Add parallel Print Page Options

弃婴的比喻

16 耶和华的话又临到我说: “人子啊!你要使耶路撒冷知道她那些可憎之事; 你要说:‘主耶和华对耶路撒冷这样说:你的根源和出生地是在迦南地;你的父亲是亚摩利人,你的母亲是赫人。 论到你出生的景况:在你生下来的日子,没有人替你断脐带,没有人用水洗你,使你洁净,没有人撒盐在你身上,也没有人用布包裹你。 没有人顾惜可怜你,愿意为你作上述任何一件事;你却被人拋弃在田野,因为你出生的时候,你是被人厌恶的。

主的宠爱

“‘但我从你身旁经过,见你在血中挣扎。那时,你躺在血中,我对你说:要活下去(《马索拉文本》重复一遍“那时,你躺在血中,我对你说:要活下去”,现参照其他抄本和古译本翻译)。 我使你生长起来,像田间的植物。于是你生长起来,渐渐长大,好象最美丽的珠宝,你的两乳长成,头发秀长;但你仍是赤身露体。 我又从你身旁经过,见你已经到了谈情说爱的时候,我就用我的衣襟搭在你身上,遮盖你赤裸的身体;我又向你起誓,与你立约,于是你就属于我了。这是主耶和华的宣告。 那时我用水洗你,洗净你身上的血,又用油抹你。 10 我使你身穿刺绣的衣裳,脚穿海狗皮鞋;用细麻布给你裹头;又用丝绸给你披在身上。 11 我用珠宝给你打扮,把手环戴在你手上,把项链戴在你颈上, 12 又把鼻环戴在你鼻子上,把耳环戴在你耳朵上,把美丽的冠冕戴在你头上。 13 这样你就有了金银的装饰,你穿的是细麻、丝绸和刺绣的衣服;你吃的是细面、蜂蜜和油;你实在非常美丽,配登王后的位。 14 你的名声因你的美丽传遍列国,你全然美丽,是因为我加在你身上的荣美。这是主耶和华的宣告。

背约纵淫

15 “‘可是你倚仗你的美丽,又凭着你的名声去行淫;你向每一个过路的人纵情淫乱(《马索拉文本》在本节最后有“而那便成了属他的”;现参照《七十士译本》和其他古译本的较短读文翻译)。 16 你拿了你的一些衣服,为自己建造色彩缤纷的邱坛,又在那里行淫。这样的事不应发生,将来也不会再出现。 17 你又拿了我送给你那些美丽的金器银器,为自己铸造男人的像,与那些像行淫。 18 你又拿你的刺绣衣服,盖在它们身上,并且把我的油和香料都摆在它们面前。 19 你把我赐给你的食物,就是我给你吃的细面、油和蜂蜜,都摆在它们面前作馨香的祭物。这是主耶和华的宣告。 20 你更把你的儿女,就是你给我所生的儿女,献给它们作食物;你所行的淫乱还算是小事吗? 21 你竟宰杀了我的儿女,使他们经火,献给它们。 22 你行这一切可憎和淫乱的事,并没有想过你年幼的日子,那时你赤身露体,在血中挣扎。

23 “‘你有祸了,有祸了!这是主耶和华的宣告。你行了这一切恶事以后, 24 你又为自己建造高冈,在各广场上筑起高坛。 25 你在各路口建造高坛,使你的美丽变为可憎的,又向每一个过路的人张开两腿,多行淫乱。 26 你也与放纵情欲的邻居埃及人行淫,多行淫乱,惹我发怒。 27 因此,我伸手攻击你,减少你的粮食(“粮食”或译:“领土”),又把你交给那些恨你的非利士女子,使她们任意待你;她们对你邪荡的行为也感到羞愧。 28 可是,因为你还不满足,又与亚述人行淫;你与他们行淫之后,还是不满足。 29 于是你增多你的淫乱,与贸易之地迦勒底行淫,你还是不满足。

