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Ezekiel 23
New English Translation

Two Sisters

23 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, there were two women who were daughters of the same mother. 3 They engaged in prostitution in Egypt; in their youth they engaged in prostitution. Their breasts were squeezed there; lovers[a] fondled their virgin nipples there. 4 Oholah was the name of the older and Oholibah[b] the name of her younger sister. They became mine and gave birth to sons and daughters.[c] Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was mine.[d] She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians[e]—warriors[f] 6 clothed in blue, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7 She bestowed her sexual favors[g] on them; all of them were the choicest young men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all whom she desired[h]—with all their idols. 8 She did not abandon the prostitution she had practiced in Egypt, for in her youth men went to bed[i] with her, fondled her virgin breasts, and ravished her.[j] 9 Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians[k] for whom she lusted. 10 They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. She became notorious[l] among women, and they executed judgments against her.

11 “Her sister Oholibah watched this,[m] but she became more corrupt in her lust than her sister had been, and her acts of prostitution were more numerous than those of her sister. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians—governors and officials, warriors in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. 13 I saw that she was defiled; both of them followed the same path. 14 But she increased her prostitution. She saw men carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans carved in bright red,[n] 15 wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, the image of Babylonians[o] whose native land is Chaldea. 16 When she saw them,[p] she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.[q] 17 The Babylonians crawled into bed with her.[r] They defiled her with their lust; after she was defiled by them, she[s] became disgusted with them. 18 When she lustfully exposed her nakedness,[t] I[u] was disgusted with her, just as I[v] had been disgusted with her sister. 19 Yet she increased her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth when she engaged in prostitution in the land of Egypt. 20 She lusted after her lovers there, whose genitals were like those of donkeys,[w] and whose emission was like that of stallions. 21 This is how you assessed[x] the obscene conduct of your youth, when the Egyptians fondled[y] your nipples and squeezed[z] your young breasts.

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look here,[aa] I am about to stir up against you the lovers with whom you were disgusted; I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod,[ab] Shoa,[ac] and Koa,[ad] and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, all of them governors and officials, officers and nobles, all of them riding on horses. 24 They will attack[ae] you with weapons,[af] chariots, wagons, and with a huge army;[ag] they will array themselves against you on every side with large shields, small shields, and helmets. I will assign them the task of judgment;[ah] they will punish you according to their laws. 25 I will direct[ai] my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in rage. They will cut off your nose and your ears,[aj] and your survivors will die[ak] by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your survivors will be consumed by fire. 26 They will strip your clothes off you and take away your beautiful jewelry. 27 So I will put an end to your obscene conduct and your prostitution that you have practiced in the land of Egypt.[al] You will not seek their help[am] or remember Egypt anymore.

28 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look here,[an] I am about to deliver you over to[ao] those whom you hate, to those with whom you were disgusted. 29 They will treat you with hatred, take away all you have labored for,[ap] and leave you naked and bare. Your nakedness will be exposed, just as when you engaged in prostitution and obscene conduct.[aq] 30 I will do these things to you[ar] because you engaged in prostitution with the nations, polluting yourself with their idols. 31 You have followed the ways of your sister, so I will place her cup of judgment[as] in your hand. 32 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘You will drink your sister’s deep and wide cup;[at] you will be scorned and derided, for it holds a great deal. 33 You will be overcome by[au] drunkenness and sorrow. The cup of your sister Samaria is a cup of horror and desolation. 34 You will drain it dry,[av] gnaw its pieces,[aw] and tear out your breasts,[ax] for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’

35 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have forgotten me and completely disregarded me,[ay] you must bear now the punishment for[az] your obscene conduct and prostitution.”

36 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, are you willing to pronounce judgment[ba] on Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominable deeds! 37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and their sons, whom they bore to me,[bb] they have passed through the fire as food to their idols.[bc] 38 Moreover, they have done this to me: In the very same day[bd] they desecrated my sanctuary and profaned my Sabbaths. 39 On the same day they slaughtered their sons for their idols, they came to my sanctuary to desecrate it. This is what they have done in the middle of my house.

