²⁴ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do—because you have done this, you will be taken captive.

Israel to Be Destroyed

9 I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said:

⁵ “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians^(A)—warriors^{(B) 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.^{(C) 8} She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,^(D) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.^(E)

⁹ “Therefore I delivered her into the hands^(F) of her lovers,^(G) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.^{(H) 10} They stripped^(I) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,^(J) and punishment was inflicted^(K) on her.^(L)

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

¹⁴ “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,^(Q) figures of Chaldeans^[a] portrayed in red,^{(R) 15} with belts^(S) 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^(T) to them in Chaldea.^{(U) 17} Then the Babylonians^(V) 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.^{(W) 18} When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,^(X) I turned away^(Y) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.^{(Z) 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](AA)

²⁴ “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’^{(A) 25} There is a conspiracy^(B) of her princes^[a] within her like a roaring lion^(C) tearing its prey; they devour people,^(D) take treasures and precious things and make many widows^(E) within her. ²⁶ Her priests do violence to my law^(F) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;^(G) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;^(H) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned^(I) among them.^{(J) 27} Her officials^(K) within her are like wolves^(L) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people^(M) to make unjust gain.^{(N) 28} Her prophets whitewash^(O) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.^(P) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.^{(Q) 29} The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;^(R) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,^(S) denying them justice.^(T)

³⁰ “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall^(U) and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.^{(V) 31} So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,^(W) bringing down^(X) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(Y)”

³ and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood^(A) in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, ⁴ you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed^(B) and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come.^(C) Therefore I will make you an object of scorn^(D) to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.^{(E) 5} Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.^(F)

⁶ “‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.^{(G) 7} In you they have treated father and mother with contempt;^(H) in you they have oppressed the foreigner^(I) and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.^{(J) 8} You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.^{(K) 9} In you are slanderers^(L) who are bent on shedding blood;^(M) in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines^(N) and commit lewd acts.^{(O) 10} In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed;^(P) in you are those who violate women during their period,^(Q) when they are ceremonially unclean.^{(R) 11} In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife,^(S) another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law,^(T) and another violates his sister,^(U) his own father’s daughter.^{(V) 12} In you are people who accept bribes^(W) to shed blood; you take interest^(X) and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.^(Y) And you have forgotten^(Z) me, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AA)

¹⁶ You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,^(A) where you carried on your prostitution.^(B) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.^{[a] 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.^{(C) 18} And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense^(D) 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.^(E)

²⁰ “‘And you took your sons and daughters^(F) whom you bore to me^(G) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?^{(H) 21} You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.^{(I) 22} In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,^(J) when you were naked and bare,^(K) kicking about in your blood.^(L)