Ezekiel 23
1 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,
The LORD’s word came again to me, saying,
2 and he seide, Thou, sone of man, twei wymmen weren the douytris of o modir, and diden fornycacioun in Egipt;
“Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.
3 in her yonge wexynge age thei diden fornicacioun; there the brestis of hem weren maad low, and the tetis of the tyme of mariage of hem weren brokun.
They played the prostitute in Egypt. They played the prostitute in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their youthful nipples were caressed there.
4 Forsothe the names of hem ben, Oolla, the more sistir, and Ooliba the lesse sistir of hir. And Y hadde hem, and thei childiden sones and douytris; certis the names of hem ben Samarie Oolla, and Jerusalem Ooliba.
Their names were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.
5 Therfor Oolla dide fornicacioun on me, and was wood on hir louyeris, on Assiriens neiyinge,
“Oholah played the prostitute when she was mine. She doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
6 clothid with iacinct, princes, and magistratis, yonge men of coueytise, alle kniytis, and stieris of horsis.
who were clothed with blue—governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.
7 And sche yaf hir fornicaciouns on hem, on alle the chosun sones of Assiriens; and in alle on whiche sche was wood, sche was defoulid in the vnclennessis of hem.
She gave herself as a prostitute to them, all of them the choicest men of Assyria. She defiled herself with the idols of whomever she lusted after.
8 Ferthermore and sche lefte not hir fornicaciouns, whiche sche hadde in Egipt; for whi and thei slepten with hir in the yongthe of hir, and thei braken the tetis of the tyme of mariage of hir, and thei scheden out her fornicacioun on hir.
She hasn’t left her prostitution since leaving Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her. They caressed her youthful nipples and they poured out their prostitution on her.
9 Therfor Y yaf hir in to the hondis of hir louyeris, in to the hondis of the sones of Assur, on whos letcherie sche was wood.
“Therefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians on whom she doted.
10 Thei diskyueriden the schenschipe of hir; thei token awei the sones and the douytris of hir, and killiden hir with swerd; and the wymmen weren maad famouse, that is, sclaundrid, and thei diden domes in hir.
These uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and her daughters, and they killed her with the sword. She became a byword amongst women; for they executed judgements on her.
11 And whanne hir sistir Ooliba hadde seyn this, sche was wood in letcherie more than that sistre, and yaf vnschamefastli hir fornicacioun on the fornicacioun of hir sistre,
“Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lusting than she, and in her prostitution which was more depraved than the prostitution of her sister.
12 to the sones of Assiriens, to duykis and magistratis comynge to hir, that weren clothid with dyuerse cloth, to knyytis that weren borun on horsis, and to yonge men with noble schap, to alle men.
She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and rulers—her neighbours, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.
13 And Y siy that o weie of both sistris was defoulid,
I saw that she was defiled. They both went the same way.
14 and sche encreesside hir fornycaciouns. And whanne sche hadde seyn men peyntid in the wal, the ymagis of Caldeis expressid with colouris,
“She increased her prostitution; for she saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Kasdim portrayed with red,
15 and gird on the reynes with kniytis girdlis, and cappis peyntid in the heedis of hem, the foormes of alle duykis, the licnesse of the sones of Babiloyne, and of the lond of Caldeis, in which thei weren borun;
dressed with belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like princes, after the likeness of the Babylonians in Kasdim, the land of their birth.
16 sche was wood on hem bi coueitise of hir iyen, and sche sente messangeris to hem in to Caldee.
As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them into Kasdimah.
17 And whanne the sones of Babiloyne weren comun to hir, to the bed of tetis, thei defouliden hir in her letcheries of virgyns; and sche was defoulid of hem, and the soule of hir was fillid of hem.
The Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their prostitution. She was polluted with them, and her soul was alienated from them.
18 Also sche made nakid hir fornicaciouns, and diskyuered hir schenschipe; and my soule yede awei fro hir, as my soule hadde go awei fro hir sistir.
