Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close LSB

Ezekiel 16
Legacy Standard Bible

Jerusalem Plays the Harlot

16 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (A)make known to Jerusalem her abominations 3 and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your birth, (B)on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. 5 No eye had pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the [a](C)open field, for your soul was abhorred on the day you were born.

6 “Then I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood. So I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Indeed I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 I (D)made you [b]numerous like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall, and came into the age for fine ornaments; your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare.

8 “Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, [c]you were at the time for love; so I (E)spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also (F)swore to you and (G)entered into a covenant with you so that you (H)became Mine,” declares Lord Yahweh. 9 “Then I washed you with water, rinsed your blood off from you, and (I)anointed you with oil. 10 I also clothed you with (J)embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I also adorned you with ornaments and put (K)bracelets on your hands and a (L)necklace around your neck. 12 I also put a (M)ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a (N)splendid crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with (O)gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to (P)royalty. 14 Then your (Q)name went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was (R)perfect because of My majesty which I set on you,” declares Lord Yahweh.

15 “But you (S)trusted in your beauty and (T)played the harlot because of your name, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by [d]who might be willing. 16 You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors, and played the harlot on them, [e]which should never come about nor happen. 17 You also took your splendid [f](U)jewelry made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them. 18 Then you took your embroidered cloth and covered them and gave My oil and My incense before them. 19 Also (V)My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey with which I had you eat, you gave before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened,” declares Lord Yahweh. 20 “Moreover, you took your sons and daughters, whom you had borne to (W)Me, and (X)sacrificed them to [g]idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter? 21 You slaughtered (Y)My children and gave them up to [h]idols by (Z)causing them to pass through the fire. 22 Besides all your abominations and harlotries you did not remember the days of (AA)your youth, when you were naked and bare—you were squirming in your blood!

23 “Now it happened after all your evil—‘Woe, woe to you!’ declares Lord Yahweh— 24 that you built yourself a (AB)shrine and made yourself a (AC)high place in every square. 25 You built yourself a high place at the head of (AD)every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry. 26 You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your [i]lustful neighbors, and you multiplied your harlotry to (AE)provoke Me to anger. 27 Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and cut off your rations. And I gave you up to the desire of those who hate you, the (AF)daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way. 28 Moreover, you played the harlot with the (AG)Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. 29 You also multiplied your harlotry with the land of merchants, Chaldea, yet even with this you were not satisfied.”’”

30 “How (AH)languishing is your heart,” declares Lord Yahweh, “while you do all these things, the actions of a [j](AI)bold-faced harlot. 31 When you built your shrine at the head of every way and made your high place in every square, in (AJ)disdaining your earnings, you were not like a harlot. 32 You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband! 33 [k]Men give gifts to all harlots, but you (AK)give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from all around for your harlotries. 34 Thus you are the opposite of those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot [l]as you do, because you give away your earnings and no earnings are given to you; thus you are the opposite.”

35 Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of Yahweh. 36 Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your abominable (AL)idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to [m]idols, 37 therefore, behold, I will (AM)gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, even all those whom you loved and all those whom you (AN)hated. So I will gather them against you from all around and (AO)uncover your nakedness to them that they may see all your nakedness. 38 Thus I will (AP)judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of (AQ)wrath and jealousy. 39 I will also give you into [n]the hands of your lovers, and they will pull down your shrines, tear down your high places, (AR)strip you of your clothing, take away your [o]splendid jewelry, and will leave you naked and bare. 40 They will bring up an (AS)assembly against you, and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will (AT)burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. Then I will (AU)make you cease from playing the harlot, and you will also no longer give [p]your earnings to your lovers. 42 So I (AV)will [q]cause My wrath against you to be at rest, and My jealousy will depart from you, and I will be quiet, and I will (AW)not be provoked anymore. 43 Because you have (AX)not remembered the days of your youth but [r]have (AY)enraged Me by all these things, behold, I in turn will (AZ)bring your way down on your own head,” declares Lord Yahweh, “so that you will not commit this lewdness on top of all your other abominations.

