Ezekiel 16

1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

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

2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,

Son of man, make clear to Jerusalem her disgusting ways,

3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD to Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.

And say, This is what the Lord has said to Jerusalem: Your start and your birth was from the land of the Canaanite; an Amorite was your father and your mother was a Hittite.

4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to cleanse thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

As for your birth, on the day of your birth your cord was not cut and you were not washed in water to make you clean; you were not salted or folded in linen bands.

5 No eye pitied thee, to do any of these to thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.

No eye had pity on you to do any of these things to you or to be kind to you; but you were put out into the open country, because your life was hated at the time of your birth.

6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy own blood, I said to thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said to thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

And when I went past you and saw you stretched out in your blood, I said to you, Though you are stretched out in your blood, have life;

7 I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and become great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thy hair is grown, though thou wast naked and bare.

And be increased in number like the buds of the field; and you were increased and became great, and you came to the time of love: your breasts were formed and your hair was long; but you were uncovered and without clothing.

8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I swore to thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

Now when I went past you, looking at you, I saw that your time was the time of love; and I put my skirts over you, covering your unclothed body: and I gave you my oath and made an agreement with you, says the Lord, and you became mine.

9 Then I washed thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

Then I had you washed with water, washing away all your blood and rubbing you with oil.

10 I clothed thee also with embroidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.

And I had you clothed with needlework, and put leather shoes on your feet, folding fair linen about you and covering you with silk.

11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.

And I made you fair with ornaments and put jewels on your hands and a chain on your neck.

12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.

And I put a ring in your nose and ear-rings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.

So you were made beautiful with gold and silver; and your clothing was of the best linen and silk and needlework; your food was the best meal and honey and oil: and you were very beautiful.

14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.

You were so beautiful that the story of you went out into all nations; you were completely beautiful because of my glory which I had put on you, says the Lord.

15 But thou didst trust in thy own beauty, and didst play the harlot because of thy renown, and didst pour out thy harlotries on every one that passed by; his it was.

But you put your faith in the fact that you were beautiful, acting like a loose woman because you were widely talked of, and offering your cheap love to everyone who went by, whoever it might be.

16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and didst deck thy high places with various colours, and didst play the harlot upon them: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.

And you took your robes and made high places for yourself ornamented with every colour, acting like a loose woman on them, without shame or fear.

17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and hast made to thyself images of men, and hast committed harlotry with them,

And you took the fair jewels, my silver and gold which I had given to you, and made for yourself male images, acting like a loose woman with them;

18 And hast taken thy embroidered garments, and didst cover them: and thou hast set my oil and my incense before them.

And you took your robes of needlework for their clothing, and put my oil and my perfume before them.

19 My food also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, with which I fed thee, thou hast even set before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.

And my bread which I gave you, the best meal and oil and honey which I gave you for your food, you put it before them for a sweet smell, says the Lord.

20 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne to me, and these hast thou sacrificed to them to be devoured. Is this of thy harlotries a small matter,

And you took your sons and your daughters whom I had by you, offering even these to them to be their food. Was your loose behaviour so small a thing,

21 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?

That you put my children to death and gave them up to go through the fire to them?

22 And in all thy abominations and thy harlotries thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.

And in all your disgusting and false behaviour you had no memory of your early days, when you were uncovered and without clothing, stretched out in your blood.

23 And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, woe, ( woe to thee! saith the Lord GOD; )

And it came about, after all your evil-doing, says the Lord,

24 That thou hast also built to thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street.

That you made for yourself an arched room in every open place.

25 Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast offered thyself to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy harlotries.

You put up your high places at the top of every street, and made the grace of your form a disgusting thing, opening your feet to everyone who went by, increasing your loose ways.

26 Thou hast also committed harlotry with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast multiplied thy harlotry, to provoke me to anger.

And you went with the Egyptians, your neighbours, great of flesh; increasing your loose ways, moving me to wrath.

27 Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thy ordinary food, and delivered thee to the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of thy lewd way.

Now, then, my hand is stretched out against you, cutting down your fixed amount, and I have given you up to the desire of your haters, the daughters of the Philistines who are shamed by your loose ways.

28 Thou hast played the harlot also with the Assyrians, because thou wast not satisfied; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.

And you went with the Assyrians, because of your desire which was without measure; you were acting like a loose woman with them, and still you had not enough.

29 Thou hast moreover multiplied thy harlotry in the land of Canaan to Chaldea; and yet with this thou wast not satisfied.

And you went on in your loose ways, even as far as the land of Chaldaea, and still you had not enough.

30 How weak is thy heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious harlot;

How feeble is your heart, says the Lord, seeing that you do all these things, the work of a loose and overruling woman;

31 In that thou buildest thy eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thy high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;

For you have made your arched room at the top of every street, and your high place in every open place; though you were not like a loose woman in getting together your payment.

32 But as a wife that committeth adultery, who taketh strangers instead of her husband!

The untrue wife who takes strange lovers in place of her husband!

