Ezekiel 16
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her abominations
Son of man, testify to Jerusalem [of] her iniquities;
3 and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
and you shall say, Thus says the Lord to Jerusalem; Your root and your birth are of the land of Chanaan: your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Chettite.
4 On the day of your birth your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.
And [as for] your birth in the day wherein you were born, you did not bind your breasts, and you were not washed in water, neither was you salted with salt, neither was you swathed in swaddling-bands.
5 No one cared enough for you to do even one of these things out of compassion for you. Instead, you were thrown out into the open field, because you were despised on the day of your birth.
Nor did mine eye pity you, to do for you one of all these things, to feel at all for you; but you were cast out on the face of the field, because of the deformity of your person, in the day wherein you were born.
6 Then I passed by and saw you wallowing in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, ‘Live!’ There I said to you, ‘Live!’
And I passed by to you, and saw you polluted in your blood; and I said to you, [Let there be] life out of your blood:
7 I made you thrive like a plant of the field. You grew up and matured and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.
increase; I have made you as the springing grass of the field. So you did increase and grow, and did enter into great cities: your breasts were set, and your hair grew, whereas you were naked and bare.
8 Then I passed by and saw you, and you were indeed old enough for love. So I spread My cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged Myself to you, entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine, declares the Lord GOD.
And I passed by you and saw you, and, behold, [it was] your time and a time of resting; and I spread my wings over you, and covered your shame, and swear to you: and I entered into covenant with you, says the Lord, and you became mine.
9 Then I bathed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil.
And I washed you in water, and washed your blood from you, and anointed you with oil.
10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.
And I clothed you with embroidered [garments], and clothed you beneath with purple, and girded you with fine linen, and clothed you with silk,
11 I adorned you with jewelry, and I put bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck.
and decked you also with ornaments, and put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace on your neck.
12 I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.
And I put a pendant on your nostril, and rings in your ears, and a crown of glory on your head.
13 So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be queen.
So you were adorned with gold and silver; and your raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and variegated work: you did eat fine flour, and oil, and honey, and did become extremely beautiful.
14 Your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect in the splendor I bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD.
And your name went forth amongst the nations for your beauty: because it was perfected with elegance, [and] in the comeliness which I put upon you, says the Lord.
15 But because of your fame, you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot. You lavished your favors on everyone who passed by, and your beauty was theirs for the asking.
You did trust in your beauty, and did go a-whoring because of your renown, and did pour out your fornication on every passer by.
16 You took some of your garments and made colorful high places for yourself, and on them you prostituted yourself. Such things should not have happened; never should they have occurred!
And you did take of your garments, and made to yourself idols of needlework, and did go a-whoring after them; therefore you shall never come in, nor shall [the like] take place.
17 You also took the fine jewelry of gold and silver I had given you, and you made male idols with which to prostitute yourself.
And you took your fair ornaments of my gold and of my silver, of what I gave you, and you made to yourself male images, and you did commit whoredom with them.
18 You took your embroidered garments to cover them, and you set My oil and incense before them.
And you did take your variegated apparel and did clothe them, and you did set before them mine oil and mine incense.
19 And you set before them as a pleasing aroma the food I had given you—the fine flour, oil, and honey that I had fed you. That is what happened, declares the Lord GOD.
And [you took] my bread which I gave you, ([yes] I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey) and did set them before them for a sweet smelling savour: yes, it was so, says the Lord.
20 You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough?
And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore, and did sacrifice [these] to them to be destroyed. You did go a-whoring as [if that were] little,
21 You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols.
and did kill your children, and gave them up in offering them to them for an expiation.
22 And in all your abominations and acts of prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your own blood.
This is beyond all your fornication, and you did not remember your infancy, when you were naked and bare, [and] did live [though] defiled in your blood.
