Ezekiel 16
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
“Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD to Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.
And you shall say: Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your root and your lineage is from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Cethite.
4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to cleanse thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.
And when you were born, on the day of your nativity, your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were not washed with water for health, nor salted with salt, nor wrapped with cloths.
5 No eye pitied thee, to do any of these to thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.
No eye took pity on you, so as to do even one of these things to you, out of compassion for you. Instead, you were cast upon the face of the earth, in the abjection of your soul, on the day when you were born.
6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy own blood, I said to thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said to thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.
But, passing by you, I saw that you were wallowing in your own blood. And I said to you, when you were in your blood: ‘Live.’ I tell you that I said to you, in your blood: ‘Live.’
7 I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and become great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thy hair is grown, though thou wast naked and bare.
I multiplied you like the seedling of the field. And you were multiplied and became great, and you advanced and arrived at the ornament of a woman. Your breasts rose up, and your hair grew. And you were naked and full of shame.
8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I swore to thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
And I passed by you and saw you. And behold, your time was the time of lovers. And I spread my garment over you, and I covered your disgrace. And I swore to you, and I entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord God, and you became mine.
9 Then I washed thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
And I washed you with water, and I cleansed you of your blood. And I anointed you with oil.
10 I clothed thee also with embroidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
And I covered you with embroidery, and I put violet shoes upon you, and I wrapped you in fine linen, and I clothed you with delicate garments.
11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
I adorned you with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon your hands and a necklace around your neck.
12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.
And I put gold upon your face, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.
13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
And you were adorned with gold and silver, and you were clothed in fine linen, woven with many colors. You ate fine flour, and honey, and oil. And you became very beautiful. And you advanced to royal power.
14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
And your renown went forth among the Gentiles, because of your beauty. For you were perfected by my beauty, which I had placed upon you, says the Lord God.
15 But thou didst trust in thy own beauty, and didst play the harlot because of thy renown, and didst pour out thy harlotries on every one that passed by; his it was.
But, having confidence in your own beauty, you fornicated in your fame. And you presented your fornication to every passer-by, so as to become his.
16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and didst deck thy high places with various colours, and didst play the harlot upon them: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
And taking from your garments, you made for yourself exalted things, having sewed together disparate pieces. And you fornicated upon them, in a way that has not been done before, nor will be in the future.
17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and hast made to thyself images of men, and hast committed harlotry with them,
And you took your beautiful items, made of my gold and my silver, which I gave to you, and you made for yourself images of men, and you fornicated with them.
18 And hast taken thy embroidered garments, and didst cover them: and thou hast set my oil and my incense before them.
And you used your multicolored vestments to cover these things. And you placed my oil and my incense before them.
19 My food also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, with which I fed thee, thou hast even set before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.
And my bread, which I gave to you, the fine flour, and the oil, and the honey, by which I nourished you, you placed in their sight as a sweet fragrance. And so it was done, says the Lord God.
20 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne to me, and these hast thou sacrificed to them to be devoured. Is this of thy harlotries a small matter,
And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore for me, and you immolated them to be devoured. Is your fornication a small matter?
21 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?
You have immolated my sons, and you have consecrated and delivered my sons to them.
22 And in all thy abominations and thy harlotries thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.
And after all your abominations and fornications, you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and full of shame, wallowing in your own blood.
23 And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, woe, ( woe to thee! saith the Lord GOD; )
And it happened that, after all your wickedness, (woe, woe to you, says the Lord God)
24 That thou hast also built to thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street.
you built for yourself a brothel, and you made for yourself a place of prostitution in every street.
25 Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast offered thyself to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy harlotries.
At the head of every way, you set up a banner of your prostitution. And you caused your beauty to become abominable. And you distributed your feet to every passer-by. And you multiplied your fornications.
26 Thou hast also committed harlotry with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast multiplied thy harlotry, to provoke me to anger.
And you fornicated with the sons of Egypt, your neighbors, who have large bodies. And you multiplied your fornications, so as to provoke me.
27 Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thy ordinary food, and delivered thee to the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of thy lewd way.
Behold, I will extend my hand over you, and I will take away your justification. And I will give you to the souls of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your wicked way.
28 Thou hast played the harlot also with the Assyrians, because thou wast not satisfied; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.
You also fornicated with the sons of the Assyrians, for you were not yet done. And after you fornicated, even then, you were not satisfied.
29 Thou hast moreover multiplied thy harlotry in the land of Canaan to Chaldea; and yet with this thou wast not satisfied.
And you multiplied your fornications in the land of Canaan with the Chaldeans. And even then, you were not satisfied.
30 How weak is thy heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious harlot;
With what can I cleanse your heart, says the Lord God, since you do all these things, the works of a woman who is a shameless prostitute?
31 In that thou buildest thy eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thy high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;
For you have built your brothel at the head of every way, and you have made your exalted place on every street. And you have not even been like a choosy prostitute, increasing her price,
32 But as a wife that committeth adultery, who taketh strangers instead of her husband!
but instead like a woman who is an adulteress, who prefers strangers to her own husband.
