Jezekiel 23

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

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

2 Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother:

“Son of man, two women were daughters of one mother,

3 and they went a-whoring in Egypt in their youth: there their breasts fell, there they lost their virginity.

and they fornicated in Egypt; they committed fornication in their youth. In that place, their breasts were conquered; the breasts of their adolescence were subdued.

4 And their names were Oola the elder, and Ooliba her sister: and they were mine, and bore sons and daughters: and [as for] their names, Samaria was Oola, and Jerusalem was Ooliba.

Now their names were Oholah, the elder, and Oholibah, her younger sister. And I held them, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names: Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

5 And Oola went a-whoring from me, and doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians that were her neighbors,

And then, Oholah committed fornication against me, and she acted madly with her lovers, with the Assyrians who approached her,

6 clothed with purple, princes and captains; [they were] young men and choice, all horseman riding on horses.

who were clothed with hyacinth: rulers and magistrates, passionate youths and all of the horsemen, mounted on horses.

7 And she bestowed her fornication upon them; all were choice sons of the Assyrians: and on whoever she doted herself, with them she defiled herself in all [their] devices.

And she distributed her fornications to those chosen men, all of them sons of the Assyrians. And she defiled herself with the uncleanness of all those whom she madly desired.

8 And she forsook not her fornication with the Egyptians: for in her youth they committed fornication with her, and they deflowered her, and poured out their fornication upon her.

Moreover, she also did not abandon her fornications, which she had done in Egypt. For they also slept with her in her youth, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and they poured out their fornication upon her.

9 Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the children of the Assyrians, on whom she doted.

Because of this, I have delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the sons of the Assur, whom she has lustfully desired.

10 They uncovered her shame: they took her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword: and she became a byword among women: and they wrought vengeance in her for the sake of the daughters.

They uncovered her shame; they took away her sons and daughters; and they slew her with the sword. And they became infamous women. And they carried out judgments in her.

11 And her sister Ooliba saw [it], and she indulged in her fondness more corruptly than she, and in her fornication more than the fornication of her sister.

And when her sister, Oholibah, had seen this, she was even more mad with lust than the other. And her fornication was beyond the fornication of her sister.

12 She doted upon the sons of the Assyrian, princes and captains, her neighbors, clothed with fine linen, horsemen riding on horses; [they were] all choice young men.

She shamelessly offered herself to the sons of the Assyrians, to the rulers and magistrates who brought themselves to her clothed with colorful garments, to the horsemen who were carried by horses, and to the youths, all of them exceptional in appearance.

13 And I saw that they were defiled, [that] the two [had] one way.

And I saw that she had been defiled, and that they both took the same path.

14 And she increased her fornication, and she saw men painted on the wall, likenesses of the Chaldeans painted with a pencil,

And she increased her fornications. And when she had seen men depicted on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans, expressed in colors,

15 having variegated girdles on their loins, having also richly dyed [attire] upon their heads; all had a princely appearance, the likeness of the children of the Chaldeans, of their native land.

with belts wrapped around the waist, and with dyed headdresses on their heads, having seen the appearance of all the rulers, the likenesses of the sons of Babylon and of the land of the Chaldeans in which they were born,

16 And she doted upon them as soon as she saw them, and sent forth messengers to them into the land of the Chaldeans.

she became mad for them with the desire of her eyes, and she sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

17 And the sons of Babylon came to her, into the bed of rest, and they defiled her in her fornication, and she was defiled by them, and her soul was alienated from them.

And when the sons of Babylon had gone to her, to the bed of breasts, they defiled her with their fornications, and she was polluted by them, and her soul was gorged by them.

18 And she exposed her fornication, and exposed her shame: and my soul was alienated from her, even as my soul was alienated from her sister.

Also, her fornications were uncovered, and her shame was revealed. And my soul withdrew from her, as my soul had withdrawn from her sister.

19 And you did multiply your fornication, so as to call to remembrance the days of your youth, wherein you did commit whoredom in Egypt,

For she multiplied her fornications, remembering the days of her youth, in which she fornicated in the land of Egypt.

20 and you did dote upon the Chaldeans, whose flesh is as the flesh of the asses, and their members [as] the members of horses.

And she was mad with lust after lying with them, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and whose flow is like the flow of horses.

21 And you did look upon the iniquity of your youth, [the things] which you wrought in Egypt in your lodgings, where were the breasts of your youth.

And you have revisited the crimes of your youth, when your breasts were conquered in Egypt, and the breasts of your adolescence were subdued.

22 Therefore, Ooliba, thus says the Lord; Behold, I [will] stir up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is alienated, and I will bring them upon you round about,

Because of this, Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will raise up against you all of your lovers, with whom your soul has been gorged. And I will gather them together against you all around:

23 the children of Babylon, and all the Chaldeans, Phacuc, and Sue, and Hychue, and all the sons of the Assyrians with them; choice young men, governors and captains, all princes and renowned, riding on horses.

the sons of Babylon, and all the Chaldeans, the nobles, the sovereigns and princes, all the sons of the Assyrians, youths of exceptional form, all the rulers and magistrates, the leaders among leaders, and the renowned riders of horses.

24 And they all shall come upon you from the north, chariots and wheels, with a multitude of nations, shields and targets; and [the enemy] shall set a watch against you round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall take vengeance on you with their judgments.

And they will overwhelm you, well-equipped with chariot and wheel, a multitude of peoples. They will be armed against you on every side with armor and shield and helmet. And I will give judgment to their eyes, and they will judge you with their judgments.

25 And I will bring upon you my jealousy, and they shall deal with you in great wrath: they shall take away your nose and your ears; and shall cast down your remnant with the sword: they shall take your sons and your daughters; and your remnant fire shall devour.