30 “‘你行的这一切事,简直是任性无耻的妓女所为,可见你的意志是多么的薄弱。这是耶和华的宣告。 31 你在各路口建造你的高冈,又在各广场上筑起你的高坛;然而你并不像一个妓女,因为你藐视卖淫所得的赏赐。 32 你这淫乱的妻子啊!你竟接外人而不接自己的丈夫。 33 人都把礼物送给妓女,你却把你的礼物送给你所有的爱人,贿赂他们从四面来与你行淫。 34 你的淫行与别的妇女不同,因为不是人把礼物送给你,要求与你行淫,是你把礼物送给人,所以你是不同的。

严惩耶路撒冷的罪

35 “‘因此,你这妓女啊,要听耶和华的话! 36 主耶和华这样说:因为你的情欲倾注出来,你与你的爱人行淫,露出你的下体,又因为你拜一切可憎的偶像,流儿女的血,把血献给偶像, 37 所以我要把所有与你欢合的爱人,就是所有你所爱的和你所恨的,都聚集起来;我要把他们从四围聚集起来攻击你;我要在他们面前露出你的下体,使他们看见你全身赤裸。 38 我要审判你,像审判行奸淫和流人血的妇人一样;我要因我的烈怒和妒忿,使流人血的罪归在你身上。 39 我要把你交在他们手里,他们要拆毁你的高冈,破坏你的高坛,剥去你的衣服,夺去你美丽的珠宝,只留下你赤露的身躯。 40 他们必带一大群人上来攻击你,用石头打死你,用他们的刀把你砍碎。 41 他们也要用火烧你的房屋,在许多妇人面前向你施行审判。我必止住你的淫行,也必使你不再把诱人行淫的礼物送给人。 42 这样我向你发的烈怒就可以平息,我的妒忿也可以离开你;我可以安静,不再恼怒了。 43 因为你不追念你年幼的日子,反而在这一切事上惹我发怒;看哪!我必照着你所行的报应在你头上,这是主耶和华的宣告。在你一切可憎的事以外,你岂不是还行了这淫乱的丑事吗?

有其母必有其女

44 “‘凡引用俗语的,必用这俗语指着你说:有其母,必有其女。 45 你实在是你母亲的女儿,她厌弃自己的丈夫和儿女;你实在是你姊妹的姊妹,她们厌弃她们的丈夫和儿女;你们的母亲是赫人,你们的父亲是亚摩利人。 46 你的姊姊是撒玛利亚,她和她的女儿们住在你的北面;你的妹妹是所多玛,她和她的女儿们住在你的南面。 47 你不但行她们所行的,作她们所作的可憎之事,而且你还以那些事为小,你一切所行的比她们更坏。 48 我指着我的永生起誓,你的妹妹所多玛和她的女儿们,都没有行过像你和你女儿们所行的事。这是主耶和华的宣告。 49 你妹妹所多玛的罪孽是这样:她和她的女儿们都骄傲自大,粮食丰足,生活安逸,却没有帮助困苦和贫穷的人。 50 她们自高自傲,在我面前行了可憎的事;我看见了,就把她们除掉。 51 撒玛利亚所犯的罪还不及你所犯的一半;你所行的可憎之事比她更多,以致你的姊妹因你所行的一切可憎之事而显为义。 52 你既然使你的姊妹较显为义,你就要承担自己的耻辱;因为你所犯的罪比她们所犯的更可憎,她们比你更显为义。你使你的姊妹较显为义,所以你就要惭愧,承担自己的耻辱了。

应许悔改者必蒙恩与复兴

53 “‘我要使所多玛和她的女儿们,撒玛利亚和她的女儿们从苦境中转回,我也要使你们跟她们一起转回, 54 好使你担当自己的耻辱,并且因你一切所行的使她们得了安慰,你就自觉惭愧。 55 你的妹妹所多玛和她的女儿们必回复原来的状况;撒玛利亚和她的女儿们必回复原来的状况;你和你的女儿们也必回复原来的状况。 56 在你骄傲自大的日子,你妹妹所多玛在你口中不是成了笑柄吗? 57 那时你的恶行还没有显露出来,现在你却成了以东的女儿们和以东四围的众人,以及非利士的女儿们讥笑的对象。你周围的人都轻视你。 58 你要承担你那些淫乱和可憎之事的后果。这是耶和华的宣告。 59 主耶和华这样说:你这藐视誓言、背弃盟约的,我必照着你所行的报应你。