So she uncovered her prostitution and uncovered her nakedness. Then my soul was alienated from her, just like my soul was alienated from her sister.
19 For sche multiplied hir fornicaciouns, and hadde mynde on the daies of hir yongthe, in whiche sche dide fornicacioun in the lond of Egipt.
Yet she multiplied her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth, in which she had played the prostitute in the land of Egypt.
20 And sche was wood in letcherie on the liggyng bi of hem, whos fleischis ben as the fleischis of assis, and as the membris of horsis ben the membris of hem.
She lusted after their lovers, whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
21 And thou visitidist the grete trespas of thi yongthe, whanne thi brestis weren maad low in Egipt, and the tetis of the tyme of thi mariage weren brokun.
Thus you called to memory the lewdness of your youth, in the caressing of your nipples by the Egyptians because of your youthful breasts.
22 Therfor, thou Ooliba, the Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal reise alle thi louyeris ayens thee, of whiche thi soule was fillid, and Y schal gadere hem ayens thee in cumpas;
“Therefore, Oholibah, the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will raise up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is alienated, and I will bring them against you on every side:
23 the sones of Babiloyne, and alle Caldeis, noble and miyti men, and princes, alle the sones of Assiriens, and yonge men of noble foorme, duykis, and magistratis, alle princes of princes, and named stieris of horsis.
the Babylonians and all the Kasdim, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; all of them desirable young men, governors and rulers, princes and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.
24 And thei araied with chare and wheel schulen come on thee, the multitude of puplis schulen be armed with haburioun, and scheeld, and basynet, ayens thee on ech side; and Y schal yyue doom bifor hem, and thei schulen deme thee bi her domes.
They will come against you with weapons, chariots, and wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you with buckler, shield, and helmet all around. I will commit the judgement to them, and they will judge you according to their judgements.
25 And Y schal sette my feruour in thee, which thei schulen vse with thee in woodnesse; thei schulen kitte awei thi nose and thin eeris, and thei schulen sle with swerd tho thingis that weren left; thei schulen take thi sones and thi douytris, and thi laste thing schal be deuourid bi fier.
I will set my jealousy against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will take away your nose and your ears. Your remnant will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and the rest of you will be devoured by the fire.
26 And thei schulen make thee nakid of thi clothis, and thei schulen take awei the vessels of thi glorie.
They will also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.
27 And Y schal make thi greet trespasse to reste fro thee, and thi fornicacioun fro the lond of Egipt; and thou schalt not reise thin iyen to hem, and thou schalt no more haue mynde on Egipt.
Thus I will make your lewdness to cease from you, and remove your prostitution from the land of Egypt, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them, nor remember Egypt any more.’
28 For the Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal yyue thee in to the hondis of hem whiche thou hatist, `in to the hondis of hem of whiche thi soule was fillid,
“For the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will deliver you into the hand of them whom you hate, into the hand of them from whom your soul is alienated.
29 and thei schulen do with thee in hatrede. And thei schulen take awei alle thi trauels, and thei schulen leeue thee nakid, and ful of schenschipe; and the schenschipe of thi fornicaciouns schal be schewid. Thi greet
They will deal with you in hatred, and will take away all your labour, and will leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your prostitution will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your prostitution.
30 trespas and thi fornycaciouns han do these thingis to thee; for thou didist fornicacioun aftir hethene men, among whiche thou were defoulid in the idols of hem.
These things will be done to you because you have played the prostitute after the nations, and because you are polluted with their idols.
31 Thou yedist in the weie of thi sister, and Y schal yyue the cuppe of hir in thin hond.
You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.’
32 The Lord God seith these thingis, Thou schalt drinke the cuppe of thi sistir, the depthe, and the broodnesse; thou that art most able to take, schalt be in to scornyng, and in to mouwyng.
“The Lord GOD says: ‘You will drink of your sister’s cup, which is deep and large. You will be ridiculed and held in derision. It contains much.
33 Thou schalt be fillid with drunkenesse and sorewe, with the cuppe of mourenyng and of heuynesse, with the cuppe of thi sister Samarie.
