Ezekiel 23
1 And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying,
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, Two women, daughters of one mother, there were;
“Son of man, there were once two women. They were daughters of the same mother.
3 And they became unchaste in Egypt, In their youth, became they unchaste, There, were handled their breasts, And there, were pressed their virgin bosoms.
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.
4 And their names were Oholah the elder And Oholibah—her sister, And they became mine and bare sons and daughters, - And as for their names, Samaria was Oholah, And Jerusalem, was Oholibah.
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.
5 Then became Oholah unchaste after she had become mine- And lusted after her lovers, For Assyrians, so warlike,
Oholah prostituted herself while she was still married to me. She wanted to have sex with her lovers, the Assyrians.
6 Clothed in blue Governors and deputies, Attractive young men all of them, -Horsemen riding on horses.
They were soldiers dressed in blue, leaders and commanders, all of them handsome young men in the cavalry.
7 So she bestowed her unchastities upon them, The choicest men of Assyria all of them, - And, with whomsoever she lusted after-with all their manufactured gods, she defiled herself.
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.
8 And, her unchaste doings from the time she was in Egypt, had she not forsaken, For with her, had they lain in her youth, Yea they had pressed her virgin bosoms, - and had poured out their unchastity upon her.
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.
9 therefore, did I deliver her into the hand of her lovers, - into the hand of the sons of Assyria, after whom she lusted:
So I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians she wanted to have sex with.
10 They disclosed her shame, Her sons and her daughters: , took they away, And herself—with the sword, they slew, — Thus became she a by-word among women, when judgments, they had executed upon her.
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.
11 And though her sister Oholibah saw, Yet became she more corrupt in her lust than the other, - And her unchaste doings exceeded the unchaste doings of her sister.
Oholibah saw what happened to her sister, but she became even worse than her in her wanting sex and practicing prostitution.
12 After the sons of Assyria: , she lusted Governors and deputies so warlike. Clothed in splendid array, Horsemen, riding on horses, Attractive young men, all of them.
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.
13 So I saw that she defiled herself, — One way, had they both.
I saw that she had also made herself unclean—both sisters were doing the same thing.
14 Yet did she add, unto her unchaste doings, when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, likenesses of Chaldeans, Portrayed with vermilion:
However, Oholibah's prostitution was even worse. She saw pictures of Babylonian soldiers wearing bright red uniforms painted on the wall.
15 Girded with waistcloths upon their loins With overhanging high turbans upon their heads, In appearance, knights all of them, -The likeness of the sons of Babylon of Chaldea, the land of their birth.
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.
16 Then lusted she after them, as soon as her eyes beheld them, — And she sent messengers unto them to Chaldea.
When she saw the paintings of them, she wanted to have sex with them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
17 Then came in unto her the sons of Babylon into the bed of endearments, and defiled her with their unchaste doings, - And she defiled herself with them, And then was her soul torn from them.
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.
18 Thus disclosed she her unchaste desires, And disclosed her shame, - So my soul was torn from her, Just as my soul had been torn from her sister.
When Oholibah so blatantly prostituted herself, exposing herself naked, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had done to her sister.
19 Yea she multiplied her unchaste desires, -calling to mind the days of her youth, when she was unchaste in the land of Egypt; -
But she practiced even more prostitution, remembering how she'd been a prostitute in Egypt when she was young.
20 So she lusted after their courtiers, - Whose flesh was the flesh of asses, and Whose issue was the issue of horses.
She wanted to have sex with her lovers who had genitals like donkeys and who ejaculated like stallions.
21 Yea thou didst look about for the lewdness of thy youth, - When were pressed by the Egyptians. thy bosoms, When they handled thy youthful breasts.
You went back to the indecent acts when you were young, when the Egyptians squeezed your nipples and fondled your young breasts.
22 Therefore, O Oholibah, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, Behold me! rousing up thy lovers against thee, Even them from whom thy soul hath been torn, - And I will bring them against thee from every side:
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:
23 The sons of Babylon and all Chaldeans Pekod and Shoa and Koa, All the sons of Assyria with them, — Attractive young men Governors and deputies, all of them. Knights and men of renown, Riders on horses all of them;
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.
24 And they shall come upon thee— With battle-axe, chariot and wheel And with a gathered host of peoples: Shield and buckler and helmet, will they array against thee on every side, - And I will put before them judgment, And they shall judge thee with their judgments;
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.