40 “They even sent for men from far away; when the messenger arrived, those men set out.[be] For them you bathed,[bf] painted your eyes, and decorated yourself with jewelry. 41 You sat on a magnificent couch, with a table arranged in front of it where you placed my incense and my olive oil. 42 The sound of a carefree crowd accompanied her,[bg] including all kinds of men;[bh] even Sabeans[bi] were brought from the desert. The sisters[bj] put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will commit immoral acts with her.’ 44 They slept with her[bk] the way someone sleeps with a prostitute. In this way they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, promiscuous women. 45 But upright men will punish them appropriately for their adultery and bloodshed,[bl] because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.

46 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring up an army[bm] against them and subject them[bn] to terror and plunder. 47 That army will pelt them with stones and slash them with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses.[bo] 48 I will put an end to the obscene conduct in the land; all the women will learn a lesson from this and not engage in obscene conduct. 49 They will repay you for your obscene conduct, and you will be punished for idol worship.[bp] Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 23:3 tn In the Hebrew text the subject is left unstated and must be supplied from the context.
  2. Ezekiel 23:4 tn The names Oholah and Oholibah are both derived from the word meaning “tent.” The meaning of Oholah is “her tent,” while Oholibah means “my tent is in her.”
  3. Ezekiel 23:4 sn In this allegory the Lord is depicted as being the husband of two wives. The OT law prohibited a man from marrying sisters (Lev 18:18), but the practice is attested in the OT (cf. Jacob). The metaphor is utilized here for illustrative purposes and does not mean that the Lord condoned such a practice or bigamy in general.
  4. Ezekiel 23:5 tn Heb “while she was under me.” The expression indicates that Oholah is viewed as the Lord’s wife. See Num 5:19-20, 29. sn Engaged in prostitution refers to alliances with pagan nations in this context. In Ezek 16 harlotry described the sin of idolatry.
  5. Ezekiel 23:5 tn Heb “Assyria.”
  6. Ezekiel 23:5 tn The term apparently refers to Assyrian military officers; it is better construed with the description that follows. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:738.
  7. Ezekiel 23:7 tn Heb “her harlotries.”
  8. Ezekiel 23:7 tn Heb “lusted after.”
  9. Ezekiel 23:8 tn Heb “lied down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakav) “to lie down” can imply going to bed to sleep or be a euphemism for sexual relations.
  10. Ezekiel 23:8 tn Heb “and poured out their harlotry on her.”
  11. Ezekiel 23:9 tn Heb “I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the sons of Assyria.”
  12. Ezekiel 23:10 tn Heb “name.”
  13. Ezekiel 23:11 tn The word “this” is not in the original text.
  14. Ezekiel 23:14 tn The only other occurrence of the Hebrew term is in Jer 22:14.
  15. Ezekiel 23:15 tn Heb “the sons of Babel.”
  16. Ezekiel 23:16 tn Heb “at the appearance of her eyes.”
  17. Ezekiel 23:16 sn The Chaldeans were prominent tribal groups of Babylonia. The imagery is reminiscent of events in the reigns of Hezekiah (2 Kgs 20:12-15) and Jehoiakim (2 Kgs 23:34-24:1).
  18. Ezekiel 23:17 tn Heb “The sons of Babel came to her on a bed of love.”
  19. Ezekiel 23:17 tn Heb “her soul.”
  20. Ezekiel 23:18 tn Heb “She exposed her harlotry and exposed her nakedness.”
  21. Ezekiel 23:18 tn Heb “my soul.”
  22. Ezekiel 23:18 tn Heb “my soul.”
  23. Ezekiel 23:20 tn Heb “She lusted after their concubines (?), whose flesh was the flesh of donkeys.” The phrase “their concubines” is difficult here. The pronoun is masculine plural, suggesting that the Egyptian men are in view, but how concubines would fit into the picture envisioned here is not clear. It is possible that the term refers here to the Egyptians’ genitals. The relative pronoun that follows introduces a more specific description of them. Some suggest that Ezekiel uses the term in an idiomatic sense of “paramour,” which is reflected in the translation above.
  24. Ezekiel 23:21 tn Or “you took note of.” The Hebrew verb פָּקַד (paqad) in the Qal implies evaluating something and then acting in light of that judgment; here the prophet depicts Judah as approving of her youthful unfaithfulness and then magnifying it at the present time. Some translations assume the verb should be repointed as a Niphal, rendering “you missed” or by extension “you longed for,” but such an extension of the Niphal “to be missing” is otherwise unattested.
  25. Ezekiel 23:21 tn Heb “when (they) did,” but the verb makes no sense here and is better emended to “when (they) fondled,” a verb used in vv. 3 and 8. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:43.
  26. Ezekiel 23:21 tn Heb “for the sake of,” but the expression is awkward and is better emended to read “to squeeze.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:43.
  27. Ezekiel 23:22 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  28. Ezekiel 23:23 sn Pekod was the name of an Aramean tribe (known as Puqudu in Mesopotamian texts) that lived in the region of the Tigris River.
