兩個淫婦的比喻

23 耶和華對我說: 「人子啊,有一對同胞姊妹, 她們在埃及做娼妓,年輕時就淫亂,任人撫摸她們的胸,玩弄她們的乳。 姐姐名叫阿荷拉,妹妹名叫阿荷利巴。後來她們都歸屬了我,並且生兒育女。阿荷拉即撒瑪利亞,阿荷利巴即耶路撒冷。

「阿荷拉歸屬我後仍然淫亂,貪戀她的情人——亞述人。 他們都是身穿紫衣的省長和總督,都是英俊的年輕騎士。 她便與這些亞述的精英放縱情慾,拜他們的偶像,玷污自己。 她沒有放棄在埃及的淫蕩行為,她年輕的時候就任人玩弄、發洩情慾。 因此,我把她交在她所戀慕的亞述人手裡。 10 他們扒光她的衣服,奪去她的兒女,用刀殺了她。她受了報應,成了婦女口中的笑柄。

11 「她妹妹阿荷利巴看見這一切,不但沒有引以為戒,反而更加放蕩淫亂。 12 她貪戀亞述的省長和總督,那些衣著華麗、英俊的年輕騎士。 13 我看見她玷污了自己,與姐姐的行徑如出一轍。 14 她還變本加厲地放蕩淫亂,看見牆上用朱砂畫著迦勒底人的像, 15 腰間束帶,頭巾飄揚,都像是來自迦勒底的巴比倫人的將領, 16 便戀上了他們,差遣使者到他們那裡。 17 巴比倫人便來上她的床,放縱情慾玷污了她。之後,她便厭棄他們。 18 她繼續公開地淫亂,在眾人面前赤身露體,我厭棄她,像厭棄她姐姐一樣。 19 她卻更加淫亂,懷念自己年輕時在埃及為娼的日子, 20 怎樣與那些體壯精足、如驢似馬的情人縱淫, 21 渴望重溫早年的淫行,任埃及人摸胸弄乳。

22 「因此,主耶和華對阿荷利巴這樣說,『我要使那些被你離棄的情人從四面八方來攻擊你。 23 他們是巴比倫人,還有從比割、書亞和哥亞來的迦勒底人以及亞述人,都是騎馬的省長和總督及年輕英俊的有名將領。 24 他們率領大隊人馬,帶著兵器、戰車和軍需車來攻擊你。他們頂盔貫甲,手拿盾牌從四面八方進攻你。我要讓他們懲罰你,他們會按自己的律例來審判你。 25 我要藉著他們向你傾倒我的義憤,他們要在憤怒中對付你,割去你的鼻子和耳朵,擄去你的兒女,城中剩下的人都要死於刀下,被火吞噬。 26 他們要剝下你的衣服,奪去你的珠寶。 27 我要藉此制止你從埃及染上的淫亂和放蕩,使你不再嚮往埃及。 28 我要把你交在你所厭惡的人手中, 29 他們必滿懷仇恨地對付你,奪去你努力得來的一切,留下你赤身露體,使你淫蕩的醜惡公佈於眾。 30 因為你與各國苟合,被他們的偶像玷污,這些事必臨到你身上。 31 你既然步你姐姐的後塵,我要讓你喝她喝的那杯。』

32 「主耶和華說,

『你必喝你姐姐那又大又深的杯,
成為人們恥笑和辱罵的對象。
33 你姐姐撒瑪利亞的杯盛滿了恐懼和淒涼。
你喝了後必酩酊大醉,
滿心憂愁。
34 你必一滴不剩把它喝光,
然後把杯摔成碎片,
抓破自己的胸脯。
這是主耶和華說的。』

35 「主耶和華說,『你既忘記我,把我拋在腦後,就要受自己放蕩淫亂的報應。』」

36 耶和華又對我說:「人子啊,你要審判阿荷拉和阿荷利巴,指出她們的醜行。 37 她們淫蕩,手上沾滿血腥,與偶像淫亂,把為我所生的兒女燒死獻給偶像。 38 同時,她們還在同一天玷污我的聖所,褻瀆我的安息日, 39 她們焚燒自己的兒女獻祭給偶像,並在當天進入我的聖所,褻瀆聖所。這就是她們在我聖所裡的惡行。

40 「她們甚至派使者請來遠方的人,並且沐浴洗身,描眉畫眼,佩戴首飾, 41 坐在華麗的床上,面前的桌子上擺設著我的香料和膏油。 42 她們屋裡傳出眾人的安樂聲,從曠野來的酒徒和粗漢把鐲子戴在這對姊妹的手腕上,把華冠戴在她們的頭上。 43 我說,『她們縱慾無度、年老色衰,這些人還與她們淫亂。 44 他們與這對淫婦阿荷拉和阿荷利巴淫亂,好像與娼妓淫亂一樣。 45 她們是雙手沾滿血腥的淫婦,必有義人按她們應得的報應審判她們。』

46 「主耶和華說,『我要使許多人起來攻擊、搶掠她們,叫她們膽戰心驚。 47 這些人要用石頭打死她們,用刀殺戮她們和她們的兒女,用火燒毀她們的房屋。 48 這樣,我便制止了這地方的淫亂,所有的婦女都引以為戒,不敢效法她們。 49 她們淫亂,必得報應;她們拜偶像,必受懲罰。這樣,你們就知道我是主耶和華。』」

Two Harlot Sisters

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

“Son of man, there were (A)two women,
The daughters of one mother.
(B)They committed harlotry in Egypt,
They committed harlotry in (C)their youth;
Their breasts were there embraced,
Their virgin bosom was there pressed.
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

“Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine;
And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring (F)Assyrians,
Who were clothed in purple,
Captains and rulers,
All of them desirable young men,
Horsemen riding on horses.
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.
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.

“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