60 “‘但我仍要记念在你年幼的时候与你所立的约,也要与你坚立永远的约。 61 你接纳你姊姊和你妹妹回来的时候,你就会想起你所行的,并要自觉惭愧;我要把她们赐给你作女儿,但这并不是出于我与你所立的约。 62 我要坚立我与你所立的约,你就知道我是耶和华, 63 好使你在我赦免你所行的一切时,就会回想,自觉惭愧,并且因你所受的羞辱不再开口。这是主耶和华的宣告。’”

Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, confront(A) Jerusalem with her detestable practices(B) and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry(C) and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father(D) was an Amorite(E) and your mother a Hittite.(F) On the day you were born(G) your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

“‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”[a](H) I made you grow(I) like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.(J)

“‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment(K) over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant(L) with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.(M)

“‘I bathed you with water and washed(N) the blood from you and put ointments on you. 10 I clothed you with an embroidered(O) dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen(P) and covered you with costly garments.(Q) 11 I adorned you with jewelry:(R) I put bracelets(S) on your arms and a necklace(T) around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose,(U) earrings(V) on your ears and a beautiful crown(W) on your head.(X) 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes(Y) were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil(Z) and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.(AA) 14 And your fame(AB) spread among the nations on account of your beauty,(AC) because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AD)

15 “‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by(AE) and your beauty became his.(AF) 16 You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,(AG) where you carried on your prostitution.(AH) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.[b] 17 You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.(AI) 18 And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense(AJ) before them. 19 Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AK)

20 “‘And you took your sons and daughters(AL) whom you bore to me(AM) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?(AN) 21 You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.(AO) 22 In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,(AP) when you were naked and bare,(AQ) kicking about in your blood.(AR)

23 “‘Woe!(AS) Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, 24 you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine(AT) in every public square.(AU) 25 At every street corner(AV) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.(AW) 26 You engaged in prostitution(AX) with the Egyptians,(AY) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger(AZ) with your increasing promiscuity.(BA) 27 So I stretched out my hand(BB) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over(BC) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,(BD) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28 You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians(BE) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.(BF) 29 Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,[c](BG) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.(BH)

30 “‘I am filled with fury against you,[d] declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!(BI) 31 When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines(BJ) in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

32 “‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! 33 All prostitutes receive gifts,(BK) but you give gifts(BL) to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.(BM) 34 So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.

35 “‘Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! 36 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,(BN) 37 therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip(BO) you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.(BP) 38 I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood;(BQ) I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.(BR) 39 Then I will deliver you into the hands(BS) of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked.(BT) 40 They will bring a mob against you, who will stone(BU) you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn down(BV) your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women.(BW) I will put a stop(BX) to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. 42 Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.(BY)

43 “‘Because you did not remember(BZ) the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down(CA) on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?(CB)

44 “‘Everyone who quotes proverbs(CC) will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” 45 You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised(CD) her husband(CE) and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.(CF) 46 Your older sister(CG) was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.(CH) 47 You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.(CI) 48 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign(CJ) Lord, your sister Sodom(CK) and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.(CL)

49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:(CM) She and her daughters were arrogant,(CN) overfed and unconcerned;(CO) they did not help the poor and needy.(CP) 50 They were haughty(CQ) and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.(CR) 51 Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.(CS) 52 Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous(CT) than you. So then, be ashamed and bear(CU) your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

53 “‘However, I will restore(CV) the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them,(CW) 54 so that you may bear your disgrace(CX) and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. 55 And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.(CY) 56 You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned(CZ) by the daughters of Edom[e](DA) and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. 58 You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.(DB)

