Jezekiel 16
1 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Again the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, testify to Jerusalem [of] her iniquities;
“Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations;
3 and thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord to Jerusalem; Thy root and thy birth are of the land of Chanaan: thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Chettite.
and say, ‘The Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: “Your origin and your birth is of the land of the Canaanite. An Amorite was your father, and your mother was a Hittite.
4 And [as for] thy birth in the day wherein thou wast born, thou didst not bind thy breasts, and thou wast not washed in water, neither wast thou salted with salt, neither wast thou swathed in swaddling-bands.
As for your birth, in the day you were born your navel was not cut. You weren’t washed in water to cleanse you. You weren’t salted at all, nor wrapped in blankets at all.
5 Nor did mine eye pity thee, to do for thee one of all these things, to feel at all for thee; but thou wast cast out on the face of the field, because of the deformity of thy person, in the day wherein thou wast born.
No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you, to have compassion on you; but you were cast out in the open field, because you were abhorred in the day that you were born.
6 And I passed by to thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood; and I said to thee, [Let there be] life out of thy blood:
“‘“When I passed by you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’ Yes, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’
7 increase; I have made thee as the springing grass of the field. So thou didst increase and grow, and didst enter into great cities: thy breasts were set, and thy hair grew, whereas thou wast naked and bare.
I caused you to multiply as that which grows in the field, and you increased and grew great, and you attained to excellent beauty. Your breasts were formed, and your hair grew; yet you were naked and bare.
8 And I passed by thee and saw thee, and, behold, [it was] thy time and a time of resting; and I spread my wings over thee, and covered thy shame, and swear to thee: and I entered into covenant with thee, saith the Lord, and thou becamest mine.
“‘“Now when I passed by you, and looked at you, behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread my garment over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I pledged myself to you and entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord GOD, “and you became mine.
9 And I washed thee in water, and washed thy blood from thee, and anointed thee with oil.
“‘“Then I washed you with water. Yes, I thoroughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil.
10 And I clothed thee with embroidered [garments], and clothed thee beneath with purple, and girded thee with fine linen, and clothed thee with silk,
I clothed you also with embroidered work and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you with fine linen and covered you with silk.
11 and decked thee also with ornaments, and put bracelets on thine hands, and a necklace on thy neck.
I decked you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands, and put a chain on your neck.
12 And I put a pendant on thy nostril, and rings in thine ears, and a crown of glory on thine head.
I put a ring on your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
13 So thou wast adorned with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and variegated work: thou didst eat fine flour, and oil, and honey, and didst become extremely beautiful.
Thus you were decked with gold and silver. Your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered work. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and you prospered to royal estate.
14 And thy name went forth among the nations for thy beauty: because it was perfected with elegance, [and] in the comeliness which I put upon thee, saith the Lord.
Your renown went out amongst the nations for your beauty; for it was perfect, through my majesty which I had put on you,” says the Lord GOD.
15 Thou didst trust in thy beauty, and didst go a-whoring because of thy renown, and didst pour out thy fornication on every passer by.
“‘“But you trusted in your beauty, and played the prostitute because of your renown, and poured out your prostitution on everyone who passed by. It was his.
16 And thou didst take of thy garments, and madest to thyself idols of needlework, and didst go a-whoring after them; therefore thou shalt never come in, nor shall [the like] take place.
You took some of your garments, and made for yourselves high places decked with various colours, and played the prostitute on them. This shouldn’t happen, neither shall it be.
17 And thou tookest thy fair ornaments of my gold and of my silver, of what I gave thee, and thou madest to thyself male images, and thou didst commit whoredom with them.
You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and played the prostitute with them.
18 And thou didst take thy variegated apparel and didst clothe them, and thou didst set before them mine oil and mine incense.
You took your embroidered garments, covered them, and set my oil and my incense before them.
19 And [thou tookest] my bread which I gave thee, ([yea] I fed thee with fine flour and oil and honey) and didst set them before them for a sweet-smelling savour: yea, it was so, saith the Lord.
My bread also which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey, with which I fed you, you even set it before them for a pleasant aroma; and so it was,” says the Lord GOD.
20 And thou tookest thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou borest, and didst sacrifice [these] to them to be destroyed. Thou didst go a-whoring as [if that were] little,
“‘“Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to me, and you have sacrificed these to them to be devoured. Was your prostitution a small matter,
21 and didst slay thy children, and gavest them up in offering them to them for an expiation.
that you have slain my children and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them?
