Ezekiel 23
Expanded Bible
Samaria and Jerusalem
23 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], a woman had two daughters. 3 While they were young, they went to Egypt and became prostitutes. They let men ·touch [fondle] and hold their virgin breasts. 4 The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became my wives and had sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem [C both names are related to the Hebrew word for “tent,” and refer to the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah].
5 “While ·still my wife [L she was mine], ·Samaria [L Oholah] ·had sexual relations with other men [engaged in prostitution]. She ·had great sexual desire for [lusted after] her lovers, men from Assyria. The Assyrians were warriors ·and 6 wore blue uniforms [clothed in blue]. They were all ·handsome [desirable] young men, ·captains [or governors] and ·lieutenants [commanders] riding on horseback. 7 ·Samaria [L She] became a prostitute for all the ·important [elite] men in Assyria and ·made herself unclean [defiled herself] with all the idols of everyone she desired. 8 She ·continued [did not give up] the prostitution she began in Egypt. When she was young, she had slept with men, and they ·touched [fondled] her virgin breasts and ·had sexual relations with [L poured out their lust on] her.
9 “So I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, ·that she wanted so badly [for whom she lusted]. 10 They ·stripped her naked [L uncovered her nakedness; 16:37] and took away her sons and daughters. Then they killed her with a sword [C referring to the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians in 722–721 bc]. ·Women everywhere began talking [It became notorious/a byword among women] about how she had been punished.
11 “Her sister ·Jerusalem [L Oholibah; v. 4] saw what happened, but she became ·worse [more depraved/corrupt] than her sister in her sexual ·desire [lust] and prostitution. 12 She also desired the Assyrians, who were all soldiers in ·beautiful uniforms [full dress; or full armor]—·handsome [desirable] young ·captains [or governors] and ·lieutenants [commanders] riding horses. 13 I saw that both girls were alike; both were ·prostitutes [defiled; C ritually].
14 “But ·Jerusalem went [L she increased her prostitution] even further. She saw carvings of ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] men on a wall. They wore red [Jer. 22:14] 15 and had belts around their waists and turbans on their heads. They all looked like chariot officers ·born in Babylonia [L the image of sons of Babel, natives of Chaldea]. 16 When she saw them, she ·wanted to have sexual relations with [lusted after] them and sent messengers to them in ·Babylonia [L Chaldea; C depicting Judah’s attempt at alliances with Babylon; 2 Kin. 20:12–15; 23:34—24:1]. 17 So these Babylonian men came ·and had sexual relations with her [to her bed of love] and ·made her unclean [L defiled her with their lust; C ritually]. After that, she ·became sick of them [turned away in disgust]. 18 But she ·continued her prostitution so openly that everyone knew about it [L uncovered her prostitution and uncovered her nakedness]. And I ·finally became sick of her [turned away from her in disgust], as I had her sister. 19 But she remembered how she was a young prostitute in Egypt, so she took part in even more prostitution. 20 She ·wanted men [lusted after lovers] ·who behaved like animals in their sexual desire [or whose genitals/L flesh were the size/L flesh of donkeys and seminal emission like that of horses]. 21 In the same way you ·desired to do the sinful things you had done [longed for the lewdness of your youth] in Egypt. There men ·touched [fondled] and ·held [caressed] your young breasts.
God’s Judgment on Jerusalem
22 “So, ·Jerusalem [L Oholibah; v. 4], this is what the Lord God says: You ·are tired of [turned in disgust from] your lovers. So [L look; T behold] now I will ·make them angry with [L stir them up against] you and ·have them attack [L bring them against] you from all sides [C a description of the siege of Jerusalem]. 23 Men from Babylon and all ·Babylonia [L the Chaldeans] and men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa attack you [C people groups from the Mesopotamian region]. All the Assyrians will attack you: ·handsome [desirable] young ·captains [or governors] and ·lieutenants [commanders], all of them ·important men [officers and nobles] and all riding horses. 24 Those men will attack with ·great armies [a host of people/nations] and with their weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will ·surround you [L take up positions against you on every side] with large and small shields and with helmets. And I will ·give them the right to punish you [L assign judgment to them], and they will ·give you their own kind of punishment [or judge you by their own standards]. 25 Then ·you will see how strong my anger can be [or I will direct my jealous anger against you] when they ·punish [deal with] you in their anger. They will cut off your noses and ears [C acts of torture and humiliation]. They will ·take away [seize] your sons and daughters, and those who are left will be ·burned [consumed/devoured by fire]. 26 They will ·take [strip] off your clothes and steal your beautiful jewelry. 27 I will put a stop to the ·sinful life [lewd/obscene behavior] you began when you were in Egypt so that you will not ·desire it [or seek their help; L lift up your eyes to them] or remember Egypt anymore.