25 When I set forth my jealousy against thee, Then will they deal with thee in indignation: Thy nose and thine ears, will they remove, And that which is left of thee, by the sword, shall fall, — They, will take away thy sons and thy daughters, And that which is left of thee, shall be devoured by the fire;
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.
26 And they shall strip off thy raiment, - And take away thine adorning jewels!
They will tear off your clothes and take your beautiful jewelry.
27 Thus will I cause thy lewdness to cease, from thee Even thine unchastity brought from the land of Egypt, - So that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, And Egypt, shalt thou not call to mind any more.
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.
28 For thus saith My Lord, Yahweh, Behold me! delivering thee up, into the hand of them whom thou hatest, Into the hand of them from whom thy soul hath been torn;
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.
29 And they shall deal with thee in hatred And take away all thy labour, And leave thee utterly naked, - And thine unchaste shame, shall be disclosed, with thy lewdness and unchastities,
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
30 These things shall be done to thee, In that thou hast gone unchastely after the nations, Because thou hast defiled thyself with their manufactured gods.
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.
31 In the way of thy sister, hast thou walked, Therefore will I put her cup into thy hand.
Because you did what your sister did, I will give you her cup to drink.
32 Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, The cup of thy sister, shalt thou drink, The cup deep and large, Thou shalt become a laughingstock and a derision, much doth it contain!
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.
33 With drunkenness and grief, shalt thou be filled, - The cup of astonishment and desolation, The cup of thy sister Samaria;
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.
34 Yea thou shalt drink it and drain it out And the sherds thereof, shalt thou gnaw And thy breasts, shalt thou tear out, - For, I, have spoken, Declareth My Lord. Yahweh.
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.
35 Therefore, Thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh, Because thou hast forgotten me, and has cast me behind thy back, Thou also thyself, bear thou thy lewdness and thine unchaste doings.
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.”
36 And Yahweh said unto me, Son of man Wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare thou unto them their abominations.
Then the Lord said to me: “Son of man, are you going to condemn Oholah and Oholibah? Expose the disgusting things they've done!
37 For they have committed adultery. And blood, is one their hands, Yea with their manufactured gods, have they committed adultery. And even their own children whom they bare unto me, have they set apart for them to be devoured.
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.
38 Yet more, this, have they done to me, They have defiled my sanctuary, on the same day, And my sabbaths, have they profaned.
They also did this to me: On the very same day they both made my sanctuary unclean and violated my Sabbaths.
39 Yea when they had slaughtered their children to their manufactured gods, then entered they into my sanctuary, on the same day, to profane it, - And lo! thus have they done in the midst of mine own house.
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!
40 Yea verily, that ye must needs send for men, ready to come in from afar, in that, a messenger, was sent unto them and lo! they came, For whom thou didst bathe thyself Paint thine eyes And deck thyself with ornaments.
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.
41 Then satest thou upon a glorious couch With a table prepared before it, — And mine incense and mine oil, didst thou set thereon.
You sat on an expensive couch, with my incense and my oil on a table placed in front of it.
42 The noise of careless throng also, was with her, And besides men out of the mass of mankind, there were brought in drunkards, out of the desert; And they put bracelets upon the hands of both women, And crowns of adorning upon their heads.
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.
43 Then said I of her that was worn out with adulteries, Will they now join in her unchaste doings even hers?
Then I said about the old worn-out woman, ‘Now they can have her as a prostitute because that's what she is!’
44 Yet came they in unto her, as men go in unto a woman that is a harlot, — So, came they in unto Oholah, and unto Oholibah—the lewd women!
So they had sex with her like a prostitute. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, those immoral women.
45 But righteous men, they, shall judge them, With the judgment of adulteresses, and With the judgment of women that shed blood, — Because adulteresses, they are And blood, is on their hands.
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.
46 For thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh, - There shall be brought up against them a gathered host, Then shall they be delivered up. for a terror and for a prey,
This is what the Lord God says: Have a mob attack them! Make them terrified and rob them.
47 Yea a gathered host shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords, Their sons and their daughters, shall they slay, And their houses—in the fire, shall they consume.
The mob will stone them and kill them with their swords, slaughtering their sons and daughters and burning down their houses.
48 So will I make an end of lewdness out of the land, - And all women shall be disciplined, and shall not do according to your lewdness.
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.
49 Yea the judges Shall set your lewdness upon you, And your sins with manufactured gods, shall ye bear; So shall ye know that, I, am The Lord Yahweh.
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.”
