Jezekiel 23

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

Yahweh said to me,

2 Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother:

“You human, [listen to this parable about Jerusalem and Samaria]. Once 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.

They lived in Egypt. And from the time that they were young women, they became prostitutes. In that land, [men] fondled their breasts and caressed their bosoms [DOU].

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 [sister] was Oholah, and her [younger] sister was Oholibah. [It was as though] they became my [wives. Later] they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.

5 And Oola went a-whoring from me, and doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians that were her neighbors,

Oholah acted like a prostitute while she was [still] my wife. She desired to have sex with those she loved—soldiers from Assyria.

6 clothed with purple, princes and captains; [they were] young men and choice, all horseman riding on horses.

[Some of them] were army officers and commanders. They wore [beautiful] blue [uniforms. They were] all handsome young men. Some of them rode horses.

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 acted like a prostitute toward all the important Assyrian officials, and became unacceptable to me by worshiping all the idols of the men she wanted to have sex with.

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.

When she was a young woman in Egypt, she started being a prostitute, and [young] men caressed her breasts and had sex with her; and when she became older, she did not quit acting like a prostitute.

9 Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the children of the Assyrians, on whom she doted.

So I allowed the Assyrian soldiers, whom she wanted to have sex with, to capture her.

10 They uncovered her shame: they took her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword: and she became a byword among women: and they wrought vengeance in her for the sake of the daughters.

They stripped all her clothes off her. They took away her sons and daughters. And then they killed her with a sword. [Other] women started talking about what had happened to her, about how she had been punished.

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.

[younger] sister Oholibah saw those [that happened to Oholah], but she was a prostitute, and she desired to have sex with men more than [older] sister had desired.

12 She doted upon the sons of the Assyrian, princes and captains, her neighbors, clothed with fine linen, horsemen riding on horses; [they were] all choice young men.

Oholibah [also] wanted to have sex with the Assyrian soldiers. [Some of them were] army officers and commanders. [They all] wore beautiful blue uniforms. They were all handsome young men. [Some of] them rode horses.

13 And I saw that they were defiled, [that] the two [had] one way.

I saw what she did that caused her to became unacceptable to me, just like [older] sister.

14 And she increased her fornication, and she saw men painted on the wall, likenesses of the Chaldeans painted with a pencil,

But she did [even] worse things. She saw drawings of men from Babylonia on the walls, painted in red.

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.

The [in the drawings] had belts around their waists and long turbans on their heads. They all resembled officers from Babylonia [DOU] [who rode in chariots].

16 And she doted upon them as soon as she saw them, and sent forth messengers to them into the land of the Chaldeans.

As soon as she saw those drawings, she wanted to have sex with those men, and she sent messages to them in Babylonia.

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 soldiers from Babylonia came to her, they lay in bed with her, and they had sex with her. Then she became disgusted with them and turned away from them.

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.

But when she continued to openly/boldly act like a prostitute [DOU], I became disgusted with her, and I rejected her like I had rejected [older] 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,

But she became even more immoral, as she remembered when she was a young woman who was a prostitute in 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.

There she wanted to have sex with those who loved her, whose genitals were [very long], like [SIM] those of donkeys, and whose sexual emissions were huge, [like] those of horses.

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 she desired to be immoral like she was when she was young, when men in Egypt caressed her bosom and fondled her 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,

“[represents you people of Jerusalem]. Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘I will cause those [soldiers] who loved you but whom you turned away from because you became disgusted with them, to be angry with you. I will cause them to come and attack 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.

soldiers from Babylon and all the other places in Babylonia, [their allies] from Pekod and Shoa and [regions], and all the army of Assyria. [Yes], all of them are handsome young men, army officers and commanders, officers who ride in chariots, all riding 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 judgment before them, and they shall take vengeance on you with their judgments.

Their huge army will attack you with weapons, riding in chariots and pulling wagons [that will carry their army supplies]. They will surround you, carrying large and small shields, and wearing helmets. I will allow them to capture you and punish you in the way that they [always] [their enemies].

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.

