Ezekiel 23
1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, there were once two women. They were daughters of the same mother.
“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,
3 They became prostitutes in Egypt. In fact, they were prostitutes from the time they were young. They allowed their virgin breasts to be fondled and their nipples squeezed.
and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed.
4 The older girl was called Oholah, and her sister Oholibah. I married them both and they had sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
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 Oholah prostituted herself while she was still married to me. She wanted to have sex with her lovers, the Assyrians.
Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors
6 They were soldiers dressed in blue, leaders and commanders, all of them handsome young men in the cavalry.
clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all desirable young men, horsemen mounted on steeds.
7 She gave away herself sexually to all the important men of Assyria. She made herself unclean by her worship of all the idols of those men she wanted to have sex with.
She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted.
8 She didn't stop her prostitution that she started in Egypt—men sleeping with her when she was young, squeezing her virgin breasts and using her to satisfy their sexual appetite.
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 So I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians she wanted to have sex with.
Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted.
10 They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. She became infamous among women, and they punished her.
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 Oholibah saw what happened to her sister, but she became even worse than her in her wanting sex and practicing prostitution.
Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.
12 She also wanted to have sex with the Assyrians: their leaders and commanders, their splendidly-dressed soldiers—all of them handsome young men in the cavalry.
She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors dressed in splendor, horsemen riding on steeds, all desirable young men.
13 I saw that she had also made herself unclean—both sisters were doing the same thing.
And I saw that she too had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path.
14 However, Oholibah's prostitution was even worse. She saw pictures of Babylonian soldiers wearing bright red uniforms painted on the wall.
But Oholibah carried her prostitution even further. She saw the men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, engraved in vermilion,
15 They were wearing belts on their waists and large turbans on their heads. They all looked like Babylonian officers in Chaldea, the country where they were born.
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 When she saw the paintings of them, she wanted to have sex with them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
17 The Babylonians came to her and her love bed, and made her unclean with their sexual desire. However, after she had been dishonored by them, she rejected them in disgust.
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 When Oholibah so blatantly prostituted herself, exposing herself naked, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had done to 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 But she practiced even more prostitution, remembering how she'd been a prostitute in Egypt when she was young.
Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt
20 She wanted to have sex with her lovers who had genitals like donkeys and who ejaculated like stallions.
and lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.
21 You went back to the indecent acts when you were young, when the Egyptians squeezed your nipples and fondled your young breasts.
So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts.
22 So Oholibah, this is what the Lord God says: I'm going to encourage your lovers to attack you, those you rejected in disgust. I will bring them to attack you from every direction:
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 Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians along with them—all handsome young men, leaders and commanders, chariot captains and important officers, all riding 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 They will attack you from the north, invading with a great army, chariots, and wagons. They will come with their shields and helmets and surround you. I will hand you over to them for punishment, and they will judge and punish you following their own laws.
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 I feel so strongly about what you've done that I will oppose you, and they will treat you very badly. They will cut off your noses and ears, and they will kill those of you who are left. They will take away your sons and daughters as prisoners, and those of you who are left will be destroyed by fire.
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 They will tear off your clothes and take your beautiful jewelry.
They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry.
27 I'm going to put a stop to your immorality and prostitution, which started in Egypt. You won't think longingly about those times, and you'll forget all about 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 For this is what the Lord God says: Believe it when I say that I'm going to hand you over to the people you hate, the ones you rejected in disgust.
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 They will treat you with hatred. They will take away everything you've worked for, leaving you stark naked with nothing, so that so that the indecent acts of your prostitution will be exposed. Your immorality and prostitution
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 is why all this has happened to you, because you acted as a prostitute with the nations and made yourself unclean by worshiping their idols.
have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
31 Because you did what your sister did, I will give you her cup to drink.
Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.’
32 This is what the Lord God says: You will drink from your sister's cup—a large, deep cup. You will be laughed at and insulted. You'll have to endure much of this.
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 It will make you drunk and full of grief because it's a cup of that brings horror and destruction, the cup your sister Samaria drank from.
You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.
34 You will drink it all down, smash it to pieces on the ground, and tear at your breasts. This is what I have spoken, declares the Lord God.
You will drink it and drain it; you will dash it to pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken,’
35 In summary this is what the Lord God says: Because you have forgotten about me and have ignored me, you will have to experience the consequences of your immorality and prostitution.”
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 Then the Lord said to me: “Son of man, are you going to condemn Oholah and Oholibah? Expose the disgusting things they've done!
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 they are guilty of murder. They have committed adultery with their idols, and have even offered their children, whom they had for me, as sacrifices to their idols.
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 They also did this to me: On the very same day they both made my sanctuary unclean and violated my Sabbaths.
They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths.
39 On very day that they killed their children for their idols, they went my sanctuary and made it unclean. Look at what they did right inside my Temple!
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 They even kept on sending messengers for men to come from far away. When the men arrived, you would get yourselves ready for them by bathing, doing your eye makeup, and putting in your jewelry.
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 You sat on an expensive couch, with my incense and my oil on a table placed in front of it.
You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil,
42 The room was full of the noise of people partying. Drunk men were brought in from the desert along with some common people and they put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your head.
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 Then I said about the old worn-out woman, ‘Now they can have her as a prostitute because that's what she is!’
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 So they had sex with her like a prostitute. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, those immoral women.
And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women.
45 But men who believe in what's right will judge them and impose the punishment for committing commit adultery and murder, because they are adulterers and murderers.
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 This is what the Lord God says: Have a mob attack them! Make them terrified and rob them.
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder.
47 The mob will stone them and kill them with their swords, slaughtering their sons and daughters and burning down 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 This is how I will put an end to immorality in the country, and all the women will be warned not to do what you have done.
So I will put an end to indecency in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your behavior.
49 They will punish you for your immorality, and you will have to experience the consequences of your idol worship. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.”
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.’”