  29. Ezekiel 23:23 sn Shoa was the name of a nomadic people (the Sutu) that lived in Mesopotamia.
  30. Ezekiel 23:23 sn Koa was the name of another Mesopotamian people group (the Qutu).
  31. Ezekiel 23:24 tn Heb “come against.”
  32. Ezekiel 23:24 tn This is the only occurrence of this term in the OT. The precise meaning is uncertain.
  33. Ezekiel 23:24 tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”
  34. Ezekiel 23:24 tn Heb “I will place before them judgment.”
  35. Ezekiel 23:25 tn Heb “give.”
  36. Ezekiel 23:25 tn Heb “they will remove.” sn This method of punishment is attested among ancient Egyptian and Hittite civilizations. See W. Zimmerli, Ezekiel (Hermeneia), 1:489.
  37. Ezekiel 23:25 tn Heb “fall.”
  38. Ezekiel 23:27 tn Heb “I will cause your obscene conduct to cease from you and your harlotry from the land of Egypt.”
  39. Ezekiel 23:27 tn Heb “lift your eyes to them.”
  40. Ezekiel 23:28 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  41. Ezekiel 23:28 tn Heb “I am giving you into the hand of.”
  42. Ezekiel 23:29 tn The Hebrew term means “labor,” but by extension it can also refer to that for which one works.
  43. Ezekiel 23:29 tn Heb “The nakedness of your prostitution will be exposed, and your obscene conduct and your harlotry.”
  44. Ezekiel 23:30 tn The infinitive absolute continues the sequence begun in v. 28: “Look here, I am about to deliver you.” See Joüon 2:430 §123.w.
  45. Ezekiel 23:31 tn Heb “her cup.” A cup of intoxicating strong drink is used, here and elsewhere, as a metaphor for judgment because both leave one confused and reeling. (See Jer 25:15, 17, 28; Hab 2:16.) The cup of wrath is a theme also found in the NT (Mark 14:36).
  46. Ezekiel 23:32 sn The image of a deep and wide cup suggests the degree of punishment; it will be extensive and leave the victim helpless.
  47. Ezekiel 23:33 tn Heb “filled with.”
  48. Ezekiel 23:34 tn Heb “You will drink it and drain (it).”
  49. Ezekiel 23:34 tn D. I. Block compares this to the idiom of “licking the plate” (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:754, n. 137). The text is difficult as the word translated “gnaw” is rare. The noun is used of the shattered pieces of pottery and so could envision a broken cup. But the Piel verb form is used in only one other place (Num 24:8), where it is a denominative from the noun “bone” and seems to mean to “break (bones).” Why it would be collocated with “sherds” is not clear. For this reason some emend the phrase to read “consume its dregs” (see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 2:44) or emend the verb to read “swallow,” as if the intoxicated Oholibah breaks the cup and then eats the very sherds in an effort to get every last drop of the beverage that dampens them.
  50. Ezekiel 23:34 sn The severe action is more extreme than beating the breasts in anguish (Isa 32:12; Nah 2:7). It is also ironic, for these are the very breasts she so blatantly offered to her lovers (vv. 3, 21).
  51. Ezekiel 23:35 tn Heb “and you cast me behind your back.” The expression pictures her rejection of the Lord (see 1 Kgs 14:9).
  52. Ezekiel 23:35 tn The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text but is demanded by the context.
  53. Ezekiel 23:36 tn Heb “will you judge.” Here the imperfect form of the verb is probably used with a desiderative nuance. Addressed to the prophet, “judge” means to warn of or pronounce God’s impending judgment. See 20:4 and 22:2.
  54. Ezekiel 23:37 sn The Lord speaks here in the role of the husband of the sisters.
  55. Ezekiel 23:37 tn Heb “they have passed to them for food.” The verb is commonly taken to refer to passing children through fire, especially as an offering to the pagan god Molech. See Jer 32:35.
  56. Ezekiel 23:38 tn Heb “in that day.”
  57. Ezekiel 23:40 tn Heb “to whom a messenger was sent, and look, they came.” Foreign alliances are in view here.
  58. Ezekiel 23:40 tn The Hebrew verb form is feminine singular, indicating that Oholibah (Judah) is specifically addressed here. This address continues through verse 42a (note “her”), but then both sisters are described in verse 42b, where the feminine pronouns are again plural.
  59. Ezekiel 23:42 tn Heb “(was) in her.”
  60. Ezekiel 23:42 tn Heb “and men from the multitude of mankind.”
  61. Ezekiel 23:42 tn An alternate reading is “drunkards.” Sheba is located in the area of modern day Yemen.
  62. Ezekiel 23:42 tn Heb “they”; the referents (the sisters) have been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.
  63. Ezekiel 23:44 tn Heb “approached.” The verb בּוֹא (boʾ) with the preposition אֶל (ʾel) means “come to” or “approach” but is also used as a euphemism for sexual relations.
  64. Ezekiel 23:45 tn Heb “and upright men will judge them (with) the judgment of adulteresses and the judgment of those who shed blood.”
  65. Ezekiel 23:46 tn Heb “assembly.”
  66. Ezekiel 23:46 tn Heb “give them to.”
  67. Ezekiel 23:47 tn The Hebrew text adds: “with fire.”
  68. Ezekiel 23:49 tn Heb “and the sins of your idols you will bear.” By extension it can mean the punishment for the sins.
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Ezekiel 23
International Children’s Bible