Because I am very angry with you, I will cause them to act [very] furiously toward you. They will cut off your noses and your ears. Then, those who are still alive, they will kill with their swords. They will take away your sons and daughters, and a fire will burn up those who remain alive.

26 And they shall strip you of your raiment, and take [away] your ornaments.

They will strip off your clothes and your fine jewelry and take them away.

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.

In that way, I will stop all the immoral behavior that began when you became a prostitute in Egypt. You will no longer desire to do those things, or think [what you did in] Egypt.’

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.

This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘I am about to allow those whom you hate, those you became disgusted with and turned away from, to capture you.

29 And they shall deal with you in hatred, and shall take all [the fruits] of your labors 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 be cruel and take away everything that you have worked hard to acquire. They will leave you completely naked [DOU], and everyone will see that you truly are a prostitute.

30 brought this upon you, in that you went a-whoring after the nations, and did defile yourself with their devices.

It is because of what you have done that you will be punished like that; you have been an immoral prostitute; you have had sex with men of other nations, and you have caused yourselves to become unacceptable to me [worshiping] their idols.

31 You did walk in the way of your sister; and I will put her cup into your hands.

You have behaved [the people of Samaria, who are like] your [older] sister. So I will cause you to be punished [MET] like they were punished.’

32 Thus says the Lord; Drink your sister's cup, deep and large, and full, to cause complete drunkenness.

This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘[You will suffer like people suffer when they drink from a cup a lot of strong alcoholic drink]: [It will be as though] you will drink from the cup that the people of Samaria drank from; a big and tall cup. Because of your drinking what is in that cup, many people will scorn you and make fun of you because there is a lot of liquid in that cup.

33 And you shall be thoroughly weakened; and the cup of destruction, the cup of your sister Samaria,

When you become very drunk, you will become very sad, [drinking what is in] that cup [MTY] will cause you to become ruined and deserted, like what happened [MET] to [the people of] Samaria, [who are like] [MET] your sister.

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 all the liquid that is in that cup; then you will break that cup into pieces [use those pieces to] gash/cut your [because you will be very sad].’ [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.

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 [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘Because you have forgotten me and rejected me [IDM], you must be punished for your immoral behavior and for [like] a prostitute.’”

36 And the Lord said to me, Son of man, will you not judge Oola and Ooliba? and declare to them their iniquities?

Yahweh said to me, “You human, you must [RHQ] [the people of those two cities represented by] Oholah and Oholibah. You must remind them of their detestable behavior:

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.

[It is as though the people of those cities] have committed adultery and have murdered [MTY] people. They have been unfaithful to me by [worshiping] idols. They have even sacrificed their own children, who belonged to me, to be 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 done [disgraceful things]: They have caused my temple to be an unacceptable place for worship, and have not respected the Sabbath days.

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 same day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my temple, which caused it to be an unacceptable place for worshiping me.

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,

They sent messages to men [in countries] far away. And when those men arrived, [the women of those two cities] bathed themselves for them, painted their eyebrows, and put on 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,

They sat on a beautiful couch, with a table in front of it on which they had put incense and [olive] oil that belonged to me.

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;

Soon there was a noisy crowd around them. Among the crowd there were men from Sheba who had come from the [of Arabia]. They put bracelets on the arms of the [two] sisters and put beautiful crowns on their heads.

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 about the woman who had become exhausted by her having sex with many men, ‘Now allow those men to act toward her as though she is a prostitute, because that is all that 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.

So they had sex [EUP] with those two women, Oholah and Oholibah, like men have sex with prostitutes.

45 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.

But righteous men will condemn them to be punished, like women who commit adultery and who murder others are punished, because those women commit adultery and they murder [MTY] others.

46 Thus says the Lord God, Bring up a multitude upon them, and send trouble and plunder into the midst of them.

So this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: Bring a mob to attack Samaria and Jerusalem, and allow that mob to cause the people of those cities to be terrified, and to rob them.

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 throw stones at [to kill them]; they will cut them into pieces 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.

In that way I will cause them to stop their immoral behavior. It will warn other women to not imitate/do what you people of Jerusalem are doing.

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.

[people of Jerusalem] will be punished for your immoral behavior and for your worshiping idols. Then you will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”