28 “This is what the Lord God says: You became ·tired of [disgusted with] your lovers, but I am going to hand you over to those men you now hate. 29 They will treat you with hate and take away everything you worked for, leaving you empty and naked. ·Everyone will know about the sinful things you did [L The nakedness of your prostitution will be uncovered]. Your ·sexual sins [lewdness and promiscuity] 30 have brought this on you. You have ·had sexual relations with [prostituted yourself with] the nations and ·made yourselves unclean [defiled yourself] by worshiping their idols. 31 You ·did the same things your sister did [L went the way of your sister; vv. 9–10], so ·you will get the same punishment, like a bitter cup to drink [L I will put her cup in your hand].
32 “This is what the Lord God says:
You will drink the same cup your sister did,
and that cup is deep and wide [C the cup of judgment; Jer. 25:15–29].
·Everyone will make fun of you [You will be mocked and derided],
because the cup ·is full [holds much].
33 It will ·make you miserable and drunk [L fill you with drunkenness and sorrow].
It is the cup of ·fear [horror; or ruin] and ·ruin [devastation].
It is the cup of your sister Samaria.
34 You will drink ·everything in [L and drain] it,
and then you will ·smash it [or chew on its pieces]
and tear at your breasts.
I have spoken, says the Lord God.
35 “So this is what the Lord God says: You have forgotten me and ·turned your back on me [L cast me behind your back]. So you ·will be punished [must bear the consequences] for your ·sexual sins [L lewdness and prostitution].”
Judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem
36 The Lord said to me: “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], will you judge ·Samaria [L Oholah] and ·Jerusalem [L Oholibah], ·showing [declaring to] them their ·hateful [detestable; abominable] acts? 37 They are guilty of adultery and ·murder [L blood is on their hands]. They have taken part in adultery with their idols. They even offered ·our children [L the children they bore to me] as sacrifices in the fire to be food for these idols. 38 They have also done this to me: They ·made my Temple unclean [defiled my sanctuary; C ritually] at the same time they ·dishonored [defiled; profaned; C ritually] my Sabbaths. 39 They ·sacrificed [slaughtered] their children to their idols. Then they entered my Temple at that very time to ·dishonor [desecrate; profane; C ritually] it. That is what they did inside my ·Temple [L house]!
40 “They even sent for men from far away, who came after a messenger was sent to them. You bathed yourselves for them, painted your eyes, and put on jewelry [2 Kin. 9:30; Jer. 4:30]. 41 You sat on a ·fine bed [luxurious couch] with a table set before it, on which you put my incense and my oil.
42 “There was the noise of a ·reckless [or carefree] crowd in the city. Common people gathered, and ·drunkards [or Sabaeans; C inhabitants of Sheba, in present-day Yemen] were brought from the ·desert [wilderness]. They put bracelets on the wrists of the two sisters and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said about the one who was worn out by her acts of adultery, ‘Let them continue their ·sexual sins [prostitution] with her. ·She is nothing but a prostitute [L …even her].’ 44 They kept going to her as they would go to a prostitute. So they continued to go to ·Samaria [L Oholah] and ·Jerusalem [L Oholibah; v. 4], these ·shameful [lewd; obscene] women. 45 But men who ·do right [are righteous] will ·punish them as they punish [judge them with the judgment against] women who take part in adultery and who ·murder people [shed blood], because they are guilty of adultery and ·murder [L blood is on their hands].
46 “This is what the Lord God says: Bring together a mob against ·Samaria and Jerusalem [L them] and hand them over to ·be frightened and robbed [terror and plunder]. 47 Let the ·mob [army; host] stone them, and let them cut them down with their swords. Let them kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses down.
48 “So I will put an end to ·sexual sins [lewdness; obscenity] in the land. Then all women will be warned, and they will not ·do the sexual sins you have done [practice the same wickedness]. 49 ·You will be punished [L They will repay you] for your ·sexual sins [lewdness; obscenity] and the sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 23
Amplified Bible
Oholah and Oholibah’s Sin and Its Consequences
23 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, there were two women (Israel and Judah), the daughters of one mother (the united kingdom); 3 and they prostituted themselves in Egypt. From their youth they were grossly immoral; in that place their breasts were embraced and their virgin bosom was grasped. 4 Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister, and they became Mine and they gave birth to sons and daughters. And as for [the identity of] their names, Oholah is Samaria (capital city of [a]Israel) and Oholibah is Jerusalem (capital city of [b]Judah).