23 Woe! Woe to you, declares the Lord GOD. And in addition to all your other wickedness,
And it came to pass after all your wickedness, says the Lord,
24 you built yourself a mound and made yourself a lofty shrine in every public square.
that you did build yourself a house of fornication, and did make yourself a public place in every street;
25 At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty. With increasing promiscuity, you spread your legs to all who passed by.
and on the head of every way you did set up your fornications, and did defile your beauty, and did open your feet to every passer by, and did multiply your fornication.
26 You prostituted yourself with your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, and increased your promiscuity to provoke Me to anger.
And you did go a-whoring after the children of Egypt your neighbours, great of flesh; and did go a-whoring, often to provoke me to anger.
27 Therefore I stretched out My hand against you and reduced your portion. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd conduct.
And if I stretch out my hand against you, then will I abolish your statutes, and deliver [you] up to the wills of them that hate you, [even to] the daughters of the Philistines that turned you aside from the way wherein you sinned.
28 Then you prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, because you were not yet satisfied. Even after that, you were still not satisfied.
And you did go a-whoring to the daughters of Assur, and not even thus was you satisfied; yes, you did go a-whoring, and was not satisfied.
29 So you extended your promiscuity to Chaldea, the land of merchants—but even with this you were not satisfied!
And you did multiply your covenants with the land of the Chaldeans; and not even with these was you satisfied.
30 How weak-willed is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, while you do all these things, the acts of a shameless prostitute!
Why should I make a covenant with your daughter, says the Lord, while you do all these things, the works of a harlot? and you have gone a-whoring in a threefold degree with your daughters.
31 But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment.
You have built a house of harlotry in every top of a way, and have set up your high place in every street; and you did become as a harlot gathering hires.
32 You adulterous wife! You receive strangers instead of your own husband!
An adulteress resembles you, taking rewards of her husband.
33 Men give gifts to all their prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.
She has even given rewards to all that went a-whoring after her, and you have given rewards to all your lovers, yes, you did load them with rewards, that they should come to you from every side for your fornication.
34 So your prostitution is the opposite of that of other women: No one solicited your favors, and you paid a fee instead of receiving one; so you are the very opposite!
And there has happened in you perverseness in your fornication beyond [other] women, and they have committed fornication with you, in that you give hires over and above, and hires were not given to you; and [thus] perverseness happened in you.
35 Therefore, O prostitute, hear the word of the LORD!
Therefore, harlot, hear the word of the Lord:
36 This is what the Lord GOD says: Because you poured out your wealth and exposed your nakedness in your promiscuity with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them,
Thus says the Lord, Because you have poured forth your money, therefore your shame shall be discovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and [with] regard to all the imaginations of your iniquities, and for the blood of your children which you have given to them.
37 therefore I will surely gather all the lovers with whom you found pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose you before them, and they will see you completely naked.
Therefore, behold, I [will] gather all your lovers with whom you have consorted, and all whom you have loved, with all whom you did hate; and I will gather them against you round about, and will expose your wickedness to them, and they shall see all your shame.
38 And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy.
And I will be avenged on you with the vengeance of an adulteress, and I will bring upon you blood of fury and jealousy.
39 Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will level your mounds and tear down your lofty shrines. They will strip off your clothes, take your fine jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.
And I will deliver you into their hands, and they shall break down your house of harlotry, and destroy your high place; and they shall strip you of your garments, and shall take your proud ornaments, and leave you naked and bare.
40 They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords.
And they shall bring multitudes upon you, and they shall stone you with stones, and pierce you with their swords.
41 Then they will burn down your houses and execute judgment against you in the sight of many women. I will put an end to your prostitution, and you will never again pay your lovers.
And they shall burn your houses with fire, and shall execute vengeance on you in the sight of many women: and I will turn you back from harlotry, and I will no more give [you] rewards.
42 So I will lay to rest My wrath against you, and My jealousy will turn away from you. Then I will be calm and no longer angry.
So will I slacken my fury against you, and my jealousy shall be removed from you, and I will rest, and be no more careful [for you].