44 “Behold, everyone who quotes (BA)proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you, saying, ‘[s]Like mother, [t]like daughter.’ 45 You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You are also the (BB)sister of your sisters, who (BC)loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46 Now your (BD)older sister is Samaria, who lives [u]north of you with her [v]daughters; and your younger sister, who lives [w]south of you, is (BE)Sodom with her daughters. 47 Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were (BF)too little, you acted (BG)more corruptly in all your ways than they. 48 As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “Sodom your sister and her daughters have (BH)not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had (BI)lofty pride, (BJ)abundant food, and (BK)quiet ease, but she did not strengthen the hand of the (BL)afflicted and needy. 50 Then they were haughty and committed (BM)abominations before Me. So I (BN)removed them [x]when I saw it. 51 Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. Thus you have made your sisters appear (BO)righteous by all your abominations which you have done. 52 Also bear your dishonor in that you have [y]made judgment favorable for your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted (BP)more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. Yes, be also ashamed and bear your dishonor, in that you made your sisters appear righteous.

53 “Nevertheless, I will [z]return their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and [aa]along with them [ab]your own captivity, 54 in order that you may bear your dishonor and feel (BQ)dishonor for all that you have done when you become (BR)a comfort to them. 55 Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, [ac]will return to their former state, and you with your daughters will also return to your former state. 56 As the name of your sister Sodom was not heard in your mouth in your day of lofty pride, 57 before your (BS)wickedness was uncovered, [ad]so now you have become the (BT)reproach of the daughters of [ae]Edom and of all who are around her, of the daughters of the Philistines—those all around you who despise you. 58 You have (BU)borne the penalty of your lewdness and abominations,” declares Yahweh. 59 For thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also do with you as you have done, you who have (BV)despised the oath by breaking the covenant.

Yahweh’s Everlasting Covenant

60 “Nevertheless, I Myself will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an (BW)everlasting covenant with you. 61 Then you will (BX)remember your ways and feel dishonor when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. 62 Thus I will (BY)establish My covenant with you, and you shall (BZ)know that I am Yahweh, 63 so that you may (CA)remember and be ashamed and (CB)never open your mouth anymore because of your dishonor, when I have (CC)atoned for you for all that you have done,” declares Lord Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:5 Lit surface
  2. Ezekiel 16:7 Lit a myriad
  3. Ezekiel 16:8 Lit your time was
  4. Ezekiel 16:15 Lit to whom it might be
  5. Ezekiel 16:16 Lit things which had not happened nor will it be
  6. Ezekiel 16:17 Lit articles
  7. Ezekiel 16:20 Lit them
  8. Ezekiel 16:21 Lit them
  9. Ezekiel 16:26 Lit great of flesh
  10. Ezekiel 16:30 Lit domineering
  11. Ezekiel 16:33 Lit They
  12. Ezekiel 16:34 Lit after you
  13. Ezekiel 16:36 Lit them
  14. Ezekiel 16:39 Lit their hands, and they
  15. Ezekiel 16:39 Lit articles of beauty
  16. Ezekiel 16:41 Lit a harlot’s hire
  17. Ezekiel 16:42 Or calm
  18. Ezekiel 16:43 As in ancient versions; Heb are angry against
  19. Ezekiel 16:44 Lit Her
  20. Ezekiel 16:44 Lit Her
  21. Ezekiel 16:46 Lit on your left
  22. Ezekiel 16:46 Environs, so through v 55
  23. Ezekiel 16:46 Lit from your right
  24. Ezekiel 16:50 Many ancient mss and versions as you have seen
  25. Ezekiel 16:52 Lit mediated for
  26. Ezekiel 16:53 Or restore
  27. Ezekiel 16:53 Lit in their midst
  28. Ezekiel 16:53 Lit the captivity of your captivity
  29. Ezekiel 16:55 Heb also includes will return...state after Sodom
  30. Ezekiel 16:57 Lit as at the time of
  31. Ezekiel 16:57 As in many mss and one version; M.T. Aram
Listen to Ezekiel 16
Close CSB

