Jezekiel 16

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

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

2 Son of man, testify to Jerusalem [of] her iniquities;

“Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.

3 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.

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] 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.

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 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.

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 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:

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 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.

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 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.

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 And I washed you in water, and washed your blood from you, and anointed you with oil.

And I washed you with water, and I cleansed you of your blood. And I anointed you with oil.

10 And I clothed you with embroidered [garments], and clothed you beneath with purple, and girded you with fine linen, and clothed you 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 and decked you also with ornaments, and put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace on your neck.

I adorned you with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon your hands and a necklace around your neck.

12 And I put a pendant on your nostril, and rings in your ears, and a crown of glory on your head.

And I put gold upon your face, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.

13 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.

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 your name went forth among the nations for your beauty: because it was perfected with elegance, [and] in the comeliness which I put upon you, says the Lord.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 you did take your variegated apparel and did clothe them, and you did set before them mine oil and mine incense.

And you used your multicolored vestments to cover these things. And you placed my oil and my incense before them.

19 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 savor: yes, it was so, says the Lord.

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 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,

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 and did kill your children, and gave them up in offering them to them for an expiation.

You have immolated my sons, and you have consecrated and delivered my sons to them.

22 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.

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 your wickedness, says the Lord,

And it happened that, after all your wickedness, (woe, woe to you, says the Lord God)

24 that you did build yourself a house of fornication, and did make yourself a public place in every street;

you built for yourself a brothel, and you made for yourself a place of prostitution in every street.

25 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.

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 And you did go a-whoring after the children of Egypt your neighbors, great of flesh; and did go a-whoring, often 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 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.

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 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.

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 And you did multiply your covenants with the land of the Chaldeans; and not even with these was you satisfied.

And you multiplied your fornications in the land of Canaan with the Chaldeans. And even then, you were not satisfied.

30 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.

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 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.

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 An adulteress resembles you, taking rewards of her husband.

but instead like a woman who is an adulteress, who prefers strangers to her own husband.

33 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.

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 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.

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, harlot, hear the word of the Lord:

Because of this, O harlot, listen to the word of the Lord.

36 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.

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 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.

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 be avenged on you with the vengeance of an adulteress, and I will bring upon you blood of 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 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.

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 And they shall bring multitudes upon you, and they shall stone you with stones, and pierce you 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 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.

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 slacken my fury against you, and my jealousy shall be removed from you, and I will rest, and be no more careful [for you].

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 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.

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 These are all the things they have spoken against you in a proverb, saying,

Behold, all who speak a common proverb will take this up against you, saying: ‘Like the mother, so also is her daughter.’

45 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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, says the Lord, this Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.

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 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.

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 boasted, and wrought iniquities before me: so I cut them off as I saw [fit].

And they were exalted, and they committed abominations before me. And so I took them away, just as you have seen.

51 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.

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 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 dishonor, in that you have justified your 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 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:

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 you may bear your punishment, and be dishonored for all that you have done in provoking me to anger.

So may you bear your disgrace and be confounded over all that you have done, consoling them.

55 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.

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 And surely your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the days of your pride:

Your sister Sodom was not heard from your mouth, then, in the day of your pride,

57 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.

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 [As for] your ungodliness and your iniquities, you have borne them, says the Lord.

You have borne your wickedness and your disgrace, says the Lord God.”

59 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.

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 And I will remember my covenant [made] with you in the days of your infancy, and I will establish to you 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 you shall remember your way, and shall be utterly dishonored 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.

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 you; and you shall 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 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.

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.”