< Ezekiel 23 >

1 The LORD’s word came again to me, saying,
And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying,
2 “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.
Son of man, Two women, daughters of one mother, there were;
3 They played the prostitute in Egypt. They played the prostitute in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their youthful nipples were caressed 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 elder, and Oholibah her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.
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 “Oholah played the prostitute when she was mine. She doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,
Then became Oholah unchaste after she had become mine- And lusted after her lovers, For Assyrians, so warlike,
6 who were clothed with blue—governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.
Clothed in blue Governors and deputies, Attractive young men all of them, -Horsemen riding on horses.
7 She gave herself as a prostitute to them, all of them the choicest men of Assyria. She defiled herself with the idols of whomever she lusted after.
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 She has not left her prostitution since leaving Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her. They caressed her youthful nipples and they poured out their prostitution 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 delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians on whom she doted.
therefore, did I deliver her into the hand of her lovers, - into the hand of the sons of Assyria, after whom she lusted:
10 These uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and her daughters, and they killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women; for they executed judgments 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, yet she was more corrupt in her lusting than she, and in her prostitution which was more depraved than the prostitution of 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 after the Assyrians, governors and rulers—her neighbors, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young 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 was defiled. They both went the same way.
So I saw that she defiled herself, — One way, had they both.
14 “She increased her prostitution; for she saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with red,
Yet did she add, unto her unchaste doings, when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, likenesses of Chaldeans, Portrayed with vermilion:
15 dressed with belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like princes, after the likeness of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth.
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 she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them into Chaldea.
Then lusted she after them, as soon as her eyes beheld them, — And she sent messengers unto them to Chaldea.
17 The Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their prostitution. She was polluted with them, and her soul was alienated from them.
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 So she uncovered her prostitution and uncovered her nakedness. Then my soul was alienated from her, just like my soul was alienated 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 Yet she multiplied her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth, in which she had played the 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 She lusted after their lovers, whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
So she lusted after their courtiers, - Whose flesh was the flesh of asses, and Whose issue was the issue of horses.
21 Thus you called to memory the lewdness of your youth, in the caressing of your nipples by the Egyptians because of your youthful 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 GOD says: ‘Behold, I will raise up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is alienated, and I will bring them against you on 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, Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; all of them desirable young men, governors and rulers, princes and men of renown, 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, chariots, and wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you with buckler, shield, and helmet all around. I will commit the judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their judgments.
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 I will set my jealousy against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will take away your nose and your ears. Your remnant will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and the rest of you will be devoured by the 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 also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.
And they shall strip off thy raiment, - And take away thine adorning jewels!
27 Thus I will make your lewdness to cease from you, and remove your prostitution from the land of Egypt, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them, nor remember Egypt any more.’
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 GOD says: ‘Behold, I will deliver you into the hand of them whom you hate, into the hand of them from whom your soul is alienated.
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 in hatred, and will take away all your labor, and will leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your prostitution will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your prostitution.
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 because you have played the prostitute after the nations, and because you are polluted 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; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.’
In the way of thy sister, hast thou walked, Therefore will I put her cup into thy hand.
32 “The Lord GOD says: ‘You will drink of your sister’s cup, which is deep and large. You will be ridiculed and held in derision. It contains much.
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, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with 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 even drink it and drain it out. You will gnaw the broken pieces of it, and will tear your breasts; for I have spoken it,’ says the Lord GOD.
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 GOD says: ‘Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, therefore you also bear your lewdness and your prostitution.’”
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 The LORD said moreover to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.
And Yahweh said unto me, Son of man Wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare thou unto them their abominations.
37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have also caused their sons, whom they bore to me, to pass through the fire to them to be devoured.
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 Moreover this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned 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 slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and behold, they have done this 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 “Furthermore you sisters have sent for men who come from far away, to whom a messenger was sent, and behold, they came; for whom you washed yourself, painted your eyes, decorated yourself with ornaments,
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 and sat on a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon you set 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 “The voice of a multitude being at ease was with her. With men of the common sort were brought drunkards 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 old in adulteries, ‘Now they will play the prostitute 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, as they go in to a prostitute. So they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd 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 Righteous men will judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is in 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 “For the Lord GOD says: ‘I will bring up a mob against them, and will give them to be tossed back and forth and robbed.
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 The company will stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords. They will kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.
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 “‘Thus I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to be lewd like you.
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 They will recompense your lewdness on you, and you will bear the sins of your idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”
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.

< Ezekiel 23 >