Ezekiel 16
Christian Standard Bible

Parable of God’s Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me again: 2 “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices.(A) 3 You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hethite.(B) 4 As for your birth, your umbilical cord wasn’t cut on the day you were born,(C) and you weren’t washed clean[a] with water. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.(D) 5 No one cared enough about you to do even one of these things out of compassion for you. But you were thrown out into the open field because you were despised on the day you were born.

6 “‘I passed by you and saw you thrashing around in your blood, and I said to you as you lay in your blood, “Live!” Yes, I said to you as you lay in your blood, “Live!” [b] 7 I made you thrive[c] like plants of the field.(E) You grew up and matured and became very beautiful.[d] Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, but you were stark naked.

8 “‘Then I passed by you and saw you, and you were indeed at the age for love. So I spread the edge of my garment over you and covered your nakedness.(F) I pledged myself to you,(G) entered into a covenant with you—this is the declaration of the Lord God—and you became mine.(H) 9 I washed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and provided you with fine leather[e] sandals. I also wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with jewelry, putting bracelets on your wrists and a necklace around your neck. 12 I put a ring in your nose,(I) earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver,(J) and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became extremely beautiful and attained royalty. 14 Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through my splendor,(K) which I had bestowed on you. This is the declaration of the Lord God.

15 “‘But you trusted in your beauty and acted like a prostitute because of your fame.(L) You lavished your sexual favors on everyone who passed by.(M) Your beauty became his.[f] 16 You took some of your clothing and made colorful high places for yourself, and you engaged in prostitution on them. These places should not have been built, and this should never have happened![g] 17 You also took your beautiful jewelry made from the gold and silver I had given you, and you made male images so that you could engage in prostitution with them.(N) 18 Then you took your embroidered clothing to cover them and set my oil and incense before them. 19 The food that I gave you—the fine flour, oil, and honey that I fed you—you set it before them as a pleasing aroma.(O) That is what happened. This is the declaration of the Lord God.

20 “‘You even took your sons and daughters you bore to me and sacrificed them to these images as food.(P) Wasn’t your prostitution enough? 21 You slaughtered my children and gave them up when you passed them through the fire(Q) to the images. 22 In all your detestable practices and acts of prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth(R) when you were stark naked and thrashing around in your blood.

23 “‘Then after all your evil—Woe, woe to you!—the declaration of the Lord God— 24 you built yourself a mound and made yourself an elevated place in every square.(S) 25 You built your elevated place at the head of every street(T) and turned your beauty into a detestable thing. You spread your legs to everyone who passed by and increased your prostitution. 26 You engaged in promiscuous acts with Egyptian men, your well-endowed neighbors, and increased your prostitution(U) to anger me.

27 “‘Therefore, I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your provisions. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the Philistine women,(V) who were embarrassed by your indecent conduct. 28 Then you engaged in prostitution with the Assyrian men because you were not satisfied.(W) Even though you did this with them, you were still not satisfied. 29 So you extended your prostitution to Chaldea,(X) the land of merchants, but you were not even satisfied with this!

30 “‘How your heart was inflamed with lust[h]—the declaration of the Lord God—when you did all these things, the acts of a brazen prostitute, 31 building your mound at the head of every street and making your elevated place in every square. But you were unlike a prostitute because you scorned payment.(Y) 32 You adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33 Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from all around for your sexual favors. 34 So you were the opposite of other women in your acts of prostitution; no one solicited you. When you paid a fee instead of one being paid to you, you were the opposite.