43 Because you did not remember the days of your youth, but enraged Me with all these things, I will surely bring your deeds down upon your own head, declares the Lord GOD. Have you not committed this lewdness on top of all your other abominations?
Because you did not remember your infancy, and you did grieve me in all these things; therefore, behold, I have recompensed your ways upon your head, says the Lord: for thus have you wrought ungodliness above all your [other] iniquities.
44 Behold, all who speak in proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’
These are all the things they have spoken against you in a proverb, saying,
45 You are the daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.
As is the mother, so is your mother's daughter: you are she that has rejected her husband and her children; and the sisters of your sisters have rejected their husbands and their children: your mother was a Chettite, and [your] father an Amorite.
46 Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters to your north; and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to your south.
Your elder sister who dwells on your left hand is Samaria, she and her daughters: and your younger sister, that dwells on the right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.
47 And you not only walked in their ways and practiced their abominations, but soon you were more depraved than they were.
Yet notwithstanding you have not walked in their ways, neither have you done according to their iniquities within a little, but you have exceeded them in all your ways.
48 As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did as you and your daughters have done.
[As] I live, says the Lord, this Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.
49 Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy.
Moreover this was the sin of your sister Sodom, pride: she and her daughters lived in pleasure, in fullness of bread [and] in abundance: this belonged to her and her daughters, and they helped not the hand of the poor and needy.
50 Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them, as you have seen.
And they boasted, and wrought iniquities before me: so I cut them off as I saw [fit].
51 Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have multiplied your abominations beyond theirs, and all the abominations you have committed have made your sisters appear righteous.
Also Samaria has not sinned according to half of your sins; but you have multiplied your iniquities beyond them, and you have justified your sisters in all your iniquities which you have committed.
52 So now you must bear your disgrace, since you have brought justification for your sisters. For they appear more righteous than you, because your sins were more vile than theirs. So you too must bear your shame and disgrace, since you have made your sisters appear righteous.
You therefore bear your punishment, for that you have corrupted your sisters by your sins which you have committed beyond them; and you have made them [appear] more righteous than yourself: you therefore be ashamed, and bear your dishonour, in that you have justified your sisters.
53 But I will restore Sodom and her daughters from captivity, as well as Samaria and her daughters. And I will restore you along with them.
And I will turn their captivity, [even] the captivity of Sodom and her daughters; and I will turn the captivity of Samaria and her daughters; and I will turn your captivity in the midst of them:
54 So you will bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you did to comfort them.
that you may bear your punishment, and be dishonoured for all that you have done in provoking me to anger.
55 And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to their former state. You and your daughters will also return to your former state.
And your sister Sodom and her daughters shall be restored as they were at the beginning, and you and your daughters shall be restored as you were at the beginning.
56 Did you not treat your sister Sodom as an object of scorn in the day of your pride,
And surely your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the days of your pride:
57 before your wickedness was uncovered? Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all those around her, and by the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you.
before your wickedness was discovered, even now you are the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all that are round about her, [even] of the daughters of the Philistines that compass you round about.
58 You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your abominations, declares the LORD.
[As for] your ungodliness and your iniquities, you have borne them, says the Lord.
59 For this is what the Lord GOD says: I will deal with you according to your deeds, since you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.
Thus says the Lord; I will even do to you as you have done, as you have dealt shamefully in these things to transgress my covenant.
60 But I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.
And I will remember my covenant [made] with you in the days of your infancy, and I will establish to you an everlasting covenant.
61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of My covenant with you.
Then you shall remember your way, and shall be utterly dishonoured when you receive your elder sisters with your younger ones: and I will give them to you for building up, but not by your covenant.
62 So I will establish My covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD,
And I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall know that I am the Lord:
63 so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your disgrace, declares the Lord GOD.”
that you may remember, and be ashamed, and may no more be able to open your mouth for your shame, when I am reconciled to you for all that you have done, says the Lord.