59 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.(DC) 60 Yet I will remember the covenant(DD) I made with you in the days of your youth,(DE) and I will establish an everlasting covenant(DF) with you. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed(DG) when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters,(DH) but not on the basis of my covenant with you. 62 So I will establish my covenant(DI) with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(DJ) 63 Then, when I make atonement(DK) for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed(DL) and never again open your mouth(DM) because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.(DN)’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:6 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts repeat and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”
  2. Ezekiel 16:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  3. Ezekiel 16:29 Or Chaldea
  4. Ezekiel 16:30 Or How feverish is your heart,
  5. Ezekiel 16:57 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate Aram

God’s Love for Jerusalem

16 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, (A)cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: “Your [a]birth (B)and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; (C)your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. As for your nativity, (D)on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were [b]loathed on the day you were born.

“And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ (E)I made you [c]thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.

“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; (F)so I spread [d]My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I (G)swore an oath to you and entered into a (H)covenant with you, and (I)you became Mine,” says the Lord God.

“Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of [e]badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with ornaments, (J)put bracelets on your wrists, (K)and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a [f]jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. (L)You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly (M)beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. 14 (N)Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord God.

Jerusalem’s Harlotry

15 (O)“But you trusted in your own beauty, (P)played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. 16 (Q)You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored [g]high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be. 17 You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them. 18 You took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you set My oil and My incense before them. 19 Also (R)My food which I gave you—the pastry of fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you—you set it before them as [h]sweet incense; and so it was,” says the Lord God.

20 (S)“Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, 21 that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the (T)fire? 22 And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your (U)youth, (V)when you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood.

23 “Then it was so, after all your wickedness—‘Woe, woe to you!’ says the Lord God 24 that (W)you also built for yourself a shrine, and (X)made a [i]high place for yourself in every street. 25 You built your high places (Y)at the head of every road, and made your beauty to be abhorred. You offered yourself to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your acts of harlotry. 26 You also committed harlotry with (Z)the Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to (AA)provoke Me to anger.

27 “Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your [j]allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, (AB)the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 You also played the harlot with the (AC)Assyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. 29 Moreover you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader, (AD)Chaldea; and even then you were not satisfied.

30 “How degenerate is your heart!” says the Lord God, “seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot.

Jerusalem’s Adultery

31 (AE)“You erected your shrine at the head of every road, and built your [k]high place in every street. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned (AF)payment. 32 You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband. 33 Men make payment to all harlots, but (AG)you made your payments to all your lovers, and [l]hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry. 34 You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite.”

Jerusalem’s Lovers Will Abuse Her

35 ‘Now then, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord! 36 Thus says the Lord God: “Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of (AH)the blood of your children which you gave to them, 37 surely, therefore, (AI)I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, and all those you hated; I will gather them from all around against you and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. 38 And I will judge you as (AJ)women who break wedlock or (AK)shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy. 39 I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines and break down (AL)your [m]high places. (AM)They shall also strip you of your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.

40 (AN)“They shall also bring up an assembly against you, (AO)and they shall stone you with stones and thrust you through with their swords. 41 They shall (AP)burn your houses with fire, and (AQ)execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; and I will make you (AR)cease playing the harlot, and you shall no longer hire lovers. 42 So (AS)I will lay to rest My fury toward you, and My jealousy shall depart from you. I will be quiet, and be angry no more. 43 Because (AT)you did not remember the days of your youth, but [n]agitated Me with all these things, surely (AU)I will also recompense your [o]deeds on your own head,” says the Lord God. “And you shall not commit lewdness in addition to all your abominations.

More Wicked than Samaria and Sodom

44 “Indeed everyone who quotes proverbs will use this proverb against you: ‘Like mother, like daughter!’ 45 You are your mother’s daughter, [p]loathing husband and children; and you are the (AV)sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children; (AW)your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

46 “Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells with her daughters to the north of you; and (AX)your younger sister, who dwells to the south of you, is Sodom and her daughters. 47 You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, (AY)you became more corrupt than they in all your ways.