Samaria and Jerusalem

23 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, a woman had two daughters. 3 While they were young, they went to Egypt and became prostitutes. They let men touch and hold their breasts. 4 The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They were mine and had sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

5 “Samaria left me. She went to her lover, Assyria. The Assyrians were warriors. 6 They wore blue uniforms. And all of them—governors, commanders and horsemen—were handsome. 7 Samaria became a prostitute for all the important men in Assyria. And she made herself unclean with all the idols of everyone she desired. 8 She continued the prostitution she began in Egypt. When she was young, she slept with men. They touched her breasts and sinned sexually with her.

9 “So I gave her to her lovers, the Assyrians, that she wanted so badly. 10 They stripped her naked and took away her sons and daughters. Then they killed her with a sword. Women everywhere began talking about how she had been punished.

11 “Her sister Jerusalem saw what happened to Samaria. And so Jerusalem became worse than her sister in her sexual desire and prostitution. 12 She also desired the Assyrians. All of them—governors, commanders, warriors dressed in uniform, and horsemen—were handsome. 13 I saw that both girls were alike. Both of them were prostitutes.

14 “But Jerusalem went even further. She saw carvings of Babylonian men on a wall. They wore red 15 and had belts around their waists. They wore turbans on their heads. They all looked like chariot officers born in Babylonia. 16 When she saw them, she lusted after them. So she sent messengers to them in Babylonia. 17 So these Babylonian men came and had sinful physical relations with her. They made her unclean. After that, she became sick of them. 18 But she continued her prostitution so that everyone knew about it. And I finally became sick of her, as I had her sister. 19 But she remembered how she was a young prostitute in Egypt. So she took part in even more prostitution. 20 She wanted men who behaved like animals in their sexual desire. 21 In the same way you desired to do the sinful things you had done in Egypt. There men touched and held your young breasts.