And against you, I will set my zeal, which they will execute upon you with fury. They will cut off your nose and your ears. And what remains will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and your daughters, and your youngest will be devoured by fire.

26 And they shall strip you of your raiment, and take [away] your ornaments.

And they will strip you of your vestments, and take away the articles of your glory.

27 So I will turn back your ungodliness from you, and your fornication from the land of Egypt: and you shall not lift up your eyes upon them, and shall no more remember Egypt.

And I will cause your wickedness to cease from you, and your fornication to cease from the land of Egypt. Neither shall you lift up your eyes toward them, and you shall no longer remember Egypt.

28 Therefore thus says the Lord God; Behold, I [will] deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, from whom your soul is alienated.

For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you have hated, into the hands by which your soul has been gorged.

29 And they shall deal with you in hatred, and shall take all [the fruits] of your labors and your toils, and you shall be naked and bare: and the shame of your fornication shall be exposed: and your ungodliness and your fornication

And they will act toward you with hatred, and they will take away all your labors, and they will send you away naked and filled with disgrace. And the shame of your fornication will be revealed: your crimes and your fornications.

30 brought this upon you, in that you went a-whoring after the nations, and did defile yourself with their devices.

They have done these things to you, because you have fornicated after the Gentiles, among whom you were defiled by their idols.

31 You did walk in the way of your sister; and I will put her cup into your hands.

You have walked in the way of your sister, and so I will give her chalice into your hand.

32 Thus says the Lord; Drink your sister's cup, deep and large, and full, to cause complete drunkenness.

Thus says the Lord God: You will drink the chalice of your sister, deep and wide. You will be held in derision and in ridicule, to a very great extent.

33 And you shall be thoroughly weakened; and the cup of destruction, the cup of your sister Samaria,

You will be filled with inebriation and sorrow, by the chalice of grief and sadness, by the chalice of your sister Samaria.

34 drink you it, and I will take away her feasts and her new moons: for I have spoken [it], says the Lord.

And you will drink it, and you will empty it, even to the dregs. And you will consume even its particles. And you will wound your own breasts. For I have spoken, says the Lord God.

35 Therefore thus says the Lord; Because you has forgotten me, and cast me behind your back, therefore receive you [the reward] of your ungodliness and your fornication.

Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Since you have forgotten me, and you have cast me behind your body, so also will you bear your wickedness and your fornications.”

36 And the Lord said to me, Son of man, will you not judge Oola and Ooliba? and declare to them their iniquities?

And the Lord spoke to me, saying: “Son of man, should you not judge Oholah and Oholibah, and announce to them their crimes?

37 For they have committed adultery, and blood was in their hands, they committed adultery with their devices, and they passed through the fire to them their children which they bore to me.

For they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands, and they have fornicated with their idols. Moreover, they have offered even their children, whom they bore for me, to them to be devoured.

38 So long too as they did these things to me, they defiled my sanctuary, and profaned my sabbaths.

But they have done even this to me: They have defiled my sanctuary on the same day, and they have profaned my Sabbaths.

39 And when they sacrificed their children to their idols, they also went into my sanctuary to profane it: and whereas they did thus in the midst of my house;

And when they immolated their children to their idols, they also entered my sanctuary on the same day, so that they defiled it. They have done these things, even in the midst of my house.

40 and whereas they did thus to the men that came from afar, to whom they sent messengers, and as soon as they came, immediately you did wash yourself, and did paint your eyes and adorn yourself with ornaments,

They sent for men who were coming from far away, to whom they had sent a messenger. And so, behold, they arrived, those for whom you washed yourself, and smeared cosmetics around your eyes, and were adorned with feminine ornaments.

41 and sat on a prepared bed, and before it [there was] a table set out, and [as for] mine incense and mine oil, they rejoiced in them,

You sat upon a very beautiful bed, and a table was adorned before you, on which you placed my incense and my ointment.

42 and they raised a sound of music, and [that] with men coming from the wilderness out of a multitude of men, and they put bracelets on their hands, and a crown of glory on their heads;

And the voice of a multitude was exulting within her. And concerning certain men, who were being led out of a multitude of persons, and who were arriving from the desert, they placed bracelets on their hands and beautiful crowns on their heads.

43 Therefore I said, Do they not commit adultery with these? and has she also gone a-whoring [after] the manner of a harlot?

And I said about her, as she was being worn away by her adulteries, ‘Even now, she continues in her fornication!’

44 And they went in to her, as [men] go in to a harlot; so they went in to Oola and to Ooliba to work iniquity.

And they entered to her, as if to a kept woman. So did they enter to Oholah and Oholibah, nefarious women.

45 And they are just men, and shall take vengeance on them with the judgment of an adulteress and the judgment of blood: for they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.

But there are just men; these shall judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of those who shed blood. For they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.

46 Thus says the Lord God, Bring up a multitude upon them, and send trouble and plunder into the midst of them.

For thus says the Lord God: Lead upon them a multitude, and hand them over to tumult and to pillaging.

47 And stone them with the stones of a multitude, and pierce them with their swords: they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and shall burn up their houses.

And may they be stoned with the stones of the peoples, and may they be pierced with their own swords. They will put to death their sons and daughters, and they will burn their houses with fire.

48 And I will remove ungodliness out of the land, and all the women shall be instructed, and shall not do according to their ungodliness.

And I will take away wickedness from the land. And all women shall learn not to act according to their wickedness.

49 And your ungodliness shall be recompensed upon you, and you shall bear the guilt of your devices: and you shall know that I am the Lord.

And they will set your own crimes upon you, and you will bear the sins of your idols. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.”