48 As I live,” says the Lord God, “neither (AZ)your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, (BA)fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty and (BB)committed abomination before Me; therefore (BC)I took them away as [q]I saw fit.

51 “Samaria did not commit (BD)half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and (BE)have justified your sisters by all the abominations which you have done. 52 You who judged your sisters, bear your own shame also, because the sins which you committed were more abominable than theirs; they are more righteous than you. Yes, be disgraced also, and bear your own shame, because you justified your sisters.

53 (BF)“When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back (BG)the captives of your captivity among them, 54 that you may bear your own shame and be disgraced by all that you did when (BH)you comforted them. 55 When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state. 56 For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered. It was like the time of the (BI)reproach of the daughters of [r]Syria and all those around her, and of (BJ)the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you everywhere. 58 (BK)You have paid for your lewdness and your abominations,” says the Lord. 59 For thus says the Lord God: “I will deal with you as you have done, who (BL)despised (BM)the oath by breaking the covenant.

An Everlasting Covenant

60 “Nevertheless I will (BN)remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish (BO)an everlasting covenant with you. 61 Then (BP)you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters; for I will give them to you for (BQ)daughters, (BR)but not because of My covenant with you. 62 (BS)And I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 that you may (BT)remember and be ashamed, (BU)and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,” says the Lord God.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:3 origin and your birth
  2. Ezekiel 16:5 abhorred
  3. Ezekiel 16:7 Lit. a myriad
  4. Ezekiel 16:8 Or the corner of My garment
  5. Ezekiel 16:10 Or dolphin or dugong
  6. Ezekiel 16:12 Lit. ring
  7. Ezekiel 16:16 Places for pagan worship
  8. Ezekiel 16:19 Or a sweet aroma
  9. Ezekiel 16:24 Place for pagan worship
  10. Ezekiel 16:27 Allowance of food
  11. Ezekiel 16:31 Place for pagan worship
  12. Ezekiel 16:33 Or bribed
  13. Ezekiel 16:39 Places for pagan worship
  14. Ezekiel 16:43 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT were agitated with Me
  15. Ezekiel 16:43 Lit. way
  16. Ezekiel 16:45 Or despising
  17. Ezekiel 16:50 Vg. you saw; LXX he saw; Tg. as was revealed to Me
  18. Ezekiel 16:57 Heb. Aram; so with MT, LXX, Tg., Vg.; many Heb. mss., Syr. Edom

The Lord's Faithless Bride

16 Again the word of the Lord came to me: (A)“Son of man, (B)make known to Jerusalem her abominations, and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an (C)Amorite and your mother a (D)Hittite. And as for your birth, (E)on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, (F)but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, (G)on the day that you were born.

“And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing (H)in your blood, I said to you (I)in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you (J)in your blood, ‘Live!’ (K)I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall (L)and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet (M)you were naked and bare.

“When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and (N)I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you (O)and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, (P)and you became mine. Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and (Q)anointed you with oil. 10 (R)I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.[a] 11 (S)And I adorned you with ornaments and (T)put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. (U)You ate fine flour and honey and oil. (V)You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. 14 And (W)your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God.

15 (X)“But you trusted in your beauty (Y)and played the whore[b] because of your renown (Z)and lavished your whorings[c] on any passerby; your beauty[d] became his. 16 You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be.[e] 17 You also took (AA)your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and (AB)made for yourself images of men, and with them played the whore. 18 And you took your embroidered garments to cover them, (AC)and set my oil and my incense before them. 19 (AD)Also my bread that I gave you—(AE)I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey—you set before them for (AF)a pleasing aroma; and so it was, declares the Lord God. 20 (AG)And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and (AH)these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter 21 that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? 22 And in all your abominations and your whorings you did not remember (AI)the days of your youth, (AJ)when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your blood.