God’s Judgment on Jerusalem

22 “So, Jerusalem, this is what the Lord God says: You have tired of your lovers. So now I will make them angry with you. And they will surround you. 23 Men from Babylon and all Babylonia and men from Pekod, Shoa and Koa will come against you. All the Assyrians will come against you. They are governors, commanders, chariot drivers and important men, all riding horses. 24 Those men will come with great armies. They will come with their weapons, chariots and wagons. They will surround you with large and small shields and with helmets. And I will hand you over to them for punishment. And they will punish you with their own kind of punishment. 25 Then you will see how strong my anger can be. They will punish you in their anger. They will cut off your noses and ears. They will take away your sons and daughters. Those who are left will be burned. 26 They will take off your clothes and steal your jewelry. 27 I will put a stop to the sinful life you began when you were in Egypt. You will not desire these things anymore. And you will not remember Egypt anymore.

28 “This is what the Lord God says: You became sick of your lovers. But I am giving you to those men you now hate. 29 They will treat you with hate and take away everything you worked for. They will leave you empty and naked. Everyone will know about the sinful things you did. Your sexual sins 30 have brought this on you. You have made yourselves unclean by worshiping their idols. 31 You did the same things your sister did. So you will get the same punishment.

32 “This is what the Lord God says:

You will drink the same cup your sister did.
    And that cup is deep and wide.
Everyone will make fun of you,
    because the cup is full.
33 It will make you miserable and drunk.
    It is the cup of fear and ruin.
    It is the cup of your sister Samaria.
34 You will drink everything in it.
    Then you will smash it
    and tear at your breasts.

I have spoken, says the Lord God.

35 “So this is what the Lord God says: You have forgotten me and turned your back on me. So you will be punished for your sexual sins.”

Judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem

36 The Lord said to me: “Human being, will you judge Samaria and Jerusalem? Then show them their hated acts. 37 They are guilty of adultery and murder. They have taken part in adultery with their idols. They even offered their children as sacrifices in the fire. They were to be food for these idols. 38 They have also done this to me: They made my Temple unclean at the same time they dishonored my Sabbaths. 39 They offered their children to their idols. Then they entered my Temple at that very time to dishonor it. That is what they did inside my Temple.

40 “They even sent for men from far away. A messenger was sent to them, and they came. The two sisters bathed themselves for them, painted their eyes and put on jewelry. 41 They sat on a fine bed with a table set before it. They put my incense and my oil on the table.

42 “There was the noise of a reckless crowd in the city. Common people gathered, and drunkards were brought from the desert. They put bracelets on the hands of the two sisters. And they put beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said about the one who was worn out by her acts of adultery, ‘Let them continue their sexual sins with her. She is nothing but a prostitute.’ 44 They kept going to her as they would go to a prostitute. So they continued to go to Oholah, which was Samaria, and Oholibah, which was Jerusalem. These were the shameful women. 45 But men who do right will judge them as they judge women who take part in adultery. And they will judge them as they judge women who murder people. This is because Samaria and Jerusalem are guilty of adultery and murder.

46 “This is what the Lord God says: Bring together a mob against Samaria and Jerusalem. And hand them over to be frightened and robbed. 47 Let the mob kill them by throwing stones at them. Let the mob cut them down with their swords. Let them kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses with fire.

48 “So I will put an end to sexual sins in the land. Then all women will be warned. And they will not do the sexual sins you have done. 49 You will be punished for your sexual sins and the sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.”

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Ezekiel 23
New International Version

Two Adulterous Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.(A) 3 They became prostitutes in Egypt,(B) engaging in prostitution(C) from their youth.(D) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.(E) 4 The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.(F)

5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians(G)—warriors(H) 6 clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. 7 She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.(I) 8 She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,(J) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.(K)

9 “Therefore I delivered her into the hands(L) of her lovers,(M) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.(N) 10 They stripped(O) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,(P) and punishment was inflicted(Q) on her.(R)

11 “Her sister Oholibah saw this,(S) yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.(T) 12 She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.(U) 13 I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.(V)

14 “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,(W) figures of Chaldeans[a] portrayed in red,(X) 15 with belts(Y) around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.[b] 16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers(Z) to them in Chaldea.(AA) 17 Then the Babylonians(AB) came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.(AC) 18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,(AD) I turned away(AE) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.(AF) 19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. 21 So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.[c](AG)

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers(AH) against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side(AI)— 23 the Babylonians(AJ) and all the Chaldeans,(AK) the men of Pekod(AL) and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses.(AM) 24 They will come against you with weapons,[d] chariots and wagons(AN) and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment,(AO) and they will punish you according to their standards. 25 I will direct my jealous anger(AP) against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters,(AQ) and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.(AR) 26 They will also strip(AS) you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.(AT) 27 So I will put a stop(AU) to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.

