Jezekiel 23
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother:
“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,
3 and they went a-whoring in Egypt in their youth: there their breasts fell, there they lost their virginity.
and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed.
4 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.
The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
5 And Oola went a-whoring from me, and doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians that were her neighbours,
Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors
6 clothed with purple, princes and captains; [they were] young men and choice, all horseman riding on horses.
clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all desirable young men, horsemen mounted on steeds.
7 And she bestowed her fornication upon them; all were choice sons of the Assyrians: and on whoever she doted herself, with them she defiled herself in all [their] devices.
She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted.
8 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.
She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their lust upon her.
9 Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the children of the Assyrians, on whom she doted.
Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted.
10 They uncovered her shame: they took her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword: and she became a byword amongst women: and they wrought vengeance in her for the sake of the daughters.
They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and put her to the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgment against her.
11 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.
Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.
12 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.
She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors dressed in splendor, horsemen riding on steeds, all desirable young men.
13 And I saw that they were defiled, [that] the two [had] one way.
And I saw that she too had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path.
14 And she increased her fornication, and she saw men painted on the wall, likenesses of the Chaldeans painted with a pencil,
But Oholibah carried her prostitution even further. She saw the men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, engraved in vermilion,
15 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.
wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth.
16 And she doted upon them as soon as she saw them, and sent forth messengers to them into the land of the Chaldeans.
At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
17 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.
Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. But after she had been defiled by them, she turned away in disgust.
18 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.
When Oholibah openly prostituted herself and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.
19 And you did multiply your fornication, so as to call to remembrance the days of your youth, wherein you did commit whoredom in Egypt,
Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt
20 and you did dote upon the Chaldeans, whose flesh is as the flesh of the asses, and their members [as] the members of horses.
and lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.
21 And you did look upon the iniquity of your youth, [the things] which you wrought in Egypt in your lodgings, where were the breasts of your youth.
So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts.
22 Therefore, Ooliba, thus says the Lord; Behold, I [will] stir up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is alienated, and I will bring them upon you round about,
Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will incite your lovers against you, those from whom you turned away in disgust. And I will bring them against you from every side—
23 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.
the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them—all desirable young men, governors and commanders, officers and men of renown, mounted on horses.
24 And they all shall come upon you from the north, chariots and wheels, with a multitude of nations, shields and targets; and [the enemy] shall set a watch against you round about: and I will set judgement before them, and they shall take vengeance on you with their judgements.
They will come against you with a host of peoples, with weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will array themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet. I will delegate judgment to them, and they will punish you according to their own standards.
25 And I will bring upon you my jealousy, and they shall deal with you in great wrath: they shall take away your nose and your ears; and shall cast down your remnant with the sword: they shall take your sons and your daughters; and your remnant fire shall devour.
And I will set My jealous rage against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your remnant will be consumed by fire.
26 And they shall strip you of your raiment, and take [away] your ornaments.
They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry.
27 So I will turn back your ungodliness from you, and your fornication from the land of Egypt: and you shall not lift up your eyes upon them, and shall no more remember Egypt.
So I will put an end to your indecency and prostitution, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’
28 Therefore thus says the Lord God; Behold, I [will] deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, from whom your soul is alienated.
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hands of those you hate, from whom you turned away in disgust.
29 And they shall deal with you in hatred, and shall take all [the fruits] of your labours and your toils, and you shall be naked and bare: and the shame of your fornication shall be exposed: and your ungodliness and your fornication
They will treat you with hatred, take all for which you have worked, and leave you naked and bare, so that the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your indecency and promiscuity
30 brought this upon you, in that you went a-whoring after the nations, and did defile yourself with their devices.
have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
31 You did walk in the way of your sister; and I will put her cup into your hands.
Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.’
32 Thus says the Lord; Drink your sister's cup, deep and large, and full, to cause complete drunkenness.
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, a cup deep and wide. It will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much.
33 And you shall be thoroughly weakened; and the cup of destruction, the cup of your sister Samaria,
You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.
34 drink you it, and I will take away her feasts and her new moons: for I have spoken [it], says the Lord.
You will drink it and drain it; you will dash it to pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken,’
35 Therefore thus says the Lord; Because you has forgotten me, and cast me behind your back, therefore receive you [the reward] of your ungodliness and your fornication.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.’”
36 And the Lord said to me, Son of man, will you not judge Oola and Ooliba? and declare to them their iniquities?
Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.
37 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.
For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols.
38 So long too as they did these things to me, they defiled my sanctuary, and profaned my sabbaths.
They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths.
39 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;
On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house.
40 and whereas they did thus to the men that came from afar, to whom they sent messengers, and as soon as they came, immediately you did wash yourself, and did paint your eyes and adorn yourself with ornaments,
Furthermore, you sisters sent messengers for men who came from afar; and behold, when they arrived, you bathed for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry.
41 and sat 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,
You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil,
42 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;
accompanied by the sound of a carefree crowd. Drunkards were brought in from the desert along with men from the rabble, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your head.
43 Therefore I said, Do they not commit adultery with these? and has she also gone a-whoring [after] the manner of a harlot?
Then I said of her who had grown old in adulteries: ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is!’
44 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.
And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women.
45 And they are just men, and shall take vengeance on them with the judgement of an adulteress and the judgement of blood: for they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed, because they are adulteresses with blood on their hands.
46 Thus says the Lord God, Bring up a multitude upon them, and send trouble and plunder into the midst of them.
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder.
47 And stone them with the stones of a multitude, and pierce them with their swords: they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and shall burn up their houses.
The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
48 And I will remove ungodliness out of the land, and all the women shall be instructed, and shall not do according to their ungodliness.
So I will put an end to indecency in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your behavior.
49 And your ungodliness shall be recompensed upon you, and you shall bear the guilt of your devices: and you shall know that I am the Lord.
They will repay you for your indecency, and you will bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”
