“Oholah played the whore (A)while she was mine, and (B)she lusted after her lovers (C)the Assyrians, warriors clothed in purple, (D)governors and commanders, (E)all of them desirable young men, (F)horsemen riding on horses. She bestowed her whoring upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them, and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted. She did not give up her whoring (G)that she had begun in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin bosom and poured out their whoring lust upon her. Therefore (H)I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. 10 (I)These uncovered her nakedness; (J)they seized her sons and her daughters; and as for her, they killed her with the sword; and she became (K)a byword among women, (L)when judgment had been executed on her.

11 (M)“Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became (N)more corrupt than her sister[a] in her lust and in her whoring, which was worse than that of her sister. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, (O)all of them desirable young men. 13 And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way. 14 But she carried her whoring further. She saw men (P)portrayed on the wall, the (Q)images of (R)the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, 15 wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea. 16 When she saw them, she lusted after them and (S)sent messengers to them (T)in Chaldea. 17 And the Babylonians came to her (U)into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, (V)she turned from them in disgust. 18 When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. 19 Yet she increased her whoring, (W)remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt 20 and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. 21 Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed[b] your young breasts.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 23:11 Hebrew than she
  2. Ezekiel 23:21 Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew bosom for the sake of

“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians(A)—warriors(B) clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. 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) 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)

“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)

Read full chapter

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