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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.

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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
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Ezekiel 16
Common English Bible

Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness

16 The Lord’s word came to me: 2 Human one, show Jerusalem her detestable practices. 3 Say, The Lord God proclaims to Jerusalem: By origin and birth you are from the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, your mother a Hittite. 4 This is how you were treated on the day you were born: Your umbilical cord wasn’t cut, you weren’t washed clean with water or rubbed with salt, and you weren’t wrapped in blankets. 5 No one took pity or cared enough to do any of these things for you. You were despised on the day of your birth and thrown out on the open field. 6 When I happened to come by, I saw you flailing about in your blood. I said to you while you were still bloody, “Live!” 7 I helped you to flourish like a young plant in the field, and you grew tall and became wonderfully endowed. Your breasts were firm, your hair beautifully thick. And you were completely naked.

8 When I passed by you, I realized that you were ready for love. So I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I made a solemn promise and entered into a covenant with you, and you became mine. This is what the Lord God says. 9 Then I washed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and poured oil on you. 10 I clothed you with colorful garments, put fine sandals on you, wrapped your head in linen, and covered you with jewels. 11 I adorned you with fine jewelry, and put bracelets on your wrists and a necklace around your neck. 12 I put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 I adorned you with gold and silver, and your garments were made of the finest linen and brocade. You ate the finest flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful, fit for royalty. 14 Among the nations you were famous for your beauty. It was perfect because of the splendor that I had given you. This is what the Lord God says.

15 But you trusted in your beauty and traded on your fame. At every opportunity, you seduced all who came by. 16 You took some of your clothing to make colorful shrines and prostituted yourself in them. 17 You took the beautiful gold and silver jewelry that I had given to you, and you made male images for yourself and prostituted yourself with them. 18 You took your fine garments and clothed them. You set my oil and incense before them. 19 You set my food that I had given you to eat—fine wheat, oil, and honey—before them as a pleasing aroma. This is what the Lord God says. 20 You took your sons and daughters, which you had borne to me, and you sacrificed these to them so they could consume them. Was this promiscuity of yours a small thing? 21 You slaughtered my sons and placed them in the fire for them! 22 In all your detestable practices and promiscuities, you didn’t remember the days of your infancy when you lay completely naked, flailing about in your blood.

23 After all your wickedness—doom, doom to you, proclaims the Lord God— 24 you built a pavilion for yourself and set up platforms in every square. 25 At every crossroad you built your platform and degraded your beauty by spreading your legs to all comers. And so you encouraged even more promiscuity. 26 You prostituted yourself with the Egyptians, your neighbors with the large sexual organs, and as you added to your seductions, you provoked me to anger. 27 So I used my power against you, cut off your allowance, and gave you up to the passions of the Philistine women who had been confounded by your infamous ways and had rejected you. 28 Still not satisfied, you prostituted yourself to the Assyrians, but they weren’t enough for you either. 29 So you prostituted yourself with the Babylonians, the land of traders, but again you weren’t satisfied. 30 How sick was your heart—the Lord God proclaims—that you could do all these things, the deeds of a hardened prostitute. 31 But you weren’t like an ordinary prostitute! When you built your pavilion at the head of every street and made your platform in every square, you refused to be paid. 32 You are like an adulterous wife: you take in strangers instead of your husband. 33 Ordinary prostitutes are given gifts, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers. From every direction you even bribed them to come to you for your sexual favors. 34 As a prostitute, you were more perverse than other women. No one approached you for sexual favors, but you yourself gave gifts instead of receiving them. You are perversion itself! 35 Therefore, you prostitute, hear the Lord’s word!

36 The Lord God proclaims: You were in a constant state of arousal[a] and exposed yourself when you acted like a prostitute with your lovers and with the idols to which you gave your children’s blood. 37 Therefore, I will now gather all of your lovers whom you pleased, the ones you loved and the ones you rejected. I will gather them against you from all around, and I will expose you to them. They will see it all. 38 I will convict you of adultery and murder, and I will hand you over in bloody fury and zeal. 39 I will hand you over to them, and they will tear down your pavilion and destroy your platforms. They will strip you of your garments, take your beautiful jewels, and they will leave you completely naked. 40 They will bring an army against you, pelt you with stones, and slaughter you with their swords. 41 They will burn down your houses and execute judgments against you in the sight of many women. I will bring an end to your prostitution; indeed, you will never again give payment. 42 When I’ve satisfied my anger, and my rage has turned away from you, I will be calm and no longer angry. 43 Because you didn’t remember your youthful days, and infuriated me with all these things, I will hold you accountable for what you’ve done. This is what the Lord God says.

Have you not added bad reputation to all your detestable acts? 44 Now everyone who speaks in proverbs will say this about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” 45 You are your mother’s daughter! She loathed her husband and also her children. You are just like your sisters too! They also loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father was an Amorite. 46 Your older sister is Samaria, who lives with her daughters in the north. Your younger sister is Sodom, who lives with her daughters in the south. 47 You didn’t follow in their ways or engage in their detestable practices in any small way. You were far more destructive. 48 As surely as I live, says the Lord God, not even your sister Sodom and her daughters did what you and your daughters have done! 49 This is the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were proud, had plenty to eat, and enjoyed peace and prosperity; but she didn’t help the poor and the needy. 50 They became haughty and did detestable things in front of me, and I turned away from them as soon as I saw it.

51 Samaria didn’t sin even half as much as you did. You’ve so outstripped her in multiplying your detestable practices, with all the detestable things you’ve done, that you’ve even made your sisters seem innocent. 52 Bear your disgrace, which has actually improved your sisters’ position. Because your sins and detestable acts were greater than theirs, they are now more righteous than you. Be ashamed, and bear the disgrace of making your sisters righteous! 53 I will improve the circumstances of Sodom and her daughters and the circumstances of Samaria and her daughters. And what’s left of your fortune will go to them, 54 so that you will bear your disgrace and be humiliated by all that you’ve done to make them feel better. 55 Then your sister Sodom and her daughters will return to their former state, and your sister Samaria and her daughters will return to their former state. You and your daughters will return to your former state, 56 but you will no longer talk about your sister Sodom as in your haughty days 57 before your wickedness was exposed. You are now the reproach of all the daughters of Edom[b] and all those around her, including the daughters of the Philistines. They mock you on every side. 58 You alone must bear your bad reputation and your detestable ways. This is what the Lord says.

59 The Lord God proclaims: I will do to you just as you have done, despising solemn pledges and breaking covenants. 60 Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61 And you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when in spite of your covenant I[c] take your big sisters and little sisters from you and give them back to you as daughters. 62 I myself will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. 63 Then you will remember and be ashamed, and you won’t even open your mouth because of your shame, after I’ve forgiven you for all that you’ve done. This is what the Lord God says.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:36 Heb uncertain
  2. Ezekiel 16:57 Syr; MT Aram
  3. Ezekiel 16:61 LXX; MT you
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