28 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands(AV) of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked,(AW) and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed.(AX) Your lewdness(AY) and promiscuity(AZ) 30 have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.(BA) 31 You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup(BB) into your hand.(BC)

32 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“You will drink your sister’s cup,
    a cup large and deep;
it will bring scorn and derision,(BD)
    for it holds so much.(BE)
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
    the cup of ruin and desolation,
    the cup of your sister Samaria.(BF)
34 You will drink it(BG) and drain it dry
    and chew on its pieces—
    and you will tear your breasts.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BH)

35 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten(BI) me and turned your back on me,(BJ) you must bear(BK) the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”

36 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront(BL) them with their detestable practices,(BM) 37 for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.(BN) 38 They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary(BO) and desecrated my Sabbaths.(BP) 39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated(BQ) it. That is what they did in my house.(BR)

40 “They even sent messengers for men who came from far away,(BS) and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup(BT) and put on your jewelry.(BU) 41 You sat on an elegant couch,(BV) with a table(BW) spread before it on which you had placed the incense(BX) and olive oil that belonged to me.(BY)

42 “The noise of a carefree(BZ) crowd was around her; drunkards(CA) were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets(CB) on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.(CC) 43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute,(CD) for that is all she is.’ 44 And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. 45 But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood,(CE) because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.(CF)

46 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob(CG) against them and give them over to terror and plunder.(CH) 47 The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters(CI) and burn(CJ) down their houses.(CK)

48 “So I will put an end(CL) to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.(CM) 49 You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry.(CN) Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(CO)”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 23:14 Or Babylonians
  2. Ezekiel 23:15 Or Babylonia; also in verse 16
  3. Ezekiel 23:21 Syriac (see also verse 3); Hebrew caressed because of your young breasts
  4. Ezekiel 23:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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Ezekiel 23
New King James Version

Two Harlot Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying:

2 “Son of man, there were (A)two women,
The daughters of one mother.
3 (B)They committed harlotry in Egypt,
They committed harlotry in (C)their youth;
Their breasts were there embraced,
Their virgin bosom was there pressed.
4 Their names: [a]Oholah the elder and [b]Oholibah (D)her sister;
(E)They were Mine,
And they bore sons and daughters.
As for their names,
Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

The Older Sister, Samaria

5 “Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine;
And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring (F)Assyrians,
6 Who were clothed in purple,
Captains and rulers,
All of them desirable young men,
Horsemen riding on horses.
7 Thus she committed her harlotry with them,
All of them choice men of Assyria;
And with all for whom she lusted,
With all their idols, she defiled herself.
8 She has never given up her harlotry brought (G)from Egypt,
For in her youth they had lain with her,
Pressed her virgin bosom,
And poured out their immorality upon her.

9 “Therefore I have delivered her
Into the hand of her lovers,
Into the hand of the (H)Assyrians,
For whom she lusted.
10 They uncovered her nakedness,
Took away her sons and daughters,
And slew her with the sword;
She became a byword among women,
For they had executed judgment on her.

The Younger Sister, Jerusalem

11 “Now (I)although her sister Oholibah saw this, (J)she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry.

12 “She lusted for the neighboring (K)Assyrians,
(L)Captains and rulers,
Clothed most gorgeously,
Horsemen riding on horses,
All of them desirable young men.
13 Then I saw that she was defiled;
Both took the same way.
14 But she increased her harlotry;
She looked at men portrayed on the wall,
Images of (M)Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion,
15 Girded with belts around their waists,
Flowing turbans on their heads,
All of them looking like captains,
In the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea,
The land of their nativity.
16 (N)As soon as her eyes saw them,
She lusted for them
And sent (O)messengers to them in Chaldea.