33 They give gifts to all harlots: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come to thee on every side for thy harlotry.
Wages are given to all prostitutes. But you have given wages to all your lovers, and you have given gifts to them, so that they would enter to you from every side, in order to fornicate with you.
34 And thou art the opposite from other women in thy harlotries, though none followeth thee to commit harlotries: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given to thee, therefore thou art the opposite.
And it is done with you, in your fornications, contrary to the custom of women, and even after you, there will be no such fornication. For in as much as you have given payment, and not taken payment, what has been done in you is the contrary.”
35 Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:
Because of this, O harlot, listen to the word of the Lord.
36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness uncovered through thy harlotries with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give to them;
Thus says the Lord God: “Because your money has been poured out, and your disgrace has been uncovered, in your fornications with your lovers and with the idols of your abominations, in the blood of your sons, whom you gave to them:
37 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them on every side against thee, and will uncover thy nakedness to them, that they may see all thy nakedness.
Behold, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you have united, and all those whom you have loved, together with all those whom you have hated. And I will gather them together against you on every side. And I will uncover your disgrace before them, and they will see all your indecency.
38 And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.
And I will judge you with the judgment of adulteresses and of those who shed blood. And I will give you over to blood, in fury and in zeal.
39 And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thy eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.
And I will deliver you into their hands. And they will destroy your brothel and demolish your place of prostitution. And they will strip you of your vestments. And they will take away the ornaments of your beauty. And they will leave you behind, naked and full of disgrace.
40 They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.
And they will lead over you a multitude. And they will stone you with stones, and massacre you with their swords.
41 And they shall burn thy houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.
And they will burn up your houses with fire, and they will carry out judgments against you in the sight of many women. And you will cease from fornication, and no longer give payment.
42 So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.
And my indignation will be quieted in you. And my zeal will be taken from you. And I will rest, and no longer be angry.
43 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast provoked me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thy head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thy abominations.
For you have not remembered the days of your youth, and you have provoked me in all these things. Because of this, I also have delivered all your ways upon your head, says the Lord God, but I have not acted in accord with your wickedness in all your abominations.
44 Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.
Behold, all who speak a common proverb will take this up against you, saying: ‘Like the mother, so also is her daughter.’
45 Thou art thy mother’s daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, who lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.
You are your mother’s daughter, for she cast away her husband and her children. And you are the sister of your sisters, for they cast away their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Cethite, and your father was an Amorite.
46 And thy elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.
And your older sister is Samaria, she and her daughters are those who live to your left. But your younger sister, who lives to your right, is Sodom and her daughters.
47 Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.
But neither have you walked in their ways. For you have done only a little less compared to their wickedness. You have acted almost more wickedly, in all your ways, than they have acted.
48 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.
As I live, says the Lord God, your sister Sodom herself, and her daughters, have not done as you and your daughters have done.
49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
Behold, this was the iniquity of Sodom, your sister: arrogance, indulgence in bread and abundance, and the idleness of her and her daughters; and they did not reach out their hand to the needy and the poor.
50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
And they were exalted, and they committed abominations before me. And so I took them away, just as you have seen.
51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thy abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thy abominations which thou hast done.
But Samaria has not committed even half of your sins. For you have exceeded them in your wickedness, and you have justified your sisters by all your abominations, which you have wrought.
52 Thou also, who hast judged thy sisters, bear thy own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.
Therefore, you also bear your shame, for you have exceeded your sisters with your sins, acting more wickedly than they did. So they have been justified above you. By this also, you are confounded, and you bear your disgrace, for you have justified your sisters.
53 When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
But I will convert and restore them, by converting Sodom with her daughters, and by converting Samaria and her daughters. And I will convert your return in their midst.
54 That thou mayest bear thy own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort to them.
So may you bear your disgrace and be confounded over all that you have done, consoling them.
55 When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former state.
And your sister Sodom and her daughters will return to their ancient state. And Samaria and her daughters will return to their ancient state. And you and your daughters will be returned to your ancient state.
56 For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride,
Your sister Sodom was not heard from your mouth, then, in the day of your pride,
57 Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are around her, the daughters of the Philistines, who despise thee on every side.
before your malice was revealed, as it is at this time, with the reproach of the daughters of Syria and of all the daughters of Palestine, who surround you, who encircle you on every side.
58 Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thy abominations, saith the LORD.
You have borne your wickedness and your disgrace, says the Lord God.”
59 For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, who hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.
For thus says the Lord God: “I will act toward you, just as you have despised the oath, so that you would make void the covenant.
60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish to thee an everlasting covenant.
And I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth. And I will raise up for you an everlasting covenant.
61 Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thy elder and thy younger: and I will give them to thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.
And you shall remember your ways and be confounded, when you will have received your sisters, your elder with your younger. And I will give them to you as daughters, but not by your covenant.
62 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:
And I will raise up my covenant with you. And you shall know that I am the Lord.
63 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.
So may you remember and be confounded. And it will no longer be for you to open your mouth, because of your shame, when I will have been pacified toward you over all that you have done, says the Lord God.”