33 They give gifts to all harlots: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come to thee on every side for thy harlotry.

They give payment to all loose women: but you give rewards to your lovers, offering them payment so that they may come to you on every side for your cheap love.

34 And thou art the opposite from other women in thy harlotries, though none followeth thee to commit harlotries: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given to thee, therefore thou art the opposite.

And in your loose behaviour you are different from other women, for no one goes after you to make love to you: and because you give payment and no payment is given to you, in this you are different from them.

35 Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:

For this cause, O loose woman, give ear to the voice of the Lord:

36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness uncovered through thy harlotries with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give to them;

This is what the Lord has said: Because your unclean behaviour was let loose and your body uncovered in your loose ways with your lovers and with your disgusting images, and for the blood of your children which you gave to them;

37 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them on every side against thee, and will uncover thy nakedness to them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

For this cause I will get together all your lovers with whom you have taken your pleasure, and all those to whom you have given your love, with all those who were hated by you; I will even make them come together against you on every side, and I will have you uncovered before them so that they may see your shame.

38 And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

And you will be judged by me as women are judged who have been untrue to their husbands and have taken life; and I will let loose against you passion and bitter feeling.

39 And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thy eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.

I will give you into their hands, and your arched room will be overturned and your high places broken down; they will take your clothing off you and take away your fair jewels: and when they have done, you will be uncovered and shamed.

40 They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.

And they will get together a meeting against you, stoning you with stones and wounding you with their swords.

41 And they shall burn thy houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.

And they will have you burned with fire, sending punishments on you before the eyes of great numbers of women; and I will put an end to your loose ways, and you will no longer give payment.

42 So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.

And the heat of my wrath against you will have an end, and my bitter feeling will be turned away from you, and I will be quiet and will be angry no longer.

43 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast provoked me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thy head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thy abominations.

Because you have not kept in mind the days when you were young, but have been troubling me with all these things; for this reason I will make the punishment of your ways come on your head, says the Lord, because you have done this evil thing in addition to all your disgusting acts.

44 Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.

See, in every common saying about you it will be said, As the mother is, so is her daughter.

45 Thou art thy mother’s daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, who lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.

You are the daughter of your mother whose soul is turned in disgust from her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters who were turned in disgust from their husbands and their children: your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

46 And thy elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.

Your older sister is Samaria, living at your left hand, she and her daughters: and your younger sister, living at your right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.

47 Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.

Still you have not gone in their ways or done the disgusting things which they have done; but, as if that was only a little thing, you have gone deeper in evil than they in all your ways.

48 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.

By my life, says the Lord, Sodom your sister never did, she or her daughters, what you and your daughters have done.

49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

Truly, this was the sin of your sister Sodom: pride, a full measure of food, and the comforts of wealth in peace, were seen in her and her daughters, and she gave no help to the poor or to those in need.

50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

They were full of pride and did what was disgusting to me: and so I took them away as you have seen.

51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thy abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thy abominations which thou hast done.

And Samaria has not done half your sins; but you have made the number of your disgusting acts greater than theirs, making your sisters seem more upright than you by all the disgusting things which you have done.

52 Thou also, who hast judged thy sisters, bear thy own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.

And you yourself will be put to shame, in that you have given the decision for your sisters; through your sins, which are more disgusting than theirs, they are more upright than you: truly, you will be shamed and made low, for you have made your sisters seem upright.

53 When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:

And I will let their fate be changed, the fate of Sodom and her daughters, and the fate of Samaria and her daughters, and your fate with theirs.

54 That thou mayest bear thy own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort to them.

So that you will be shamed and made low because of all you have done, when I have mercy on you.

55 When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former state.

And your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, will go back to their first condition, and Samaria and her daughters will go back to their first condition, and you and your daughters will go back to your first condition.

56 For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride,

Was not your sister Sodom an oath in your mouth in the day of your pride,

57 Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are around her, the daughters of the Philistines, who despise thee on every side.

Before your shame was uncovered? Now you have become like her a word of shame to the daughters of Edom and all who are round about you, the daughters of the Philistines who put shame on you round about.

58 Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thy abominations, saith the LORD.

The reward of your evil designs and your disgusting ways has come on you, says the Lord.

59 For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, who hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.

For this is what the Lord has said: I will do to you as you have done, you who, putting the oath on one side, have let the agreement be broken.

60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish to thee an everlasting covenant.

But still I will keep in mind the agreement made with you in the days when you were young, and I will make with you an eternal agreement.

61 Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thy elder and thy younger: and I will give them to thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.

Then at the memory of your ways you will be overcome with shame, when I take your sisters, the older and the younger, and give them to you for daughters, but not by your agreement.

62 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:

And I will make my agreement with you; and you will be certain that I am the Lord:

63 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.

So that, at the memory of these things, you may be at a loss, never opening your mouth because of your shame; when you have my forgiveness for all you have done, says the Lord.