35 “‘Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! 36 This is what the Lord God says: Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness exposed by your acts of prostitution with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols and the blood of your children that you gave to them,(Z) 37 I am therefore going to gather all the lovers you pleased(AA)—all those you loved as well as all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose your nakedness(AB) to them so they see you completely naked. 38 I will judge you the way adulteresses and those who shed blood are judged.(AC) Then I will bring about the shedding of your blood in jealous wrath.(AD) 39 I will hand you over to them, and they will demolish your mounds and tear down your elevated places. They will strip off your clothes,(AE) take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you stark naked. 40 They will bring a mob against you(AF) to stone you and to cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn your houses and execute judgments against you in the sight of many women. I will stop you from being a prostitute,(AG) and you will never again pay fees for lovers. 42 So I will satisfy my wrath against you,(AH) and my jealousy will turn away from you. Then I will be calm and no longer angry. 43 Because you did not remember the days(AI) of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will also bring your conduct down on your own head.(AJ) This is the declaration of the Lord God. Haven’t you committed depravity in addition to all your detestable practices?

44 “‘Look, everyone who uses proverbs will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” 45 You are the daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters,(AK) who despised their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hethite and your father an Amorite.(AL) 46 Your older sister was Samaria,(AM) who lived with her daughters to the north of you, and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to the south of you. 47 Didn’t you walk in their ways and do their detestable practices? It was only a short time before all your ways were more corrupt than theirs.(AN)

48 “‘As I live—the declaration of the Lord God—your sister Sodom and her daughters have not behaved as you and your daughters have.(AO) 49 Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had pride, plenty of food,(AP) and comfortable security, but didn’t support[i] the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did detestable acts before me, so I removed them when I saw this.[j](AQ) 51 But Samaria did not commit even half your sins. You have multiplied your detestable practices beyond theirs and made your sisters appear righteous by all the detestable acts you have committed. 52 You must also bear your disgrace, since you have helped your sisters out.[k] For they appear more righteous than you because of your sins, which you committed more detestably than they did. So you also, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, since you have made your sisters appear righteous.

53 “‘I will restore their fortunes,(AR) the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and those of Samaria and her daughters. I will also restore[l] your fortunes among them,(AS) 54 so you will bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you did when you comforted them.(AT) 55 As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters and Samaria and her daughters will return to their former state. You and your daughters will also return to your former state. 56 Didn’t you treat your sister Sodom as an object of scorn when you were proud, 57 before your wickedness was exposed? It was like the time you were scorned by the daughters of Aram[m](AU) and all those around her, and by the daughters of the Philistines—those who treated you with contempt from every side. 58 You yourself must bear the consequences of your depravity and detestable practices(AV)—this is the Lord’s declaration.

59 “‘For this is what the Lord God says: I will deal with you according to what you have done, since you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.(AW) 60 But I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish a permanent covenant with you.(AX) 61 Then you will remember your ways(AY) and be ashamed when you[n] receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. 62 I will establish my covenant with you,(AZ) and you will know that I am the Lord, 63 so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed,(BA) and never open your mouth again because of your disgrace.(BB) This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”

Footnotes

  1. 16:4 Hb obscure
  2. 16:6 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr omit Yes, I said to you as you lay in your blood, “Live!”
  3. 16:7 LXX reads Thrive; I made you
  4. 16:7 Or matured and developed the loveliest of ornaments
  5. 16:10 Hb obscure
  6. 16:15 Hb obscure
  7. 16:16 Hb obscure
  8. 16:30 Or was sick
  9. 16:49 Lit strengthen the hand of
  10. 16:50 Or them as you have seen
  11. 16:52 Lit you have been the advocate for your sisters
  12. 16:53 LXX, Vg; MT reads Samaria and her daughters and the fortunes of
  13. 16:57 Some Hb mss, Syr read Edom
  14. 16:61 Some LXX mss, Syr read I
Next
Ezekiel 15
Ezekiel 17
Next
dropdown
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.