22 This is beyond all thy fornication, and thou didst not remember thine infancy, when thou wast naked and bare, [and] didst live [though] defiled in thy blood.
In all your abominations and your prostitution you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and were wallowing in your blood.
23 And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, saith the Lord,
“‘“It has happened after all your wickedness—woe, woe to you!” says the Lord GOD—
24 that thou didst build thyself a house of fornication, and didst make thyself a public place in every street;
“that you have built for yourselves a vaulted place, and have made yourselves a lofty place in every street.
25 and on the head of every way thou didst set up thy fornications, and didst defile thy beauty, and didst open thy feet to every passer by, and didst multiply thy fornication.
You have built your lofty place at the head of every way, and have made your beauty an abomination, and have opened your feet to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your prostitution.
26 And thou didst go a-whoring after the children of Egypt thy neighbors, great of flesh; and didst go a-whoring, often to provoke me to anger.
You have also committed sexual immorality with the Egyptians, your neighbours, great of flesh; and have multiplied your prostitution, to provoke me to anger.
27 And if I stretch out my hand against thee, then will I abolish thy statutes, and deliver [thee] up to the wills of them that hate thee, [even to] the daughters of the Philistines that turned thee aside from the way wherein thou sinned.
See therefore, I have stretched out my hand over you, and have diminished your portion, and delivered you to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way.
28 And thou didst go a-whoring to the daughters of Assur, and not even thus wast thou satisfied; yea, thou didst go a-whoring, and wast not satisfied.
You have played the prostitute also with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; yes, you have played the prostitute with them, and yet you weren’t satisfied.
29 And thou didst multiply thy covenants with the land of the Chaldeans; and not even with these wast thou satisfied.
You have moreover multiplied your prostitution to the land of merchants, to Chaldea; and yet you weren’t satisfied with this.
30 Why should I make a covenant with thy daughter, saith the Lord, while thou doest all these things, the works of a harlot? and thou hast gone a-whoring in a threefold degree with thy daughters.
“‘“How weak is your heart,” says the Lord GOD, “since you do all these things, the work of an impudent prostitute;
31 Thou hast built a house of harlotry in every top of a way, and hast set up thine high place in every street; and thou didst become as a harlot gathering hires.
in that you build your vaulted place at the head of every way, and make your lofty place in every street, and have not been as a prostitute, in that you scorn pay.
32 An adulteress resembles thee, taking rewards of her husband.
“‘“Adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband!
33 She has even given rewards to all that went a-whoring after her, and thou hast given rewards to all thy lovers, yea, thou didst load them with rewards, that they should come to thee from every side for thy fornication.
People give gifts to all prostitutes; but you give your gifts to all your lovers, and bribe them, that they may come to you on every side for your prostitution.
34 And there has happened in thee perverseness in thy fornication beyond [other] women, and they have committed fornication with thee, in that thou givest hires over and above, and hires were not given to thee; and [thus] perverseness happened in thee.
You are different from other women in your prostitution, in that no one follows you to play the prostitute; and whereas you give hire, and no hire is given to you, therefore you are different.”’
35 Therefore, harlot, hear the word of the Lord:
“Therefore, prostitute, hear the LORD’s word:
36 Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast poured forth thy money, therefore thy shame shall be discovered in thy harlotry with thy lovers, and [with] regard to all the imaginations of thine iniquities, and for the blood of thy children which thou hast given to them.
‘The Lord GOD says, “Because your filthiness was poured out, and your nakedness uncovered through your prostitution with your lovers; and because of all the idols of your abominations, and for the blood of your children, that you gave to them;
37 Therefore, behold, I [will] gather all thy lovers with whom thou hast consorted, and all whom thou hast loved, with all whom thou didst hate; and I will gather them against thee round about, and will expose thy wickedness to them, and they shall see all thy shame.
therefore see, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you have taken pleasure, and all those whom you have loved, with all those whom you have hated. I will even gather them against you on every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.
38 And I will be avenged on thee with the vengeance of an adulteress, and I will bring upon thee blood of fury and jealousy.
I will judge you as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.
39 And I will deliver thee into their hands, and they shall break down thy house of harlotry, and destroy thine high place; and they shall strip thee of thy garments, and shall take thy proud ornaments, and leave thee naked and bare.
I will also give you into their hand, and they will throw down your vaulted place, and break down your lofty places. They will strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful jewels. They will leave you naked and bare.
40 And they shall bring multitudes upon thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and pierce thee with their swords.
They will also bring up a company against you, and they will stone you with stones, and thrust you through with their swords.