5 “Oholah played the prostitute while she was Mine; and she adored and lusted after her lovers (allies), the Assyrians, her neighbors, 6 who were clothed in purple, governors and officials, all of them attractive young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7 She bestowed [freely] her immoralities on them, the choicest men of Assyria, all of them; and with all whom she adored and lusted after, she defiled herself with their idols. 8 She did not [c]give up the acts of prostitution that originated during her time in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their depravity on her. 9 Therefore, I placed her in the hand of her lovers (allies), into the hand of the Assyrians whom she adored. 10 They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters and they killed her with the sword. So she became [d]notorious among women, and they executed judgments on her.
11 “Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she, and her acts of prostitution were more [wanton] than the immoralities of her sister. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians—governors and officials, her neighbors, magnificently clothed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. 13 I saw that she had defiled herself; they both behaved the same way. 14 But Oholibah carried her depravity further, for she saw men pictured on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans (Babylonians) sketched and portrayed in vermilion (bright red pigment), 15 girded with belts on their [e]loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, like the Babylonian men whose native land was Chaldea. 16 When she saw [the sketches of] them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 The Babylonians came to her to the bed of love and they defiled her with their evil desire; and when she had been defiled by them, she (Jerusalem) broke the relationship and pushed them away from her in disgust. 18 So she flaunted her acts of prostitution and exposed her nakedness; then I became disgusted with her [and turned away], as I had become disgusted with her sister [and turned away]. 19 Yet she multiplied her depravities, remembering the days of her youth, when she was actively immoral in the land of Egypt. 20 For she lusted after her lovers [there], whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses. 21 Thus you longed for the lewdness and vulgarity of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom on account of the breasts of your youth.
22 “Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will stir up your lovers (allies) against you, from whom you turned away in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and officials all of them, princes, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24 They will come against you with weapons, chariots, and wagons, and with a company of people (infantry) who will array themselves against you on every side with large shield and small, and helmet; and I will commit the judgment and the punishment to them, and they will judge and punish you in accordance with their [pagan] customs. 25 I will set My jealous indignation against you [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], and they will deal with you in fury. They will remove your nose and your ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and the survivors will be devoured by the fire. 26 They will also strip you (Judah) of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. 27 Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your prostitution brought from the land of Egypt, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt [with longing] anymore.’ 28 For thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will place you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned away in disgust. 29 They will deal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your depravity will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your obscene practices. 30 These things will be done to you because you have prostituted yourself with the [Gentile] nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You have walked in the way of your sister (Samaria); therefore I will give her cup [of judgment] into your hand.’ 32 Thus says the Lord God,
‘You will drink your sister’s cup,
Which is deep and wide [and filled to the brim].
You shall be laughed at and derided;
It contains much [too much to endure].
33
‘You shall be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
With the cup of horror and desolation,
With the cup of your sister Samaria.
34
‘You will drink it and drain it,
Then you will gnaw its fragments
And tear your breasts;
for I have spoken,’ says the Lord God. 35 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore bear now [the consequences of] your lewdness and prostitution.’”
36 Moreover, the Lord said to me, “Son of man, will you judge Oholah (Samaria, capital of Israel) and Oholibah (Jerusalem, capital of Judah)? Then inform them of their atrocities [the detestable and vile things they do]. 37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery [against Me] with their idols and have even forced their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire as [an offering of] food to them (idols). 38 Moreover, they have done this to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day [of their idolatries] and have profaned My Sabbaths. 39 For when they had killed their children [as offerings] to their idols, then they came the same day to My sanctuary to profane it [by daring to offer a sacrifice there also]. And behold, this they did within My house.
40 “Furthermore, you have even sent a messenger for men to come from far away; and behold, they came—those for whom you bathed, painted your eyes, and decorated yourself with ornaments; 41 and you sat on a splendid couch with a table arranged before it on which you had set My incense and My oil. 42 The sound of a carefree crowd was with her; and drunkards were brought from the wilderness with men of a common sort, who put bracelets on the hands of the women (both sisters) and beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 “Then I said concerning the one (Oholah) worn out by adulteries, ‘Will they now commit adultery with her when she is like this?’ 44 But they committed adultery with her as they would with a prostitute. So they went in to Oholah (Israel) and to Oholibah (Judah), the lewd women. 45 And they, righteous men, will judge and condemn them with the judgment (punishment) of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.
46 “For thus says the Lord God, ‘Bring up a horde (mob) against them and hand them over to terror and plunder. 47 And the horde will stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and their daughters and burn down their houses with fire. 48 Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land, that all women may be admonished and taught not to commit immoral acts as you have done. 49 Thus your lewdness will be repaid to you, and you will suffer the penalty for your [sinful] idolatry; and you will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord God.’”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 23:4 I.e. the Northern Kingdom.
- Ezekiel 23:4 I.e. the Southern Kingdom.
- Ezekiel 23:8 Lit forsake.
- Ezekiel 23:10 I.e. an object of scorn and ridicule.
- Ezekiel 23:15 The midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