17 “Then the [c]Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love,
And they defiled her with their immorality;
So she was defiled by them, (P)and alienated herself from them.
18 She revealed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness.
Then (Q)I (R)alienated Myself from her,
As I had alienated Myself from her sister.

19 “Yet she multiplied her harlotry
In calling to remembrance the days of her youth,
(S)When she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
20 For she lusted for her [d]paramours,
Whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys,
And whose issue is like the issue of horses.
21 Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth,
When the (T)Egyptians pressed your bosom
Because of your youthful breasts.

Judgment on Jerusalem

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord God:

(U)‘Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you,
From whom you have alienated yourself,
And I will bring them against you from every side:
23 The Babylonians,
All the Chaldeans,
(V)Pekod, Shoa, Koa,
(W)All the Assyrians with them,
All of them desirable young men,
Governors and rulers,
Captains and men of renown,
All of them riding on horses.
24 And they shall come against you
With chariots, wagons, and war-horses,
With a horde of people.
They shall array against you
Buckler, shield, and helmet all around.

‘I will delegate judgment to them,
And they shall judge you according to their judgments.
25 I will set My (X)jealousy against you,
And they shall deal furiously with you;
They shall remove your nose and your ears,
And your remnant shall fall by the sword;
They shall take your sons and your daughters,
And your remnant shall be devoured by fire.
26 (Y)They shall also strip you of your clothes
And take away your beautiful jewelry.

27 ‘Thus (Z)I will make you cease your lewdness and your (AA)harlotry
Brought from the land of Egypt,
So that you will not lift your eyes to them,
Nor remember Egypt anymore.’

28 “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hand of (AB)those you hate, into the hand of those (AC)from whom you alienated yourself. 29 (AD)They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and (AE)leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry. 30 I will do these things to you because you have (AF)gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols. 31 You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put her (AG)cup in your hand.’

32 “Thus says the Lord God:

‘You shall drink of your sister’s cup,
The deep and wide one;
(AH)You shall be laughed to scorn
And held in derision;
It contains much.
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
The cup of horror and desolation,
The cup of your sister Samaria.
34 You shall (AI)drink and drain it,
You shall break its [e]shards,
And tear at your own breasts;
For I have spoken,’
Says the Lord God.

35 “Therefore thus says the Lord God:

‘Because you (AJ)have forgotten Me and (AK)cast Me behind your back,
Therefore you shall bear the penalty
Of your lewdness and your harlotry.’ ”

Both Sisters Judged

36 The Lord also said to me: “Son of man, will you (AL)judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then (AM)declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and (AN)blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons (AO)whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them. 38 Moreover they have done this to Me: They have (AP)defiled My sanctuary on the same day and (AQ)profaned My Sabbaths. 39 For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed (AR)thus they have done in the midst of My house.

40 “Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, (AS)to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you (AT)washed yourself for them, (AU)painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately (AV)couch, with a table prepared before it, (AW)on which you had set My incense and My oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and [f]Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their [g]wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said concerning her who had grown old in adulteries, ‘Will they commit harlotry with her now, and she with them?’ 44 Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women. 45 But righteous men will (AX)judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and (AY)blood is on their hands.

46 “For thus says the Lord God: (AZ)‘Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder. 47 (BA)The assembly shall stone them with stones and [h]execute them with their swords; (BB)they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire. 48 Thus (BC)I will cause lewdness to cease from the land, (BD)that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness. 49 They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall (BE)pay for your idolatrous sins. (BF)Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 23:4 Lit. Her Own Tabernacle
  2. Ezekiel 23:4 Lit. My Tabernacle Is in Her
  3. Ezekiel 23:17 Lit. sons of Babel
  4. Ezekiel 23:20 Illicit lovers
  5. Ezekiel 23:34 Earthenware fragments
  6. Ezekiel 23:42 Or drunkards
  7. Ezekiel 23:42 Lit. hands
  8. Ezekiel 23:47 Lit. cut down
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Ezekiel 22
Ezekiel 24
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