41 And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and shall execute vengeance on thee in the sight of many women: and I will turn thee back from harlotry, and I will no more give [thee] rewards.
They will burn your houses with fire, and execute judgements on you in the sight of many women. I will cause you to cease from playing the prostitute, and you will also give no hire any more.
42 So will I slacken my fury against thee, and my jealousy shall be removed from thee, and I will rest, and be no more careful [for thee].
So I will cause my wrath towards you to rest, and my jealousy will depart from you. I will be quiet, and will not be angry any more.
43 Because thou didst not remember thine infancy, and thou didst grieve me in all these things; therefore, behold, I have recompensed thy ways upon thine head, saith the Lord: for thus hast thou wrought ungodliness above all thine [other] iniquities.
“‘“Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have raged against me in all these things; therefore, behold, I also will bring your way on your head,” says the Lord GOD: “and you shall not commit this lewdness with all your abominations.
44 These are all the things they have spoken against thee in a proverb, saying,
“‘“Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb against you, saying, ‘As is the mother, so is her daughter.’
45 As is the mother, so is thy mother's daughter: thou art she that has rejected her husband and her children; and the sisters of thy sisters have rejected their husbands and their children: your mother was a Chettite, and [your] father an Amorite.
You are the daughter of your mother, who loathes her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite.
46 Your elder sister who dwells on thy left hand is Samaria, she and her daughters: and thy younger sister, that dwells on the right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.
Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells at your left hand, she and her daughters; and your younger sister, who dwells at your right hand, is Sodom with her daughters.
47 Yet notwithstanding thou hast not walked in their ways, neither hast thou done according to their iniquities within a little, but thou hast exceeded them in all thy ways.
Yet you have not walked in their ways, nor done their abominations; but soon you were more corrupt than they in all your ways.
48 [As] I live, saith the Lord, this Sodom and her daughters have not done as thou and thy daughters have done.
As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “Sodom your sister has not done, she nor her daughters, as you have done, you and your daughters.
49 Moreover this was the sin of thy 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.
“‘“Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters. She also didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
50 And they boasted, and wrought iniquities before me: so I cut them off as I saw [fit].
They were arrogant and committed abomination before me. Therefore I took them away when I saw it.
51 Also Samaria has not sinned according to half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine iniquities beyond them, and thou hast justified thy sisters in all thine iniquities which thou hast committed.
Samaria hasn’t committed half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters by all your abominations which you have done.
52 Thou therefore bear thy punishment, for that thou hast corrupted thy sisters by thy sins which thou hast committed beyond them; and thou hast made them [appear] more righteous than thyself: thou therefore be ashamed, and bear thy dishonour, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.
You also bear your own shame yourself, in that you have given judgement for your sisters; through your sins that you have committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous than you. Yes, be also confounded, and bear your shame, in that you have justified your sisters.
53 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 thy captivity in the midst of them:
“‘“I will reverse their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and the captivity of your captives amongst them;
54 that thou mayest bear thy punishment, and be dishonoured for all that thou hast done in provoking me to anger.
that you may bear your own shame, and may be ashamed because of all that you have done, in that you are a comfort to them.
55 And thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall be restored as they were at the beginning, and thou and thy daughters shall be restored as ye were at the beginning.
Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, will return to their former estate; and Samaria and her daughters will return to their former estate; and you and your daughters will return to your former estate.
56 And surely thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the days of thy pride:
For your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the day of your pride,
57 before thy wickedness was discovered, even now thou art the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all that are round about her, [even] of the daughters of the Philistines that compass thee round about.
before your wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all who are around her, the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you all around.
58 [As for] thine ungodliness and thine iniquities, thou hast borne them, saith the Lord.
You have borne your lewdness and your abominations,” says the LORD.
59 Thus saith the Lord; I will even do to thee as thou hast done, as thou hast dealt shamefully in these things to transgress my covenant.
“‘For the Lord GOD says: “I will also deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant.
60 And I will remember my covenant [made] with thee in the days of thine infancy, and I will establish to thee an everlasting covenant.
Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.
61 Then thou shalt remember thy way, and shalt be utterly dishonoured when thou receivest thine elder sisters with thy younger ones: and I will give them to thee for building up, but not by thy covenant.
Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, your elder sisters and your younger; and I will give them to you for daughters, but not by your covenant.
62 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord:
I will establish my covenant with you. Then you will know that I am the LORD;
63 that thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, and mayest no more be able to open thy mouth for thy shame, when I am reconciled to thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord.
that you may remember, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done,” says the Lord GOD.’”