You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of your sister Samaria.
34 And thou schalt drynke it, and thou schalt drinke of til to the drastis, and thou schalt deuoure the relifs therof, and thou schalt to-reende thi brestis, for Y the Lord spak, seith the Lord God.
You will even drink it and drain it out. You will gnaw the broken pieces of it, and will tear your breasts; for I have spoken it,’ says the Lord GOD.
35 Therfor the Lord God seith these thingis, For thou hast foryete me, and hast cast forth me bihynde thi bodi, bere thou also thi greet trespas and thi fornicaciouns.
“Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, therefore you also bear your lewdness and your prostitution.’”
36 And the Lord God seide to me, and spak, Sone of man, whether thou demest Ooliba and Oolla, and tellist to hem the grete trespassis of hem?
The LORD said moreover to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.
37 For thei diden auowtrie, and blood was in the hondis of hem, and thei diden fornicacioun with her idols; ferthermore and thei offriden to tho the sones whiche thei gendriden to me, for to be deuourid.
For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have also caused their sons, whom they bore to me, to pass through the fire to them to be devoured.
38 But also thei diden this to me, thei defouleden my seyntuarie in that dai, and maden vnhooli my sabatis.
Moreover this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my Sabbaths.
39 And whanne thei sacrifisiden her sones to her idols, and entriden in to my seyntuarie in that dai, that thei schulden defoule it, thei diden also these thingis in the myddis of myn hous.
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and behold, they have done this in the middle of my house.
40 Thei senten to men comyng fro fer, to whiche thei hadden sent messangeris. Therfor lo! thei camen, to whiche thou waischidist thee, and anoyntidist thin iyen with oynement of wymmen, and thou were ourned with wymmens atier.
“Furthermore you sisters have sent for men who come from far away, to whom a messenger was sent, and behold, they came; for whom you washed yourself, painted your eyes, decorated yourself with ornaments,
41 Thou satist in a ful fair bed, and a boord was ourned bifor thee; thou settidist myn encense and myn oynement on it.
and sat on a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon you set my incense and my oil.
42 And a vois of multitude makynge ful out ioye was ther ynne; and in men that weren brouyt of the multitude of men, and camen fro desert, thei settiden bies in the hondis of hem, and faire corouns on the heedis of hem.
“The voice of a multitude being at ease was with her. With men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on their hands, and beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 And Y seide to hir, that was defoulid in auoutries, Now also this schal do fornycacioun in hir fornicacioun.
Then I said of her who was old in adulteries, ‘Now they will play the prostitute with her, and she with them.’
44 And thei entriden to hir; as to a womman, an hoore, so thei entriden to Oolla and to Ooliba, cursid wymmen.
They went in to her, as they go in to a prostitute. So they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women.
45 Therfor these men ben iust, these schulen deme thilke wymmen bi the doom of auoutressis, and bi the doom of hem that scheden out blood; for thei ben auoutressis, and blood is in the hondis of hem, and thei diden fornicacioun with her idols.
Righteous men will judge them with the judgement of adulteresses and with the judgement of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
46 For the Lord God seith these thingis, Bringe thou multitudis to hem, and yyue thou hem in to noise, and in to raueyn;
“For the Lord GOD says: ‘I will bring up a mob against them, and will give them to be tossed back and forth and robbed.
47 and be thei stoonyd with the stoonys of puplis, and be thei stikid togidere with the swerdis of hem. Thei schulen sle the sones and the douytris of hem, and thei schulen brenne with fier the housis of hem.
The company will stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords. They will kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.
48 And Y schal do awei greet trespas fro the lond; and alle wymmen schulen lerne, that thei do not aftir the greet trespas of hem.
“‘Thus I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to be lewd like you.
49 And thei schulen yyue youre grete trespas on you; and ye schulen bere the synnes of youre idols, and ye schulen wite, that Y am the Lord God.
They will recompense your lewdness on you, and you will bear the sins of your idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”