23 “And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! declares the Lord God), 24 you built yourself (AK)a vaulted chamber and made yourself a lofty place in every square. 25 At the head of every street (AL)you built your lofty place and made (AM)your beauty an abomination, (AN)offering yourself[f] to any passerby and multiplying your whoring. 26 (AO)You also played the whore (AP)with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, (AQ)multiplying your whoring, (AR)to provoke me to anger. 27 Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you (AS)and diminished your allotted portion (AT)and delivered you to the greed of your enemies, (AU)the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 (AV)You played the whore also (AW)with the Assyrians, because you were not satisfied; yes, you played the whore with them, and still you were not satisfied. 29 You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land (AX)of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied.

30 “How sick is your heart,[g] declares the Lord God, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute, 31 building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a prostitute, (AY)because you scorned payment. 32 Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33 Men give gifts to all prostitutes, (AZ)but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings. 34 So you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and (BA)you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore you were different.

35 “Therefore, O prostitute, hear the word of the Lord: 36 Thus says the Lord God, Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whorings with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, (BB)and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them, 37 therefore, behold, (BC)I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and (BD)all those you hated. (BE)I will gather them against you from every side (BF)and will uncover your nakedness to them, that (BG)they may see all your nakedness. 38 (BH)And I will judge you (BI)as women who commit adultery and (BJ)shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy. 39 And I will give you into their hands, and they shall throw down your (BK)vaulted chamber and break down (BL)your lofty places. (BM)They shall strip you of your clothes and take (BN)your beautiful jewels and leave you (BO)naked and bare. 40 (BP)They shall bring up a crowd against you, (BQ)and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 (BR)And they shall (BS)burn your houses and (BT)execute judgments upon you in the sight of many women. (BU)I will make you stop playing the whore, and (BV)you shall also give payment no more. 42 (BW)So will I satisfy my wrath on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you. I will be calm and will no more be angry. 43 Because you have not remembered (BX)the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things, therefore, behold, (BY)I have returned your deeds upon your head, declares the Lord God. Have you not (BZ)committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations?

44 “Behold, everyone (CA)who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45 You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of (CB)your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. (CC)Your mother was a Hittite and (CD)your father an Amorite. 46 And (CE)your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and (CF)your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 (CG)Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time (CH)you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. 48 (CI)As I live, declares the Lord God, your sister (CJ)Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, (CK)excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and (CL)did an abomination before me. So (CM)I removed them, when I saw it. 51 (CN)Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have committed more abominations than they, and (CO)have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have committed. 52 (CP)Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have intervened on behalf of your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

53 (CQ)“I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in their midst, 54 that you may bear your disgrace (CR)and be ashamed of all that you have done, (CS)becoming a consolation to them. 55 As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, (CT)and Samaria and her daughters shall return (CU)to their former state, (CV)and you and your daughters shall return (CW)to your former state. 56 Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth (CX)in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become (CY)an object of reproach for the daughters of Syria[h] and all those around her, and for (CZ)the daughters of the Philistines, (DA)those all around who despise you. 58 (DB)You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, declares the Lord.

The Lord's Everlasting Covenant

59 “For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you (DC)who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, 60 yet (DD)I will remember my covenant with you (DE)in the days of your youth, (DF)and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. 61 (DG)Then you will remember your ways (DH)and be ashamed when you take (DI)your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you (DJ)as daughters, but not on account of[i] the covenant with you. 62 I will establish my covenant with you, (DK)and you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 that you may remember and be confounded, and (DL)never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:10 Or with rich fabric
  2. Ezekiel 16:15 Or were unfaithful; also verses 16, 17, 26, 28
  3. Ezekiel 16:15 Or unfaithfulness; also verses 20, 22, 25, 26, 29, 33, 34, 36
  4. Ezekiel 16:15 Hebrew it
  5. Ezekiel 16:16 The meaning of this Hebrew sentence is uncertain
  6. Ezekiel 16:25 Hebrew spreading your legs
  7. Ezekiel 16:30 Revocalization yields How I am filled with anger against you
  8. Ezekiel 16:57 Some manuscripts (compare Syriac) of Edom
  9. Ezekiel 16:61 Or not apart from