26 They will strip you of your clothes and take away all of your jewelry.
And they shall strip off thy raiment, - And take away thine adorning jewels!
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.'
Thus will I cause thy lewdness to cease, from thee Even thine unchastity brought from the land of Egypt, - So that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, And Egypt, shalt thou not call to mind any more.
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.
For thus saith My Lord, Yahweh, Behold me! delivering thee up, into the hand of them whom thou hatest, Into the hand of them from whom thy soul hath been torn;
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 take away all thy labour, And leave thee utterly naked, - And thine unchaste shame, shall be disclosed, with thy lewdness and unchastities,
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.
These things shall be done to thee, In that thou hast gone unchastely after the nations, Because thou hast defiled thyself with their manufactured gods.
31 You have walked in the way of your sister, so I will put her cup of punishment into your hand.'
In the way of thy sister, hast thou walked, Therefore will I put her cup into thy hand.
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 My Lord Yahweh, The cup of thy sister, shalt thou drink, The cup deep and large, Thou shalt become a laughingstock and a derision, much doth it contain!
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of horror and devastation; the cup of your sister Samaria.
With drunkenness and grief, shalt thou be filled, - The cup of astonishment and desolation, 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.'
Yea thou shalt drink it and drain it out And the sherds thereof, shalt thou gnaw And thy breasts, shalt thou tear out, - For, I, have spoken, Declareth My Lord. Yahweh.
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 My Lord. Yahweh, Because thou hast forgotten me, and has cast me behind thy back, Thou also thyself, bear thou thy lewdness and thine unchaste doings.
36 Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? So present to them their disgusting actions,
And Yahweh said unto me, Son of man Wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare thou unto them their abominations.
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, is one their hands, Yea with their manufactured gods, have they committed adultery. And even their own children whom they bare unto me, have they set apart for them to be devoured.
38 Then they continue to do this to me: They make my sanctuary unclean, and on the same day they defile my Sabbaths.
Yet more, this, have they done to me, They have defiled my sanctuary, on the same day, And my sabbaths, have they profaned.
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.
Yea when they had slaughtered their children to their manufactured gods, then entered they into my sanctuary, on the same day, to profane it, - And lo! thus have they done in the midst of mine own 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.
Yea verily, that ye must needs send for men, ready to come in from afar, in that, a messenger, was sent unto them and lo! they came, For whom thou didst bathe thyself Paint thine eyes And deck 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.
Then satest thou upon a glorious couch With a table prepared before it, — And mine incense and mine oil, didst thou set thereon.
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.
The noise of careless throng also, was with her, And besides men out of the mass of mankind, there were brought in drunkards, out of the desert; And they put bracelets upon the hands of both women, And crowns of adorning upon 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.'
Then said I of her that was worn out with adulteries, Will they now join in her unchaste doings even hers?
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.
Yet came they in unto her, as men go in unto a woman that is a harlot, — So, came they in unto Oholah, and unto Oholibah—the lewd women!
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.
But righteous men, they, shall judge them, With the judgment of adulteresses, and With the judgment of women that shed blood, — Because adulteresses, they are And blood, is on 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.
For thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh, - There shall be brought up against them a gathered host, Then shall they be delivered up. for a terror and for a prey,
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.
Yea a gathered host shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords, Their sons and their daughters, shall they slay, And their houses—in the fire, shall they consume.
48 For I will remove shameful behavior from the land and discipline all the women so they will no longer act like prostitutes.
So will I make an end of lewdness out of the land, - And all women shall be disciplined, and shall not do according to your lewdness.
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.”
Yea the judges Shall set your lewdness upon you, And your sins with manufactured gods, shall ye bear; So shall ye know that, I, am The Lord Yahweh.
